Extraterrestrial invasion. Alien Overlords. Imprisoned children. Post-apocalyptic Boston. Unexpected family drama. All right, so it’s not my standard rom-com, but the return of Falling Skies next week has my inner fangirl a little obsessed. After re-watching last season in all its Spielberg-y glory, I couldn’t help but stare at the artistry of the costume design. (Yes, even amid battles and fighting for the human species, my mind always ends up on the fashion thing.)

Just look at the masterful layering. The coats. The boots. And even those fingerless gloves that everyone seems to be sporting. It may be post-apocalyptic, but it’s not post-style. Thank goodness – I always had a hunch that fashion survives all.

It got me thinking, though, if my hometown of Boston were really under attack from aliens, what would be in my fashion survival arsenal?

• Thick wool socks
• Black turtleneck
• Black boyfriend tee
• Sturdy, skinny-leg denim
• Flat, tall leather boots
• Coat from Marmot (who just so happens to have an exclusive with the show)
• Black fingerless gloves
• Lots and lots of ponytail holders

Did I miss anything?

Oh, and want some survival style of your own? Check out this Falling Skies Geared for Survival sweepstakes, happening now.

And to keep you on edge of your seat until Sunday, here’s a little peek at the new season (and all the show’s eye candy, naturally).

- By Cassandra Handley, Editorial Director

Vulture serves up another oh-so-quippy recap of last night’s Girls. Ugh, are we the only ones who found Hannah’s personality a whole lot less endearing?

This is one of the most direct episodes to dates — direct in that it confronts the issues that viewers and critics have had of the show, and of Dunham herself. And instead of making any apologies, the show raises its middle finger and sticks out its tongue simultaneously.

Let’s sink our teeth into a whole new season of True Blood (and recaps too). So, what’s the best part of Rolling Stone‘s rehashing? Their opinion on who took the cake that episode (humans or vampires).

Welcome back to Bon Temps, where we pick up where we left off at the end of last season. There’s no time jumps, no departures to the fairy homeland and, for the time being, no new supernaturals to take stock of. Instead, we’re given a roller coaster ride of a Season Five premiere, aptly titled “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” that sees a pretty significant power shift put in motion.

We can’t believe another great season of Mad Men just came and went (tear). So we checked in with Tom and Lorenzo for their take and got a lesson in the art of Mad Men recap writing 101.

Don Draper would be appalled by this, but we’re about to give away a professional secret. We’re about to tell you how to write a Mad Men recap. It’s very simple. First, you watch the latest episode. Then, you watch it again. If you’re lucky and observant, you won’t have to watch it a third time. See, what you want to do is find that one line of dialogue that sums up the entire episode. Matt Weiner and company are very thoughtful about making sure that tired reviewers like us will be able to find it. In fact, Season 5 almost felt like a love letter to the show’s legion of recappers and reviewers because sometimes there was more than one line per episode that could reasonably serve as the thesis statement.

Any TV recaps that we missed? Leave them in the comments or tweet them to @RueLaLa.

Photographer Craig McDean captured the 2012 CFDA award nominees in such an unexpected way. The whole slideshow is available on Refinery29, but spoiler alert: our favorite shots are Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen skyping with each other and Marc Jacobs getting (even more) ink.

People.com compiled a collection of boy-band members and their famous girlfriends. Who doesn’t love a good 90’s flashback?

Did you have any idea that a young Clint Eastwood looks like many of today’s handsome leading men? He totally does. Thanks Glamour.com.

Come the Monday doldrums, nothing lights up our day quite like reading the recaps of our fave Sunday night shows – whether we caught the show live or have the episodes recorded at home, ready for an after-work TV session. So we went ahead and hunted down the best recaps the internet has to offer.

Vulture, our standby for Girls recaps has us rolling on the floor yet again. And the Hannah and Adam saga continues…

The moral of this episode is that everybody is a weirdo. (Which is why this episode is titled ‘Weirdos Need Girlfriends Too.’) Certainly Chris O’Dowd, representing the moneyed thirtysomethings looming in the glass buildings by the East River. But Marnie comes off badly, too, as overly susceptible and a little bit of a Pollyanna even in her wildest moments.

Sci-fi fanatics everywhere held their breath last night for the season finale of Game of Thrones. Lucky us, The AV Club provides two separate recaps – a spoiler-free version for those who haven’t read the books and one for those who have. So we’re not going to say anything else here other than it’s too bad we have to wait until next year for the new season.
Continue reading “In Case You Missed It: What the Critics Are Saying About Girls, Game of Thrones, & Mad Men” »

It’s a story, in itself, made for movies: A heroine, spurred to do something that she’s never done before. Which is exactly what our own Lead Art Director, Elise Plakke, did when she took a two-year hiatus from her nine-to-five, investing her life savings into writing, directing, and producing her first short film, 14 Minutes. And it paid off – going on to win a first place in the Manhattan Shorts Screenplay Competition and numerous Best Short Film awards. As a now-veteran of the Cannes Film Festival (her film was screened there in 2011), Elise tells us a little about her journey.

On 14 Minutes
“The narrative is based on my own story. The female lead is engaged and questioning her wedding. So she takes a trip to break away from her normal routine and from the people who influence her daily thinking. Along the way, she meets up with a photographer who shows her a unique perspective – a different definition of happiness. I’m hoping the film encourages women to question relationships when they aren’t fully happy and inspires them to go after what they truly want.”
Continue reading “On the Film Circuit” »

We can’t stop talking about last night’s Project Runway All Stars finale. During the show, we checked in with our friend, PR insider Ben Chmura, for a Facebook live chat to get his play-by-play reaction to the finale.

Playing Favorites
At the start of the finale: “My money is on Mondo because of his consistency this season, but to be completely honest, I was rooting for Mila.”

Pressure Boiler
On the backstage chaos: “Everyone is frantic. It’s overwhelming to say the least, but incredible all at the same time!”

Judgment Time
The waiting period: “This part of the process is the most mentally and physically exhausting! It feels like an eternity while they deliberate!”

Last Call
When the judges choose a winner: “It comes down to the question: Are they looking for a designer who is more commercial or who has new ideas?”

Surprise, Surprise
In the audience: “I’ve been to the finale shows for the last two seasons. I have been surprised in who the judges chose as the winner, but sometimes you don’t know what they are looking for exactly.”

Spoiler Alert
And the winner is… Mondo!

Busy’s style is fun, courageous, and timeless with a twist. Here are a few items from tomorrow’s Boutique that caught her eye. For more scores for women, kids, and homeware, check out her handpicked selection in Doing A Little Good: Busy Philipps – A Curated Boutique to Benefit the Step Up Women’s Network, starting at 11AM ET.

We grabbed a few minutes with the fun-spirited actress/mom/philanthropist, and were instantly inspired by her lively outlook.

Rue La La: Your Boutique will benefit the Step Up Women’s Network – tell us about this organization.
Busy: Step Up is an organization that does two things simultaneously: It puts professional women in a mentoring position with underserved teen girls, and puts like-minded professional women in contact with each other, helping to advance women all across the board.

Rue La La: That’s such an inspiring mission – did you have women in your life who have helped to guide you through your career?
Busy: My agent Lorrie Bartlett is one of my personal mentors. My friends and costars Christa Miller and Courteney Cox have become my working mommy mentors. I know I can always call any of those ladies, any time of day or night if I’m in need of advice!

Rue La La: Speaking of influence, who are your fashion icons?
Busy: Women who take risks. Carrie Bradshaw, for sure. Alexa Chung is so cute and vibrant and hip; I can’t dress like her much because that’s not really my style, but I love seeing what she wears. I always think Nicole Richie looks amazing and tries out different looks. Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett, and of course, my friend Michelle Williams.
Continue reading “Five-Minute Pow-Wow: Busy Philipps On Fun-Loving Style” »

On Sunday, we’re throwing the Academy Awards party of the century. To get our guests off the cocktail-touting sidelines and into the action, we’re passing around Oscar ballots to cast votes just like the Academy (downloadable below).

And in the case of a toss-up, we’re going with best-dressed.

GET YOUR BALLOT 

For starlet style, shop Our Award-Worthy Style Boutique opening Sunday, February 26 at 8PM ET from your phone.

Our party-throwing skills can always use a few fresh touches. Which means we’re in luck – the event planning pros at the new Avery Bar at The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common and CZERLONKA-LAROCHE event design and management have pooled together five tips to help us host an award-winning Oscar party. Check them out, then start planning your must-invite list.

TIP #1
Stylishly invited.
Research the forecasted 2012 Oscar fashion trends and incorporate them into your invitation.

TIP #2
The Best Dressed list.
Ask your guests to arrive “red carpet ready.” Who isn’t waiting for an excuse to dress up? Maybe take it a step further and begin the celebration with an afternoon trip to the spa for hair, makeup, and mani/pedis with some of your guests.

TIP #3
“And the award for Best Cocktail goes to…”
Get guests to participate in “The Best Picture (Cocktail) Contest.” Ask them to choose a title from this year’s Best Picture nominees and create a cocktail worthy of its namesake. Throughout the evening, have guests sample and vote. At the end of the night, present the winner with their very own version of the Golden Statue.

TIP #4
Dust off the cookbooks.
The most celebrated Oscar event in Hollywood is the Governor’s Ball, catered by Wolfgang Puck. Create your own version of the menu: this year’s includes one of Wolfgang Puck’s signature salads (artichoke salad with confit tomato; heirloom beet salad with oranges and almonds; asparagus with Iberico ham, black truffle aioli, and mizuna leaves) and serve it along with Dover Sole or a similar white fish, and follow up with an amazing dessert. Opt to serve buffet style so that you can prepare in advance and spend more time with your guests.

TIP #5
The swag bag.
Everyone loves a party with a takeaway. Instead of a paper gift bag, consider a box, fabric pouch, or small basket. For the girls: pick out sample items of lotions or perfume, gourmet olive oils, candles, and maybe a cupcake from your favorite local bakery. For the guys: include a cigar, a nip of their favorite scotch, and a pocket square or bow tie (they’re so back in Boston).

Rue-Exclusive: The Art of the Cocktail…Party hosted by the Avery Bar at The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common is open until February 17, 2012 for Rue Boston Members.