2011 Tribeca Film Festival: Actress Malin Akerman in J.Mendel leather!!!

Asymmetrical Beauty...

Actress Malin Akerman in J.Mendel, 2011 Tribeca Film Festival

Actress Malin Akerman showed up to the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival "Bang Bang Club" Red Carpet premiere in New York City last night. Showing off her new red hair color, Malin was wearing a sexy tan leather J. Mendel dress featuring a great asymmetrical folded-and-pleated neckline. Love the dress. On the fence with the shoes. I like how they are stacked (points for that!) but not so sure of the color. But, you know what, come to think of it, Malin can really wear just about anything and look AMAZING!

Speaking of...here's a Malin Akerman "Flashback":

Malin Akerman, circa 2003, modeling NIKOLAKI Fall 2003 Los Angeles/Smashbox Fashion Week

Yes, kids, that's Malin Akerman (pre-red hair) modeling in one of my first Los Angeles Smashbox Fashion Week Runway Shows, back in 2003, when--along with my design partner David Paul, we debuted our NIKOLAKI Fall 2003 Collection. She was one of our models!!! And she walked TWICE in the show: First wearing a wool plaid pant ensemble with a copper jersey one shoulder top above.

And then, we put Malin in an asymmetrical silk charmeuse one-shoulder cocktail number with hand-sewn Swarovski crystals (seen above). *And NO! Those aren't her eyebrows, we were being a bit Avante Garde with the make-up!! She did a FABULOUS job in my NIKOLAKI show and well, who would have known that in just a few short years, she would be one of Hollywood's top stars!!! Love ya Malin!

Malin: My Ice (Runway) Queen!

I was sitting at home watching TV and a commercial for the upcoming Ben Stiller comedy The Heartbreak Kid came on. I had to instantly grab my remote and put that commercial on PAUSE! I exclaimed, "She looks really familiar" I was talking about the actress who plays Ben Stiller's lunatic wife. She looks like a model who's done my fashion shows in the past, here in Los Angeles Fashion Week, I continued.

After pausing it, I then realized, it was a model who had done my runway shows: Malin Akerman!!! Back in 2003, as we prepared to show in the first-ever Smashbox Los Angeles Fashion Week, we began doing the model castings and several agencies, including LA Models, sent us their top runway girls. I remember Malin coming in, doing the fittings and looking gorgeous in my designs. Of course, we ended up using her. Originally from Sweden, I believe, I loved her Nordic features--very "Ice Queen". She was an excellent runway walker and a dream to work with.

So it was a nice surprise to see her now starring in a major Hollywood film. I also remember seeing her two years ago in a short-lived--but wonderful--HBO show starring Lisa Kudrow called "The Comeback", where she played a ditzy Beverly Hills 90210-ish actress really well. To me, I'll always remember Malin as my Ice Runway Queen.