Get the look: Leighton Meester’s Proenza Schouler platform heels

Leighton Meester is no Blair Waldorf! The Gossip Girl star’s personal style is quite different from her character on the show, where she dresses in frilly frocks and accessorizes with headbands and high heels. It looks like high heels are the only thing that transfers over to her real-life wardrobe. She donned an interesting black leather dress and Proenza Schouler platforms to Z100’s Jingle Ball 2009 presented by H&M at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Can’t say we’re loving the dress, but the heels - Blair would approve.

We didn’t find the exact match but we located a very similar pair of the Proenza Schouler platform heels on Zappos. The shoes go for $699 and feature a two-tone patent leather upper with a gold metallic almond shaped toe. These sling-backs have a 4 1/2″ heel with a two-tiered 3/4″ platform and are lined in leather. Do you love?

Photo: Spellman/Wireimage

Win it! One of 5 signed copies of ‘You Know You Want It’ by Gossip Girl costume designer Eric Daman

Congratulations to Vanessa S., Loraine, Vittoria V., Jenny S. and Tara O.! You will each receive a signed copy of ‘You Know You Want It’ by Gossip Girl costume designer Eric Daman! Thanks to all who entered and stay tuned for more contests and giveaways from What’s Haute Magazine.
They say the clothes make the girl, and this is especially true on TV. Would we have loved Carrie as much if she didn’t love her Louboutins? Would we have tuned in so much if she and the girls didn’t have such fabulous wardrobes? Maybe, but the fashionable appeal of the characters drew us in even more. The same is true on Gossip Girl. Yes the show is great, and the drama draws us back from week to week but we like to keep a close eye on what Blair, Serena, Jenny and Vanessa are wearing. Chuck, Nate and Dan too.

Wonder how Blair got to wear the Valentino 360 bag and Alexandre Birman shoes before they even hit stores? Thank Eric Daman. He’s the Emmy Award-winning costume designer for Gossip Girl and now the author of a new book published by Random House: You Know You Want It, with a foreword by Leighton Meester (Blair Waldorf).

In You Know You Want It, Daman will teach you everything you need to know to personalize your look and make it unforgettable. First he teaches you how to master the basics, like learning which clothes look best on your body and stocking your closet with ‘Totally Basic Essentials’ like jeans, the perfect pair of sunglasses, and a versatile little dress. Then he teaches you how to break some fashion rules, like wearing white pants in the winter, and stripes and dots together.

You Know You Want It also tells you how to:
• Learn about the silhouettes, shapes and lengths that will flatter your figure
• Prep your closet so you can admire, attire–and be inspired
• Uncover your signature style and your signature pieces
• See how accessories can change an entire look
• Use color to celebrate the seasons
• Harness the magical power of your local tailor and cobbler with Eric’s go-to fix-it guides
• Deal with unsightly stains and dropped hems when you’re in a rush or on the go
• Look your very best every day!

The book is chock-full of gorgeous fashions, chic photos, ingenious ideas, quick tips, and the 411 on where to shop for new to-die-for favorites. You Know You Want It is the essential guide to finding your fashion ‘Happily Ever After’!

We’ve got our hands of 5 signed copies to give away. To enter, leave a comment below telling us your own personal style tip. And for more entries, friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Contest ends December 24, 2009 at 11:59 pm EST.

Good luck!

First look: The Carrie Diaries - Meet Carrie before Sex and the City

We’re clicking our Louboutin heels anxiously awaiting the the Sex and the City movie sequel. Will Carrie and Mr. Big have a kid? What becomes of Steve and Miranda? Do Charlotte and Harry remain ridiculously happy? Will Samantha ever get married? We’ll soon find out the answers to those questions and more. But in case you were wondering what Carrie and the girls were like before Sex (we can only imagine), get ready because The Carrie Diaries (Hardcover) hits bookshelves this Spring! The book is set to be released on April 27, 2010, a month before “Sex and the City 2” comes out in theaters (on May 28, 2010), so you can get a peek into Carrie’s life as a teen fashionista and high school It girl. Basically she was Blair Waldorf, without the bitchery.

Publisher HarperCollins, which is releasing the prequel (the first of two books by author Candace Bushnell), stated that the book “takes readers back to Carrie Bradshaw’s formative years in high school, giving an inside look at Carrie’s friendships, romances and how she realized her dream of becoming a writer.” We can’t wait!

Pre-order from Amazon.com now!

Fashion’s Night Out #FNO09: Anna Sui for Target pop-up shop

I recently reviewed the Anna Sui for Target collection so I knew what to expect upon entering the store. The store was cutely decorated in newspapers covering the walls with the headline “Anna Sui for Target”. It was laid out like a closet, with each Gossip Girl character the collection was based on, grouped in separate areas. Models lounged in chairs and sofas throughout. My favorites were the “Blair Waldorf” dresses. I tried on the blue belted mini dress but it was way too big. Unfortunately by the time I arrived, all of the selection had been picked over and only mostly extra large sizes were left. So I guess I’ll be picking up my pieces in Target when the collection rolls out in stores on September 13th!

In New York? Visit the store:
Anna Sui for Target pop-up store:
54 Crosby St.
Thursday, September 10th, 11 pm - 11 pm
Friday, September 11th, 11 pm - 11 pm
Saturday, September 12th, 11 pm - 8 pm

Stay tuned to What’s Haute for New York Fashion Week coverage!

Anna Sui’s Target collection channels Gossip Girl

Wanna dress like your favorite Gossip Girl character? Now’s your chance. Anna Sui is the next designer to collaborate with Target for its Designer Collaborations program, and her capsule collection was inspired by the fashion’s of Gossip Girl. Whether you prefer Blair Waldorf’s high-society style, Serena van der Woodsen’s everyday haute couture, Jenny Humphrey’s rocker chic or Vanessa Abrams‘ haute hippie style, you can get them all starting in Target stores and online from September 13th, timed to the third season debut of “Gossip Girl,” airing Monday, September 14 (9:00-10:00p.m. ET) on the CW, through October 17th.

From the designer:

“When I was in Asia last year, girls kept asking me about the different areas in New York City by referring to them as where the characters from “Gossip Girl” live,” said Anna Sui. “The show is such a phenomenonand so fashionable, so I really wanted to create a collection reflective of the four main characters.”

Which of the inspired looks will you be wearing?

Read more about the collection here. Images via NYMag.

Robert Rodriguez Plaid Skirt

You don’t have to be a student at Constance Billard School for Girls to wear a plaid skirt.

Sure it’s standard uniform for Blair, Serena, and the other girls of the Upper Eastside high school set. But a chic plaid skirt can be worn at any age. The Robert Rodriguez Plaid Skirt is for the more sophisticated set. Made of a wool/nylon blend, the skirt features a black, white and grey shadow plaid print. The plaid skirt is given a contemporary spin with a single thick front pleat and on-seam hip pockets. The slim tulip silhouette hides hips while accentuating curves and the just-above-the-knee hem gives length to legs

Give those Upper Eastside girls a run for their money.

shopbop.com, $102.30