Barack and Michelle Obama Top 2018’s Most Admired List

Though former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama left the White House some two years ago, it seems they still have a strong place in America’s heart: The Obamas have topped 2018’s Most Admired list in an annual survey conducted by Gallup.

The annual survey was conducted December 3–12 this year, and asked Americans to name a living man and woman whom they admire most. It’s been a tradition since 1946, the first year the survey was asked. This year’s findings proved to be a bit of a switch-up from past surveys: It’s the first time in 17 years that Hillary Clinton hasn’t topped the Most Admired Woman list. (Michelle has been a runner-up to Clinton three times.) It’s Barack’s 11th year in a row at No. 1, and after he played Santa Claus at a children’s hospital this month, it’s really no surprise.

On the Most Admired list of men, current President Donald Trump followed Barack in second place, his fourth year in a row as runner-up, despite the fact that he has the worst approval rating of any U.S. president in modern history. He was followed by former President George W. Bush, Pope Francis, and Bill Gates. Other names that made the top 10 include Bill Clinton, Bernie Sanders, the Dalai Lama, and Joe Biden.

As for the most admired woman, Michelle—who has been busy traveling the nation on her book tour for Becoming, the best-selling hardcover of 2018—bested Oprah Winfrey, followed by Hillary Clinton in third. Current First Lady Melania Trump came in fourth, and Queen Elizabeth II in fifth. Other names on the top 10 are Angela Merkel, Ellen DeGeneres, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Malala Yousafzai.

Mr. and Mr. Polar Bear, Karaoke, and the Grinch: A Closer Look at the Holiday Windows

“Oh, I shouldn’t, I shouldn’t, okay—just break me off one tiny piece!” You can almost hear the tortured viewer moan, confronted with the colossus of desserts beckoning from Bergdorf Goodman’s holiday windows. How do you celebrate joy and abundance in this odd, unsettling year? At BG, the thinking seems to be that wanton gluttony is the better part of valor. Among the mouthwatering enticements is a gigantic white robot doubling as a soft ice cream dispenser and a red-and-white–striped candy cane–bedecked diorama that is a swirling homage to 1960s psychedelia.

Across the street at Tiffany & Co., there are cyborgs and foodstuff, as well. Gingerbread people bearing baubles are sliding into an oven (what is the melting temperature for gold?); a robot made of blue boxes is posed in front of a sign that reads “Ice”—a shout-out, we are sure, to the nickname for diamonds or the cube machine at the end of the hotel corridor, not a reference to that controversial force down at the Southern border. At Cartier, miniature mannequins dressed in Cartier uniforms topped with red bellhop caps are struggling to deliver stacks of tiny crimson boxes. But it is not all work and no play—some of these lilliputian employees are riding a Ferris wheel and cavorting on a roller coaster, oblivious to the fact that a panther is lurking nearby.

There is clearly a party going on at Bloomingdale’s, despite a corporate tie-in with that sour old creature the Grinch. (Then again, who doesn’t want at least one witty curmudgeon on the guest list, if only to counter the saccharine cheer?) The interactive windows include an opportunity to sing karaoke and the chance to have your photo projected on the display. (Geez, you look old! How many holidays have you lived through?) Several exhibits feature a sinewy Andy Warhol-esque figure—has he just come from his retrospective downtown at the Whitney?—along with haughty women whose bountiful hair put one in mind of Viva and Baby Jane Holzer. (Maybe these Warhol superstars wandered over from BG’s shindig?)

Warhol’s sensibility seems to have informed the starkly unsentimental windows at Barneys New York. In a radical departure from the elaborate efforts elsewhere, the store has opted for nothing but pennies—40,000 of them—stuck on a white board and visible when one peers through letters on the glass that spell out “Make Change.” (Barneys is partnering in a charitable drive with Save the Children.)

There are no pennies at Lord & Taylor this year. Once the queen of holiday windows, L&T has sadly replaced its legendary creations with “Everything Must Go” signs. This is also the last season for Henri Bendel, which announced it is closing in January. The windows there show a crude skyline rendered in what might be cardboard and drawn in a shaky child’s hand. The faux naïf buildings loom behind a gaggle of purses, one of which is a tote in taxicab yellow with the legend “Get Out of Town”—a poignant epitaph for this venerable 123-year-old business.

At Saks Fifth Avenue—itself more than a century old—the theme is “Theater of Dreams,” and the various vitrines are bathed in deep jewel tones. Is the study in scarlet an unwittingly tribute to the new opera Marnie, which debuted last month at the Metropolitan Opera? (Spoiler alert: Super-chic Marnie is afraid of the color red!) Around the corner on the 49th Street side of the store, the theatrical references are more literal. In one scene, a couple of characters leaning into makeup mirrors seem to be preparing for an audition for RuPaul’s Drag Race; next door, a pair of cute young guy mannequins are hanging out backstage, surrounded by vintage suitcases and musical instruments. Maybe they’re planning a naughty assignation after the final curtain call?

Or perhaps they are just dreaming of becoming a happy couple like the two polar bears in the window of Macy’s? We could all take a lesson from this pair: Amid the ruckus of the season, the horrors and the hatred all round us, they have turned off the TV, ignored the phone, and are enjoying hot chocolate from cups labeled “Mr.” and “Mr.,” fully at home in our beloved city, our own theater of dreams.

Fecal Matter Has Made Its Photoshopped Skin Shoes Into Actual Wearable Heels—And They’re $10,000

Hannah Rose Dalton of the duo Fecal Matter (also known by their French handle @matieresfecales, if you will) is learning to walk. The two-person group, comprised of Dalton and her partner, Steven Raj Bhaskaran, are known for their freakish, otherworldly visuals on Instagram. But the clip they just sent me is different than their normal content; it’s a home video of Dalton’s very first steps. In a simple black dress, a far cry from her typical extreme corset pieces, Dalton takes a few baby steps. Those clomps and awkward knee bends make me feel like I’m watching a just-born giraffe touch down on the ground. Or maybe a freshly birthed gangly goat. I hear Bhaskaran in the background: “Maybe show them the leg?” Dalton slightly lifts her dress to reveal the top of a fleshy cuissarde of the palest ivory. Dalton has gotten new feet—warped, alien, pulled, and tugged feet, to be exact. She’s wearing Fecal Matter’s latest creation, a skin boot that blends, or rather morphs, into its owner’s legs. It comes complete with a stab-you-in-the-eye satanic horn heel and defined piggy-wiggy toes. On the shin is a mini extension that curves upward like a thorny vestigial tail. The one non-lifelike part is a plastic platform that resembles an upside-down cup.

Fecal Matter, founded three years ago by Montreal-based Dalton and Bhaskaran, has been running a clothing line, playing deejaying gigs, and shocking followers through a fantasy-meets-reality Instagram universe. But their foray into footwear seems to be their biggest feat yet. Dalton and Bhaskaran began thinking about the shoes about a year ago around the time that I first spoke with them for a Vogue profile. “The biggest focus of the [Vogue] article was the foot and the shoe,” says Bhaskaran via Skype. “Everyone was like, ‘Is it Photoshopped? Is it not Photoshopped?’ We wanted to put it out in real life.” The digitally altered, not-for-walking foot shoe in question was a pair of nightmarish skin ballet flats, fashioned in a petrified en pointe form. They appeared stiff and possessed, boasting a steep scythe heel and squished angular toes. They were made with prosthetics and then perfected with Photoshop. For the duo, making these shoes wearable was to prove that their altered world on Instagram could be translated onto the sidewalks. “We can get this alien look and present it and tweak it with Photoshop and make it look really realistic,” says Bhaskaran. “But at the same time, there is always this dysphoria in us. There is this urge inside of us to take what we do on the Internet and try to create that via real life. That is what we are doing with the shoes.”

It was a long and lofty process to make the footwear. (There were four trial versions in total.) Each part was made out of silicon that was shaped and molded to match Dalton’s leg. Skin hue, dents, moles, the arch of the foot, and even the hair mimics Dalton’s actual leg. (“There are little hairs!” she says.) The duo worked with the artist Sarah Sitkin, who specializes in creating replicas of bodies and body parts. (Her latest project, “Bodysuits,” shows eerily lifelike, wearable silicon body tunics that show an array of sags, rolls, abs, and potbellies.) Dalton and Bhaskaran describe the creation of the shoe as a couture-type process. “The shoe is like when you are going to Chanel to get a wedding dress. You get the fittings and the customizations. For even me to get the shoe, I have to stand and each of my legs have to be perfectly molded,” says Dalton, while Bhaskaran adds, “It is like creating a custom art piece that is wearable.” The shoes, like anything Chanel, come with a hefty price: The starting rate for the thigh-high is $10,000.

Fecal Matter’s philosophy behind the footwear reflects what they think humans will eventually look like as a result of body modification, social media, and advances in technology. The two have long toyed with fantasy and reality, and the shoes are the latest example of how they merge the two worlds. But Fecal Matter isn’t the first group to dip into this sphere. This past August, Simon Huck, the makeup artist to the Kardashians, showed the exhibition “A. Human,” which included neck extensions and a corset that spawned roots, all of which questioned exactly how far body modification will go. Though, Bhaskaran insists Fecal Matter’s views are different from the “A. Human” ones, explaining that they’re interested in the functional potential of these modifications. Eventually, Fecal Matter wants to explore how their man-made extremities can be of use.

Shock value aside, the shoes are about connecting with a community—a longstanding value of Fecal Matter. “The bottom line is the masses aren’t going to adapt to this. It isn’t like tomorrow everyone is going to be wearing these heels, but we want the masses to accept it and see it as something not scary or intimidating,” says Bhaskaran. “Through our platform, a lot of people are gaining confidence and living their lives without fear.”

As for the future of skin heels? At the moment, Fecal Matter only has one pair, which the duo debuted today at their first-ever fashion show at the Mandrake in London. Although, they have plans to make more. Bhaskaran is currently in the midst of having their own made. “It’s going to have more hair,” they say. And for the rest of us? Fecal Matter has plans to churn out skin heels that will be more accessible and at a lesser price point. “We’re thinking pumps,” says Bhaskaran. Sounds casual, at least for Fecal Matter.

Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson Team Up on a Fabletics Collaboration for a Good Cause

“These clothes are the go-to clothes of today,” says Goldie Hawn of her new collection for Fabletics, the fashion-forward fitness line created by her daughter Kate Hudson.

“[They] give you a sense of opportunity and a plan that ‘I am going to work out today.’ It’s a good mindset.” As the founder of MindUP, a nonprofit that benefits mental health initiatives for young people in schools, Hawn understands the importance of self-care and wellness. And it’s clear from their latest collaboration—the proceeds of which will go to Hawn’s charity—that mother and daughter have similar values.

“I just wanted to bring some insight into what my mom is doing and [use] our platform to share that,” says Hudson. According to her, the nine easy pieces in the collection were inspired by styles her mother loves and wears best, including an off-the-shoulder top and stylish jacket-and-trouser combinations. “She loves a wide-leg pant so we did a structured, wide-leg pant. I put it on the other day and even though I’m huge, it just turned out really great,” says Hudson, who is pregnant with her third child. “They reminded [me] of all [the pants] I wore in the 1990s. No one wore straight-leg. It was fun and brought me back to my dancing days.” Another must-have for Hawn? A zip-up black jacket style that pairs nicely with the relaxed flared pants in the collection. “It has a sense you could wear it out as well,” says Hawn, “it integrates into our lifestyle.”

There’s also a matching sports-bra-and-legging set covered in lotus-flower print, a motif that has special resonance for Hawn. “A lotus is really a symbol of wisdom,” says Hawn, “I have a connection to that particular flower; as it opens up so does your mind and your ability to be present.” Daughter Hudson agrees. “We live in an incredibly reactive time but part of what we’re forgetting, in order to connect properly, we need to be mindful of what we’re trying to get across,” she says. Now this mother and daughter are bridging their worlds with style.

A Former Vogue Fashion Assistant Is Selling the Coolest Antique Jewelry and Counts Emily Ratajkowski as a Fan

James Michael Vela has always been a collector. Growing up in Texas, he gathered small knickknacks and charms, and eventually he learned about antiquing. When he moved to New York after college, his interest in treasure hunting was piqued. After working as a freelance fashion assistant at Vogue and spending a few years focused on scouring the East Coast for rare antique jewelry, Vela decided to turn his passion into a business. He launched his namesake business in April of this year and currently has more than 300 pieces from the 1800s to the 1970s in stock. He sells online only and has gained some buzz thanks to Emily Ratajkowski, who has worn several pieces from Vela in the last couple of months. Some of the pieces currently on Vela’s website include a Victorian coral-and-diamond ring, a pair of Georgian citrine paste earrings, and an opal locket from the early 1900s.

“The Brimfield flea market in Massachusetts is one of my favorites,” Vela says when asked where he likes to do most of his jewelry shopping. “I also try to make two buying trips a year to England, where I’ve scored some really amazing finds.” He adds, “With jewelry, there really is an emotional connection between the piece and the wearer; it’s so much more than decorative adornment, it’s a personal story.” Vela admits that it is often very hard for him to see one of his pieces get sold. “I have a hard time parting with Georgian white enamel mourning bands,” he says. “White enamel in mourning jewelry is scarce; it represented a loved one who was unmarried or a child. I love the deeply personal aspect of these kinds of pieces, as they usually include a name, date, and age of the person who passed on.” As evident from the recent rise in mass popularity of vintage fashion—see the Kardashians and their ’90s-era Gucci and Versace—shoppers are connecting with things that have a backstory. “I often marvel at how jewelry from a bygone era is still so relevant,” says Vela. “It just goes to show that the integrity of antique jewelry is timeless.”

Saint Laurent Tests the Pre-Collection Waters With a Bohemian Pre-Fall Line

Since taking the reins at Saint Laurent in 2016, Anthony Vaccarello has focused his energy on the brand’s stunning ready-to-wear shows in Paris—including the now famous Spring 2018 show held in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. But those Instagrammable moments haven’t distracted from Saint Laurent’s clothing, especially its pre-season collections, which have been making their way into Saint Laurent’s stores with little fanfare—until now.

For the first time since Vaccarello was installed, Saint Laurent is circulating a pre-season lookbook, filled with what you could call wardrobe essentials—if your wardrobe is made up of slim, slinky things and bohemian blouses. Arriving in stores this week, the Saint Laurent Pre-Fall collection is meant to “realistically echo the way women dress in today’s global world,” according to a release. Included are a wide swath of options, from velvet Le Smoking blazers and studded leather miniskirts to a gold lamé minidress and effortless, tomboyish blazers cut with a boxy shape. There’s plenty of leopard print, in dress and boot form, and a new slouchy boot shape with tassel trim to set off those leather shorts or micro minidresses.

Our recommendation: Don’t sleep on the enormous black fur trapper hat or the azure velvet blazer worn with it.

What Was Apple CEO Tim Cook Doing at Roberto Cavalli?

It was influencers galore at Roberto Cavalli’s return to Florence this evening as the special guest designer at Pitti. Lucky Blue Smith was at a show for the first time in ages! Plus there was Johannes Huebl, Tim Cook, and Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis!

Wait—whoa—what? Tim Cook? The CEO of Apple might be the most influential person in every influencer’s life (with all due respect to Google and Instagram, I’m talking hardware too), but he’s not often (ever?) spotted at shows.

Unlike the #influencers (Day-Lewis still had the sticker on the sole of one snakeskin Cavalli boot), Cook was very much flying the flag for tailoring. His fitted suit was as precision-tooled and pristine as a freshly unboxed iPhone X. But was it Canali, Zegna, or maybe Brioni? I didn’t quite get to ask. During a brief moment of face time preshow, the affable Master of our Universe conceded that he didn’t regularly get to shows because, “I’m often not in the right place at the right time.” He has spent the last few days in Tuscany, and sincerely gave the impression that it’s been a delight—which it absolutely is. We didn’t have the chance to confirm the drop date for the iPhone 9, but hey. To host Cook at his show represents a bona fide coup for Paul Surridge and Roberto Cavalli—and it was great to see such a titan of tech checking the latest in menswear. It certainly made for a front row upgrade.

Katie Holmes Finds the Perfect Summer Jumpsuit for Under $85

Katie Holmes might have channeled Jackie O.’s classic style earlier this week, but last night she loosened up with a piece from the disco era. Holmes kept things simple in a strapless JD Williams jumpsuit, which retails for under $85 and is an easy spring-to-summer staple.

Holmes has often embraced a single piece, such as overalls or vintage Ralph Lauren denim onesies. Today’s jumpsuit featured an intriguing asymmetric single shoulder that added to its elongating effect, carried over through neutral tone stilettos.

Everything You Need to Know About the Met Gala, According to André Leon Talley

 

The 2018 Met Gala is set for Monday, May 7, and as the world waits to see what the celebrity guests will be wearing, it’s worth refreshing your memory on all the pertinent details before the red carpet is rolled out. The Met Ball, of course, is the fashion world equivalent of the Oscars, an evening when designers, models, and Hollywood stars convene in the year’s most over-the-top looks. It’s a long-standing event that Vogue Contributing Editor André Leon Talley knows well. ALT (as he is known) has been a fixture at the fete since 1974, and so who better to turn to for a primer on the storied grand affair? This year’s theme is “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” designed to create a dialogue between fashion and the masterworks of religious art in the museum’s holdings. But first, a few essential talking points are in order: From the evening’s origins to the best Met Gala dress to date, ALT sounds off here on everything you need to know ahead of fashion’s biggest night.

What is the Met Gala?

ALT: The Met Gala is the Super Bowl of fashion. On the first Monday in May, everyone who is anyone comes to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the annual fundraising gala celebrating the Costume Institute’s magnificent new exhibition on a changing theme. It all started in 1946, and over the decades, it has become a grand affair—the party of the year. The one other constant is the red carpet fashion. There is nothing quite like it, and it is vital and exciting to be a part of that.

Who gets invited to the Met Gala?

The world’s best achievers in all the spheres of music, film, Broadway, and fashion, as well as simple supernova personalities. The list changes each year. My favorite guest was Diana Ross, also in a full-length dress of exotic feathers. Which bird was it, I am not sure: guinea hen, turkey, or some exotic bird. It was strapless and full-skirted.

What is the dress code for the Met Gala?

Dress codes vary. If you are Kanye West and Kim, you come in your own matching Balmain silver jacket and dress. If you are Beyoncé, you wear something that’s a big statement.

Do you have a favorite Met Gala memory from over the years?

My favorite memory is when Cher joined the gospel choir from a local church in Harlem one year when the Met was held in December. And also, I was there when she descended the escalator in her brilliant Bob Mackie sequin see-through jumpsuit, way ahead of her time, in 1974.

Zoë Kravitz Gives the Slip Dress a Cool New Makeover

 Zoë Kravitz made waves in a feather-trimmed Saint Laurent minidress at the Vanity Fair Oscars party red carpet earlier this month. And last night in Los Angeles, at the premiere for Gemini, the actress pulled yet another jaw-dropping fashion moment.

Kravitz offset her slinky Prada slip dress with a blazer also by the Italian house. The feather-trimmed sleeves were a slick alternative to the boas traditionally paired with a bias-cut slip dress by Hollywood actresses in the 1930s. The tailored silhouette was a cool counterpoint to the fluid dress, while simple jewelry punctuated the ensemble with understated flair.

Hailey Baldwin Brings the Drama in the Full Coverage Puffer

 Hailey Baldwin joined Kendall Jenner earlier today and attended Daniëlle Cathari’s first presentation for adidas originals in Soho. Like Jenner, Baldwin was dressed from top-to-toe in the Dutch designer’s innovative take on three-stripe dressing.

Baldwin’s extended puffer coat was a cool take on a winter staple, and made for a voluminous counterpoint to her sleek underpinnings. A tonally coordinated bodysuit was a clever alternative to the track top, while retro Run DMC-inspired pants completed the look with a bold pop. Platform heeled boots finished the outfit with a directional and fashion forward twist.

Emily Ratajkowski Proves Why the Best Golden Globes Makeup Happens at the After-Party

Last night's 2018 Golden Globe Awards showcased beauty notes designed to make a statement against the evening's all-black dress code, from the ubiquitous red lip to a sprinkle of emerald baubles, the latter of which paid homage to the Suffragist movement. For Emily Ratajkowski, a well-selected wash of striking color could be found at eye level, her almond gaze encased in a graphic pressing of watermelon shadow.

Makeup artist Hung Vanngo opted to turn the evening's collective lean toward carmine on its head, daubing Ratajkowski's pout with a shimmery pink nude that kept the focus on her high-impact eyes. Her power brow and swirls of apricot blush served as requisite signatures, while eyeshadow extended artfully away from the outer corners to Pop art effect. This isn't the first time Ratajkowski has embraced all-around eye color, but last night's iteration felt extra celebratory, and, when paired with glitzy hoops and glossy waves, made for an ideal addition to the event's menu of highly personalized beauty. Because a red lip is undeniably powerful—but so is a dose of irreverence.