HOTTER IN HOLLYWOOD

Oscars 2013: HIH's 5 Best Dressed

by Christine Cover Ferro

It’s become common wisdom that anytime Jane Fonda shows up to an event, she’s showing the twenty-somethings how it’s done. This time around, she’s in a canary yellow column by Versace. With shoulder pads. And, not only does she make it work, it’s nothing short of elegant, edgy, and, yes, fabulous. She also gets bonus point for the gold pedicure. (photo credit: Bryan Crowe / ©A.M.P.A.S.)

Lucky Naomie Harris got to wear the winning design from this year’s Red Carpet Green Dress competition. Michael Badger, a design student at SCAD was mentored by Vivienne Westwood throughout the inception and production of the intricately beaded gown. The muted gold is lovely and reminiscent of her Bond girl gown in Skyfall, and the sky-high slit ups the va-va-voom factor. (photo credit: Bryan Crowe / ©A.M.P.A.S.)

Stacy Kiebler went with Art Deco glamour in a gunmetal Naeem Acra sheath. The geometric paillette design and mesh back are both gorgeous details, and the pinned up bob caps off the retro feel nicely. (photo credit: Bryan Crowe / ©A.M.P.A.S.)

It’s not often that you can accurately describe a look as both dramatic and adorable. But then, it’s only been a couple of years that we’ve had the treat of Jennifer Lawrence on the red carpet. Her Dior Haute Couture ballgown is a New Look-inspired showstopper, with the soft pink/cream palette and floral texture bringing the pretty. (photo credit: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S.)

Oscar Wilde famously said that nothing succeeds like excess. Exhibit A: between the Schiaparelli pink and gold color combo, intricate pleating, sweeping skirt and matching pink jewelry, Fan BingBing’s Marchesa number is completely over the top, and I’m loving it. (photo credit: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S.)

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Tom Ford: Dripping With Style

As a poster boy for metrosexuality, Tom Ford is achingly fashionable and preened to perfection. As the man responsible for securing Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent as style behemoths, he is the go-to man on exquisite style and classic tailoring. 

When he launched his own label Tom Ford in 2005, it was no surprise when sales rocketed and new lines continued to be added. His brand gives a nod to styles gone by while making sure each product in the women’s, mens and accessory range is setting the next trend. A good fit is key, with excellent tailoring being at the heart of the Tom Ford ethos.

It cannot be denied that he has the Midas touch when he took his eye for design and his creative flair into the film industry, with his directorial debut A Single Man in 2009. Giving the loveable Colin Firth a Tom Ford style injection and the direction to help him get nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

With many of the advertising for the brand involving beautiful, half-naked models, Ford is not shy about catching the eye through sex and frivolity. And with choices for the face of Tom Ford campaigns such as Nicholas Hoult – of X-Men: First Class fame – Ford is not afraid of thinking outside the box.



Whether you invest in one of his quirky tailored suits, a gorgeous leather bag or the iconic Tom Ford sunglasses, it will be a purchase that will be season worthy for years to come. And if you are blessed with the chiselled features and sculpted facial hair of Tom himself, then you will be as fashionably unstoppable.

At the age of 51 (Yes, 51!) he couldn’t be looking better, and although taking on new projects and being busy as a new father to son Alexander - who was born thorough surrogacy with his partner of 25 years Richard Buckley –he is still as dedicated to fashion as he always has been. The Tom Ford 2013 collections are sure to be well received and much loved. Before you’ve even considered what your summer or winter 2013 wardrobe will look like, this Los Angeles resident will have already pulled the style out of his beautifully crafted sleeve.

Hotter in London: 10 Olympic Hotties That Aren't Named Phelps or Lochte

Now that the 2012 London Games have come to an end, let's ogle some Olympian hardbodies that captured our attention during the past two weeks, ten snapshot-worthy athletes who deserve just as much recognition and media coverage as some of those American swimmers (cough, Phelps and Lochte, cough). For starters, how about Australia's James Magnussen (above, left) and Belarus tennis player Victoria Azarenka?

If that's not enough eye candy, then feast your peepers on these...

Italian boxer Clemente Russo:

Spanish water polo player Marc Minguell:

Russian track and field star Darya Klishina:

Paraguayan javelin thrower Leryn Franco:

Track and fielders Julian Reus (left, from Germany) and Jessica Ennis (right, from Great Britain):

UK high jumper Robbie Grabarz:

And Belgian decathlete Hans Van Alphen:

You're welcome HIHers.

HIH Hotties of the Week: Ben & Marena

Introducing Ben Bowers and Marena Lynn. Happy ogling...and enjoy slipping into that swimsuit next weekend.

BELLO Sneak Peek: Chris Galya & Randy Wayne

HIH's first official collaboration with BELLO Mag is now available in the App Newsstand for iPads and iPhones.

Jessie star Chris Galya (above, right) and The Lying Game's Randy Wayne (left) are featured in the entertainment section of the digital magazine, which celebrates its first Sports Issue this month.

Be sure to also check out entertainment cover model Carly Craig (right), who stars in this month's The Three Stooges. The sexy-funny lady answered some questions from HIH's very own Hiko Mitsuzuka.

And that's not all: the issue is jam-packed with goodies ("7 Sports Flicks Worth Replaying," beauty tips, and one hot photo spread with model Parker Hurley).

Pick up your copy here today!

2012 OSCARS: BEST DRESSED

It’s the morning after an L.A. Christmas, but before we shake off the gold dusting and land back in reality, Christine Cover Ferro takes one last look at the fabulous dresses that will be knocked off in a prom section near you this spring...

1. Sandra Bullock (above, left) is back on our list this year with a black and white backless Marchesa gown that was like the world’s best mullet: elegant leading lady in the front, DAYUM in the back.

2. Red carpet darling, and all-around it-girl we most want to get a beer with, Emma Stone (above, right) was adorable in her floaty Giambattista Valli. The gorgeous cherry-red shade and bow gave the 30s inspired silhouette a whimsical pop that was all-too apropos for the comedienne.

3. The ladies of Bridesmaids collectively knocked it out of the park, scoring them a shout-out for best-dressed ensemble. Rose Byrne’s disco-goddess sequined Vivienne Westwood is my pick for best not-so-basic black dress of the night. Annnnd...Scorsese! Drink!

 

3. Cameron Diaz’s ivory Gucci elevated the mermaid dress (above left). It was a perfect dress to show off her fabulous figure, and the jagged sparkle trim and chiffon ruffles evoked the tides coming up a white sand beach, fitting for the sunny California girl.

4. Viola Davis (above, right) has been making red carpet magic this awards season, and her vibrant green Vera Wang was no exception. Gorgeous color, gorgeous shape, gorgeous bling, loving the newly ginger ‘do.

5. Midnight blue Roberto Cavalli fit cool blonde funny girl Leslie Mann to a T. The geometric beadwork plays off the draped sash nicely to give Grecian a new twist.

Christine Cover Ferro

THE HIH HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE OF 2011: PART 2

We get it.

Shopping can be a pain in the ass. But before you pull all your hair out because they ran out of the those Thor dolls at the store, suck on a candy cane, sit back, and let us help you select some items for those remaining names on your gift-giving list. Trust us. We've done this before... 

1. For The Shoe Lover In Your Life: A membership to ShoeDazzle.com -- For $39.95 a month, she (or he) gets a new pair of shoes, a bag, or a great accessory hand-picked to fit his/her style. Can’t afford an entire year’s membership? Start them off on the, um, right foot with just a month or three. If they don’t like it, they can cancel!

2. For Your Uncensored, Potty-Mouthed Roommate: Family Guy: Volume Nine on DVD -- "Wait a minute! Something's not right here...We're short one vagina in this room!" Relive the murder-mystery spoof at James Woods' mansion (and the above Quagmireism), delight in the controversial "Extra Large Medium" episode (the animated comedy's 150th), and bust a gut watching the other 12 episodes in this special-edition set featuring content that never made it on TV. Bonus Alert: footage from last year's Comic-Con panel (Seth MacFarlane, oh how we love thee).

3. For The Movie Buff Of The Group: A Landmark Theatres Gift Card -- They make a great gift for the holidays and are perfect for the movie lover in your life (come on, who doesn't want to see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo?). Their cards are rechargeable and can be used online to purchase movie tickets through their ticketing website. They are also valid at any Landmark Theatres box office, concession stand or lounge (where available). Pick up your Gift Cards now at any Landmark Theatre or online in their web store!

4. For That Hygienic Hottie You've Been Eyeing in Accounting: A Dove Men+Care Gift Package -- For years the Dove brand has mainly catered to a female audience for their line of great skincare, hair care, and other beauty products. But now, it's reaching across the gender lines to another audience that is so often left out of the beauty products industry. A new line of Dove products are emerging for a growing market found in men’s grooming needs. Dove Men+Care is a new line of men’s products that include facial/body washes and bars, along with moisturizers and deodorants. These are formulated and fragranced specifically for men. Our fave: The Clean Comfort scent and the Active Clean Dual Sided Shower Tool (it's a scrub and mesh cloth in one!).

5. For The Softie Who Can't Get Enough of the 80s: The 25^th Anniversary Edition of The Princess Bride -- Love, revenge, adventure, humor and ROUSes? As you wish! 

6. For The Make-My-Own-Lunch Coworker: the Picnic Tiffin Box -- Does your office mate bring his/her own lunch to work in an attempt to be healthy and save a few bucks? Support them by buying this little container that's perfect for keeping food warm or cold (for up to 3 hours!). With a comfortable handle for carrying and fun colors, maybe your buddy will return the favor and start making lunches for you too. 

Come and get some yum-yum.

7. For Those Who Love A Good Love Story: Beginners and One Day on Blu-ray -- If you're like us, you can't resist the charms of Ewan McGregor and Jim Sturgess. So why not take these absolutely adorable thespians home with you and enjoy some indie romance and a little comedy? Beginners, one of our favorite films of the year, also stars the fantastic Melanie Laurent and Christopher Plummer, while One Day also stars one of our favorite actresses, Anne Hathaway (for those of you who've read the novel, you know what kind of a treat you're in for).

8. For That Frequent Flyer F**k Buddy You Have on Speed Dial: The ZÜCA Pro -- Built to fit in overhead bins and with a TSA-approved removable toiletry bag, this wheeled bag (complete with a built-in seat for those long waits) is a traveler's dream come true. Pick from 8 different colors.

GIVEAWAY ALERT! For a chance to win one of the above gift ideas, tweet us @HotterInHwood, "Like" us on Facebook, and share with us the worst Christmas gift you've ever received. Two lucky winners will be selected and treated to a holiday surprise!

THE HIH HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE OF 2011

Welcome back from Thanksgiving. We hope you've had a pleasant food coma and a chaos-free Black Friday. For those who didn't brave the midnight openings we have a few our favorite things we'd like to share with you. Don't worry, they won't drain your bank account. And some of them won't even require searching for a parking space at the mall.

Break out those lists. Ready. Set. Shop...

1. For The Electropop Junkie In Your Life: Resident by TimPermanent -- The indie artist who made a viral splash earlier this year with his acoustic cover of Robyn's "Dancing On My Own" has finally released his highly anticipated follow-up EP.

Our must-listens: "Dance Floor Lost" and the magnificently melancholy "In The Dark."

2. For Your Foodie Friend: The 2012 Zagat's Guide for Los Angeles/Southern California Restaurants -- You know that new place that just opened up on your block, the one you drive by every day and tell yourself you need to check out (and don't)? It's sure to be in this new edition of the popular eatery guide. Your wallets and appetites will thank you.

3. For The Musical Lover Who Can't Resist A Collector's Edition: The West Side Story 50th Anniversary Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack -- Whether your a Jet or a Shark (or a Tony or a Maria), you'll want to take home this iconic slice of movie-musical history, enjoy the hell out of the special features, and check out the special collector's book that comes with Target-only copies. Tonight, tonight...

4. For The Sci-Fi Geek With A Hard-On For Spielberg & J.J. Abrams: Super 8 on Blu-ray/DVD -- The best summer movie of 2011 (in our humble opinion) is finally available to enjoy in glorious HD. Featuring the best kid cast in recent memory, this Close-Encounters-meets-Stand-By-Me adventure is a pleasant throwback to the early days of Spielberg that also pays homage to several other genre classics. And the special features on this thing are a doozy. Three words: Tom Cruise cameo.

5. For Your Office Cubicle Buddy: 8-Bit Tie -- Ties are a pretty safe gift idea, especially when the person you’re buying for has a fancy office job where they wear things like ties on a day-to-day basis. A way to let your geek freak flag fly at work is through an awesome tie…in this case, by wearing an 8-bit tie! PLUS to make it even better, it’s a clip-on tie, so no pesky tie tying! Get it here.

6. For Caffeine Fiends: Laboratory Beaker Mug -- If you're awesome like us, you know that coffee's heavenly taste comes from a perfect balance of aliphatic, chlorogenic, phenolic, and alicyclic carboxylic acids...and sweet roasted carbohydrates in the form of polysaccharides and sucrose. So many different chemicals! The combinations of which depend mostly on the roast, skill of the roaster, and the kind of brewing pot you use. The bottom line: your coffee mug is full of chemistry, so why are you sipping your bitter black brew from a simple and boring ceramic mug? Get one here.

7. For That Cute Tech Geek You're Crushing On: iCADE, the iPad Arcade Cabinet -- How cool would it be to slide your iPad into a desktop-sized arcade cabinet and rock it old-school with some Battlezone or Tempest? Enter the iCADE iPad Arcade Cabinet! To use the iCade, gently slide the iPad into the cradle. The iCADE uses Bluetooth to connect to the iPad so there's nothing else you need to do. You're ready to "insert coin" and game on! To bring the iCADE to life, ThinkGeek has partnered with ION. *Atari also signed up to bring a huge suite of classic arcade titles including Asteroids to market with iCADE support built right in.

8. For Those Cocktail Party Whores (you know who you are): The Absolut Holiday Gift Pack (below) -- In an Absolut World every night is a masquerade and every mask conceals nothing but instead shows our true inner selves. The new gift set from Absolut helps you unmask the ordinary and reveal the glamour and magic inside every night. *For those 21 and over.

And while we're at it, how about a simple little recipe (from us to you)? We call it the Masquerade Vodka Libre. You'll need:

1 part ABSOLUT Vodka
Soda (Coca-Cola)
Lime

Shake the vodka with ice until very cold. Strain into a well-chilled cocktail glass and top up with cola. Garnish with a wedge of lime.

Easy, right? Enjoy...responsibly.

And Happy Holidays!

Love, HIH

NATASHA BEDINGFIELD KICKS OFF DOVE'S SELF-ESTEEM WEEKEND

Did y'all know that only 4% of women around the globe consider themselves beautiful? And that 72% of girls feel tremendous pressure to be beautiful?

Clearly there's something wrong going on, and our friends at Dove have been working to fix those percentages on such devastating statistics. And we at HIH are more than happy to help spread the good word about this spectacular cause.

Kicking off the Dove Self-Esteem Weekend, taking place across the country now through Sunday, Natasha Bedingfield (pictured, right) took to the stage yesterday at the former TRL studios in Times Square in front of dozens of Girl Scouts to perform her inspiring hit song “Weightless” (video below). The event also featured activities led by Olympic gold medal soccer star Julie Foudy and self-esteem expert  (and HIH friend) Jess Weiner, all of which aimed to help build confidence in the young women.

We’re making it easy for people everywhere to join the Dove Movement and help reach their goal of inspiring 15 million girls by 2015 (they've reached 8 million so far!) in the following ways:

• Participate in the second annual Dove Self-Esteem Weekend from October 21-23, when parents and mentors everywhere are encouraged to commit to spending one hour on a self-esteem building activity with a girl in their lives.
• Participate in a local event in your area hosted by one of our three partner organizations – Girls, Inc., Boys & Girls Club of America, and Girl Scouts – by finding a specific event on our Facebook map here.
• Download tools like the Girls Guide to the Digital World and other online assets for parents and mentors that offer the resources they need for support and guidance

And ladies, you can learn more at Dove.com/Weekend.

Come on, HIHers. Because as the wise Beyonce once said, "Who run the world? Girls."

- Hiko Mitsuzuka, Executive Editor

OSCAR 2011: BEST DRESSED

HIH's resident stylist Christine Cover Ferro sat with us during last night's regal Hollywood ceremony and picked out her top red carpet choices...

1. Hailee Steinfeld chose the perfect dress for her Oscar debut. Her blush pink Marchesa dress struck the right balance between elegant and girly and was perfectly accessorized.

2. Halle Berry‘s perfect hourglass body is what designers dream of when they create mermaid dresses.  Her shimmery cream and silver Marchesa is gorgeous and gorgeous on her. The freeform tulle on the train adds a touch of fluff and whimsy.

3. Mila Kunis is the hottest sugarplum fairy ever in this tiered chiffon and lace dress by Elie Saab. Some serious décolletage is offset by the airy shade of lavender and soft silhouette, keeping the look as pretty
as it is sexy.

4. I wish Mandy Moore had stayed in her effervescent Monique Lhuillier arrival dress the whole night. The crystal and tulle confection evokes the sparkliest champagne flute ever. A softer up-do might have better complemented the celebratory vibe, but fresh make-up and bubbly jewelry more than make up for it.

What do you think HIHers?