an ode to the little black dress

Audrey Hepburn, her hair piled on top of her head, draped in Tiffany jewels and wearing that Givenchy black dress, cigarette holder in hand as she smiles coyly. How that image - the image that catapulted Audrey from ingenue to fashion icon when Breakfast at Tiffany's premiered 50 years ago - came to be is the subject of Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M., the charming book by Sam Wasson that I read cover to cover over the weekend.

Breakfast at Tiffany's is one of my favorite movies of all time, for so many reasons. Despite its flaws (hello, Mickey Rooney as Yunioshi), the story of Holly Golightly, the little call girl who could, is so absolutely endearing and romantic, Audrey so incredibly chic and fabulous.

And there's that Givenchy dress.

ferragamo's creations

Last week I had the pleasure of co-hosting an event at the Salvatore Ferragamo boutique at Somerset. The event celebrated the Ferragamo's Creations collection, a limited-edition series of historical styles created by Salvatore Ferragamo, many of them for Hollywood screen sirens like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, Ava Gardner, Greta Garbo, Sophia Loren, Anna Magnani, and Carmen Miranda. The re-released styles are made on the original lasts, and each shoe is produced in a limited number of 150, 250 or 500 - and once they're sold, that's it. The style is no longer available.

The event was not just an opportunity to ogle some seriously beautiful shoes, though - I also learned a lot about the Salvatore Ferragamo heritage. For example, did you know that Ferragamo invented both the wedge heel and the stiletto? Ferragamo created the stiletto in the '50s for Marilyn Monroe. Who knew?

Check out all the gorgeous Creations styles at the Salvatore Ferragamo boutique at Somerset Collection through Sunday, November 20, and see pics from the event after the jump.