Blog: Off the Cuff

Welcome to my blog, taking you behind the curtain of fashion.
-- Michele

KATE SPADE AND THE UGLY SIDE OF FAME

On some level, fashion is a façade -- the one you choose to present to others. New York accessories designer...

MEGHAN MARKLE: Looks Unbefitting a Princess

Day and night. Black and white. A month before her wedding to Great Britain’s Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's personal fashion...
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OSCAR RED CARPET: We Wait, We Wince

Forget the glorious circle of life. As Oscar’s red carpet looms, let’s diss about the sometimes less inspiring circle of...
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ENOUGH ALREADY! BAN THESE OTT TRENDS

MAKE IT STOP!   Asymmetrical ruffle tiers -- too many offenders to be named. Piles of patterns -- yes, you...

INNER BEAUTY: ADVENT CALENDARS ARE A WIN-WIN FOR CONSUMERS AND BRANDS

Joy to the girls. The countdown to Christmas is on, via a British holiday tradition that’s gained momentum in the...

CYBER MONDAY READY? OFF THE CUFF’S BEAUTY HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

  We can’t help but rhapsodize about beauty options that are beautiful in themselves – no wrapping required! These presentable...
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DAZZLING DRESSES: 10 MUST-SEES AT MFAH’S OSCAR DE LA RENTA EXHIBIT

Give yourself over to this stylish feast – and reserve two hours for the experience. I loved it so much,...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Forget candy. ‘Tis the season for spooky get-ups. The following looks may get your creative juices flowing for creepy costumes....
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DE LA RENTA LIVES ON IN GRAND EXHIBIT

Talk about a grand exit. If anyone knew how to make one, it was late great designer Oscar de la...
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DON’T FORGET THE SPEED BUMPS OF FAST FASHION

When will fashion’s revolving door -- which just ejected Lanvin designer Bouchra Jarrar -- slow down? No time soon. “Fast...
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“FASHION CAN CHEW YOU UP AND SPIT YOU OUT” SAYS INSIDER

The talk of this year’s collections isn’t hemlines or hats. It's a searingly revealing interview in rag mag Vestoj with...
Oscar de la Renta in 2010
Photo by Peter Bregg

WHY KIM KARDASHIAN SHOULD LOVE OSCAR – DE LA RENTA

Silly me. When I saw the “Culture” headings on women’s magazine websites, I assumed I’d find more stories about art...
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JONATHAN SIMKHAI: BACKSTAGE CONFESSIONS

"I like to design in bursts, so I’ll be running around the office in the morning choosing fabrics, draping on...
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#TBT CHANNELING CHANEL

#TBT  Long before Coachella, there was Karl Lagerfeld, designer at Chanel and Fendi -- and a Renaissance man.
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A FASHION STYLIST’S CHEAP TRICK

Wrap a belt around the neck as a choker or around the wrist as a cuff -- as does Les...
Carpet Bag Meets Lawn Mower at Intermix

WHY I HATE #COACHELLA

  Fashion marketers are ruining fashion. Their vehicle? Coachella. The once modest rock event for aspiring indie bands has morphed...
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THE EMPRESSES’ NEW CLOTHES

  People keep asking me: “What did you think about the inaugural fashions, and why haven’t you blogged about them?”...
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FASHION’S RUNWAY ROULETTE

  Designers and department stores are endangered species, thanks to fickle shoppers -- and investors.   With runway spectacles instantly...