Thursday, December 30, 2010

Make yourself sparkle for New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve, for instance. There's a tendency, albeit a fabulous one, to buy tons of brand new clothes and accessories coated inch-for-inch in solid glitter, sequins, gold leafing and general gaud. The mission is to out-dress the New Year's Eve Ball in Times Square, even if you die trying.

But that stuff ain't cheap, and it adds up. Come Monday, you're back in your khakis wondering if a trip through Chick-Fil-A will overdraw the checking account.

The good news is, you can get the same look for a lot less if you just use that heavy thing sitting between your shoulders. Creativity, craft stores and stuff you have in your closet can leave you looking just as shiny as those $795 glitter-coated Christian Louboutins at Saks.

Clip it. Clip it good.

Got some of Grandma's old clip-on earrings? Clip them to the front of plain shoes for a fancy look, just like they used to do back in the Falcon Crest days. If you were born this century and don't keep in touch with Granny, check local thrift stores for cheap earrings. We found these for 99 cents each at the Salvation Army in St. Petersburg. Try mixing and matching styles for a funky touch.

Glitter and glue = good

It is New Year's Eve, so we encourage you to go there. Yes, there. Glitter shoe there. Take an old high heel and cover it in spray glue. Dust it with a liberal coating of loose glitter. Let it dry, then repeat to fill in all the missing spots. Do this one outside, or lay down a healthy dose of old tbt*s. And put the dog away unless you want to find silver sparkles in the kibble for months.

Borrow from Barbie

If you have kids, or if you're just a compulsive hoarder of toys from your childhood, break out the Barbie shoes. Leave them as is, or give them a quick paint job like these, made by Martha Kirby of Tampa. Poke a hole through the top of the heel with a safety pin and attach it to ready-made earring chains, available at most craft and jewelry supply stores.

Scrappy do

Take an old headband and wrap it in a yard of thick wire ribbon. Secure the ends with a little dab of glue, or just tuck the ribbon behind your hair for easy removal later. Add sticky rhinestones until you pass out. We found this "Cheers" sticker in the scrapbook section of Michael's in Clearwater for $3. If you're into scrapbooking, you can reuse it later.

Get nailed

Who says you have to spend $50 to get your makeup done at a counter? Pick up a packet of nail gems at the drug store, plus a tube of eyelash glue. Using the wooden stick in the nail gem kit, dip the gem into the lash glue and apply it along your lash line, or on the outside corners of your eyes. Let the glue dry, and commence drunken crying when you remember you're single at midnight.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

OLIVIA PALERMO'S BIG PLANS

The rise and rise of Olivia Palermo continues apace, with the lady herself dropping another detail about her plans for fashion world domination.

Remember that new TV show she’s got in the works? Turns out that cameras will follow Palermo as she develops her own clothing line, she said in an interview with a Spanish magazine.

Although we’re pretty sure that that was the exact concept behind The City, in which Palermo came across as something of a fashion villain, count us in... Now, can anyone tell us whether this show will make it to the UK any sooner than the last Palermo series?

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Kelly Osbourne Trashes Ex Luke Worrall

Kelly Osbourne still isn't over her ex-boyfriend's philandering ways. The 26-year-old star slammed ex-fiance Luke Worrall in an expletive-loaded Twitter rant. On Christmas Day, Osbourne wrote, "Wow just found something out that has hurt my feelings so bad, and Christmas was going so well..." She then sent a series of tweets warning other woman about his wandering eye.

"Luke Worrall is the biggest piece of s***. He has been trying to get back with me. I only came home for Christmas to see him, meanwhile he has been f***ing hundreds of girls, as well as men, behind my back," she wrote.

The pair split in July after nearly two years together, amid rumors of infidelity.

She continued: "He used me for my money and a free ride. He is lucky I am not spilling the whole truth about what he did."

"I am and always will be too good for Luke Worrall. Darling your pretty face will only get you so far because you don't have the brains to back it up," she wrote. Osbourne later threatened to leave Twitter for good.

Worrall was left unimpressed, commenting on his own page, "Lies on Twitter. Awesome."

When Osbourne split from Worrall in July, the couple exchanged angry messages on Facebook, with Kelly ranting, "Luke Worrall makes me sick!" Shortly after, Perez Hilton claimed a third party was involved and accused Worrall of cheating.

Monday, December 27, 2010

‘F-commerce' and faster fashion top list of 2011 trends

As 2011 ticks closer, the fashion world will shift into fast forward, women will reach for simple pleasures such as nail polish and temporary tattoos, and more brands will sell directly through Facebook, according to “Life and Style Trends to Watch in 2011,” a trend-spotting report from market researcher JWT.

Ann Mack, director of trend spotting at JWT, said “f-commerce,” or brands sold directly on Facebook, will be significant in the year ahead. Only a few brands are sold now, including Victoria's Secret, but J.C. Penney jumped on board recently.

“When you have a major retailer of this nature using Facebook as an e-commerce project, others will follow,” she said.

Next year, people can expect even a shorter amount of time between the runway and the store rack. Fast fashion retailers such as H&M have been able to mimic what's on the runways and get trendy merchandise in the stores at a faster clip and at a relatively inexpensive price. Now, fashion's traditional time is being reworked as brands try to satiate consumers' desire for newness and instant gratification.

“My interest wanes as time goes by,” she said. “Luxury brands will increasingly allow for this and shorten the months between runway and retail. Consumers live life in real time, and they see something and they want it right now.”

As women continue to watch the budget, nail polish will emerge as the newest “it” accessory. Typically women reach for a new lipstick as a mood lifter because it's not that expensive, but now we're seeing that translate to nail polish, Mack said. As sales continue to increase, look for more unusual takes, such as leather nails and purposefully chipped nails, he said. “It's such an easy way to show a little bit of personality rather than going out completely on an edge.”
Temporary tattoos, another accessory both on the runway and in the beauty aisle, figure into a larger trend, that of a noncommitment culture, Mack said. “I think this is indicative of a much larger movement going on because consumers are reluctant to commit to anything long-term or high-ticket purchases because they've been burned the past few years because of financial meltdown. So, they're looking for other solutions.”

Temporary tattoos give a noncommitment spin to an otherwise permanent choice. Chanel tapped into the trend with limited-edition tattoos. In Dubai, temporary tattoos are available in real gold. House of Dereon partnered with Temptu on a kit, with Beyonce featured in the ad campaign.

Mack said the temporary trend gains followers as more celebrities admit their misgivings about getting tattoos. “A temporary tattoo is a fun way to put some art on your body but not have the regrets in the morning,” Mack said.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Most buzz-worthy collaborations between designers and non-retail companies in 2010

This week, the Berlin-based fashion designer Esther Perbandt joins the long list of style icons who have lent their creative vision to everyday objects ranging from jackets for Prosecco bottles to macaroons. Here's a roundup of the most buzz-worthy collaborations between renowned designers and non-fashion retailers in 2010.

Esther Perbandt for Prosecco and Absolut Vodka: The fashion designer has three big projects on the horizon. She was tapped by Scavi & Ray, the official Prosecco suppliers to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Berlin, to design limited-edition zip-on jackets for large-format Prosecco bottles inspired by a silk and leather woven mini-dress from her A/W 2008 collection. In addition, she is one of the five German designers- the others being Lala Berlin, Patrick Mohr, Sabrina Dehoff and Starstyling- who was selected to design luxury accessories to complement the holiday 2010 diamond-cut limited edition of Absolut Vodka, called Absolut Glimmer. Her blue leather bag on a silver chain is currently selling for 499 euros ($661.40) on verypoolish.com, the online shop for the Munich store Pool.

John Galliano for Ladurée: For the holiday 2010 season, English designer John Galliano teamed up with the legendary French patisserie Ladurée to release limited-edition "couture" macaroons. Launched this past November, they are sold exclusively in Ladurée stores in France, UK, Switzerland, Monaco, Ireland, Italy, and Japan (http://www.laduree.fr/). The pink macaroons come in a delicate rose and spicy ginger flavor and were inspired by Galliano's latest fragrance "Parlez Moi d'Amour". The small cakes come in boxes of either 6, 12, or 18.  Galliano follows in the footsteps of celebrated French shoemaker Christian Louboutin who rolled out a limited-edition version of Ladurée macarons in 2009.

Karl Lagerfeld for Coca Cola: After the Chanel designer publicly confessed that he lost weight back in 2001 thanks to consuming truckloads of Diet Coke, the Coca Cola company asked Kaiser Karl to re-imagine their bottles. Designed specifically for the French market, the Lagerfeld-designed Coca Light bottles were launched in April and featured a white bottle with a bright pink cap and a graphic of Lagerfeld's infamous silhouette. The style icon also shot the accompanying ad featuring model Coca Rocha. The limited-edition boxed version of the bottle  with a matching bottle opener - now sold out- retailed for €47 at the Parisian concept store Colette. Other fashion designers who have redressed the Diet Coke bottle in the past include Natalie Rykiel and Roberto Cavalli.

Friday, December 24, 2010

‘Resort' look adds color to dreary winter fashion scene

The chunky gray sweaters have moved out, and the turquoise-colored caftans have moved in. Welcome to fashion's “resort” season.

Never mind that there are still post-holiday sales to be had, or that it recently dipped to the freezing mark in some of the country's traditional snowbird spots. Stores and their shoppers want newness – and resort is how they get it.

The clothes, with a cheerful color palette and lighter, easy-to-pack fabrics, arrive in December and fill the racks until spring merchandise takes over.

“Let's remember that fashion is all about change, moving forward and anticipating new moods in style,” says Linda Fargo, senior vice president of Bergdorf Goodman.

Resort is the most transitional season of the year, she says, offering a mix of festive party clothes, a vacation wardrobe – for sun and snow – and a glimpse at trends for the new year.

“For me, it's the clothes I wear all year round,” says designer Tory Burch. “The idea of layering is an important idea to resort – and that's how people dress.”

In her collection, the knitwear is the highlight, Burch says, because everyone – no matter climate nor occasion – always needs a sweater.

Shoppers like a wear-now mentality, and who can blame them, says Michael Kors. Resort, even with its unfortunate name, is full of smart investment pieces that can be worn on the holiday vacation to the Caribbean or the Alps, do year-round duty in Dallas, Los Angeles and even Singapore, and be the go-to piece for New Yorkers on those weird days with in-between weather, he says.

“These clothes are important for consumers, and a good chunk of these clothes – if you're a smart designer – is seasonless,” Kors says.

He adds: “It's a very hardworking season. It's a great place to invest your money.”

Still, it's hard to shake the “resort” name. Both Fargo and Kors called it a “misnomer” since it implies a look that's much more tropical than it really is. Burch, for example, says she drew inspiration equally from recent trips to India and St. Moritz, Switzerland.

“You have silk linen and matte gold sequins on a jacket and a skirt, mixed with an Indian-motif T-shirt and scarf, and you have apres-ski boots. ... It's warm and cold in one collection,” Burch says.

A cashmere T-shirt dress, a longer-length skirt and a silk turtleneck are among this season's resort must-haves, according to Kors.

Even at Lilly Pulitzer, which boasts a long Palm Beach heritage, there's a more “universal” approach to resort than a hot-pink shift, says design director Janie Schoenborn. “Our customer understands a ‘resort' lifestyle, but resort has evolved into something incorporated into everyday life. ... It seems like resort collections are getting bigger, better and more universal.”

An aqua tunic top pairs just as well with black dress pants as it does white jeans,” says Schoenborn, but the hallmark of the season is still the splash of color. “We try to make it easier for our customer to wear coral or blue year-round.”

Schoenborn says the roots of resort were rich socialites who'd go to Florida, as far back as the 1920s, and needed to buy clothes in what was the offseason in New York, Boston and Philadelphia for golf, tennis and boating. Now the business is spread throughout the country, taking a hint of its glamorous roots with it.

“It's a capsule for retailers, just like it gives designers, a chance to step out of the box a little,” Schoenborn says. “It lets retailers have a little corner of the store that's bright and sunny, and gives a little zip to stores that have been full of autumnal or winter colors.”

Burch says: “I don't follow seasonal rules anyway – I'll wear white after Labor Day. But this can be different, and you can take a few chances.”

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Retro brands making a comeback in China

China is home to some brand names which fell out of favour in the 1990s as consumers coveted international brands. However, some of the local brands are experiencing a revival thanks to the retro-cool movement.

One particular brand making a comeback is Forever Bicycle.

With China being home to the world's largest population of bicycles, Forever bicycle was once the dominant bicycle brand, especially in Shanghai.

Forever bicycle was every man's bike, as it was robust, reliable and cheap.

Chen Shan, CEO of CN Forever Bicycle, said: "The brand "Forever" is special to Chinese people. There's deep emotional ties especially for the older generation because "Forever" occupied an important place in their memory. "Forever" is one of the "old four items" in Chinese daily life. At that time, when people got married, buying a "Forever" bicycle was a must because it represents forever, eternity."

Forever bicycles used to be every Chinese man's means of transportation back in the 1940s but it fell out of favour in the 1990s when other foreign bicycle brands made their entry into the large Chinese market.

Decades later, Forever is now Forever C - for chic - in design and image - to appeal to a new and younger crowd.

"This year is the 70th anniversary of Forever Company. Celebrating the anniversary themed activity, the company promoted a new series of products named "Forever C." The drive is to revive the brand's image back to it's glorious days by redesigning several classic bicycles which will impress the Chinese," said Mr Chen.

And this is not the only so-called obscure Chinese brand that is making a big comeback.

Feiyue canvas sneakers used to be de rigueur here. Modelled after the 1950s military footwear, they were almost forgotten by the chinese public until they found their way to Europe.

"It's a popular brand in Europe. But here it's very old Shanghinese brand, where a long time ago, a lot of local Chinese people [were] wearing it, even [when] going to work or sports. But it's becoming very popular in Europe and West and the price is very fantastic, also the quality. It's so comfortable and actually a very very good trainer," said a fan of the shoes.

As a result of international attention, a small store in downtown Shanghai has seen a sales boom over the past year - with attention to other local brands becoming cool as well.

Jerry Tian, the owner of Culture Matters, said: "They are seizing the opportunity with the latest trend in fashion's cycle by making efforts in innovation - which we appreciate. Those Chinese brands are brainstorming and trying to improve and upgrade. It's very good."

However analysts warn that if there are no new designs or innovation on these old brands, their revival can easily become a passing fad.

"I think it's hard for the manufactory people to invest and re-brand at the first stage because you can see that in Chinese economy, especially for the industry of manufactory. A lot of people are still concentrating on labour intensive, they want to do branding, but they don't really master the process, they don't really know how to do it," said Pierre Xiao Lu, Assistant Professor of Marketing of Fudan University.

"It's a huge investment in terms of finance, in terms of energy, in terms of staff, so comparing to do something they know, they prefer not to too much focus on branding they don't really familiar with," he added.

In the meantime, these obscure Chinese brands can cash in on the retro revival.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Markets Celebrate Christmas in Paris

Throughout December, thousands of Christmas trees adorn the boulevards and plazas of Paris, while the windows of major department stores like Galeries Lafayette and Printemps become enticing holiday tableaux. And almost every district boasts a festive outdoor market, offering gift items such as sweaters, scarves, leather gloves and handbags as well as all kinds of children’s toys.

Parisians browse the wooden, chalet-like stalls, stopping for mulled wine; homemade cakes and breads; and regional specialties, like sausages and hearty fish soups — as well as contributions from France’s newer citizens, like couscous and kebabs, and even American hamburgers. While the markets probably began in the 14th century in the Alsace region, which borrows many of its traditions from Germany, they now have an entirely Parisian flavor.

Each market is distinctive, the largest of them sparkling with beautiful lights along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from the Champs-Élysées roundabout to the Place de la Concorde. But to Philippine Meritte, a director at Codecom, the company that organizes most of the markets, the two most notable are located in the Place de la Trocadero and in La Defense, the heart of the business district.

“What’s wonderful about the Trocadero,” she said, “is that everything takes place against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, which is especially beautiful with its glittering golden lights. It’s also great for children because it has a skating rink and snow village.

“La Defense is twice as big,” she continued, “with 350 stalls, many selling delicacies from all over France as well as handicrafts from foreign countries. And for those who like phenomenon, there’s a display of an enormously long Christmas log (Bûche de Noël), but not for eating, until maybe the last days of the month.”

Monday, December 20, 2010

Ugly X-Mas Sweaters make a bold fashion statement in the Tri-Cities

Ugly sweaters are making a big comeback from the 80's because many people are throwing Ugly Christmas Sweater parties this time of year.

"Ugly sweaters cost little or nothing, sometimes you can pull them out of your grandfather's, grandmother's closet, and just have a good time that way," says Daniel Corliss who hosted his own Christmas party Saturday.

His guests had a great time because it's funny and cheap.  "I found this fabulous sweater at Shops CI for $2.99," says Felicia Murray who attended the get-together.  It even gave her a chance to get creative.  "I went to Wal-Mart and I added a little bit, I put a little bell on and I glued on the sparkles," says Murray.

Murray says she couldn't find a funny enough sweater and all the really ugly ones were already sold out.  "I went to the Kennewick Value Village and they had nothing and there was nothing at the Pasco Goodwill too," says Murray.

Linda Hathcox, and employee at the Kennewick Goodwill says, "for the last we've had so many people asking for ugly sweaters, we sell about 15-20 a day."

Jamie Wilkinson, another employee at the Kennewick store says they're almost gone, "We're actually almost sold out, we just have one rack left of ugly sweaters and they're back there by the entrance way of the Goodwill."

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Famed fashion designers dressing up fundraiser

Diane von Furstenberg is coming to Denver on January 21 for Max Martinez's Max Fashion Show, marking his 25th year in the business.

She's bringing her spring 2011 line to the Exdo Event Center for a fashion show bigger than anything Martinez has done before. It's a benefit for Children's Hospital.

Von Furstenberg is not bringing along her much-touted new line of hospital gowns that is more behind-friendly than traditional gowns. The outfits got lotsa press when unveiled last summer. "No, no," says Martinez. "No hospital gowns on the runway. Just the spring 2011 line."

Martinez says he started 25 years ago with $10,000. "And I'm still here," he says. He just bought a building at 264 Detroit St. and over the years has raised more than $1.5 million for charity.

"This is the Super Bowl of fashion for Denver," he says. Invitations are just going out — tix range from $1,000 front row to $75 general admission at maxfashion.com.

Domestic goddess.

Colorado's own Roseanne Barr is out with a book that's not at all that jokey. Titled "Roseannearchy: Dispatches From the Nut Farm," the book traces the radicalization of the comic, and it all started in Denver in the late '70s and early '80s.

Roseanne was working in Denver as a cocktail waitress at Bennigan's. And she was thin, she writes, so she made big tips and didn't give anybody change once they got drunk.

Customers thought she was funny and suggested she go to open-mic night in 1980 at the Comedy Shoppe, the predecessor of the Comedy Works that ran part-time where Suite 200 now rocks the night on Larimer Square.

Owners George McKelvey, Edd Nichols and Doug Olson changed the name after one year to the Comedy Works and then moved it across the street to the basement space it still laughs at.

Roseanne went on to work at the Woman to Woman Book Center on East Colfax. She honed her comedy while talking female politics. She got funny and angry at the same time and helped start Denver's feminist newspaper Big Mama Rag.

She can tell you all about it when she returns to Denver for a talk and signing at the Tattered Cover at 3 p.m. Jan. 8.

Foxy lady.

I spotted Kazoo & Co. owner Diana Nelson on "Fox & Friends" this week — and so did a lot of people. It was a 3 1/2- minute feature on how she, a single mother with two kids, successfully runs a toy store in Denver.

"I had a ton of response from everywhere," says Nelson. "I never knew I had so many conservative friends who were up so early."

More good news: She got engaged over Thanksgiving to museum and university security specialist Mark Peterson.

 

Friday, December 17, 2010

Fur flies over Trudeau Christmas card

The furry frills on Justin Trudeau’s Christmas card have drawn fire from an animal rights group.

The card that the Liberal MP sent to his constituents this year has Trudeau and his family in parkas with thick fur-lined hoods huddled under a fur blanket.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has blasted the MP and his family for wearing coyote fur, calling it “a lurid way of celebrating peace on Earth.”

PETA spokeswoman Jane Dollinger calls the fur a product of misery and says coyotes are often killed in steel-jaw traps which have been banned in many other countries.

Trudeau’s office refused to comment on PETA’s fiery reaction to the cards.

But spokesman Alex Lanthier says Trudeau and his family were wearing parkas made by Canada Goose, a Canadian company which has a “sustainable way” of collecting fur.

Canada Goose says it obtains the fur in the most humane ways and adheres to the guidelines of the Fur Council of Canada.

The company’s policy also says it uses coyote fur “only as absolutely necessary, and exclusively for functional purposes.”

Lanthier says this seems to be the first time Trudeau’s family has been photographed in fur, but pointed out the MP’s late father and former prime minister was photographed in similar fur-lined parkas multiple times in the past.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Miu Miu’s Studded Lace-Ups Are So Punk Rock

I am an enormous fan of lace-ups, I don’t know if anyone’s noticed that yet. I get really excited when my favorite brands put out something awesome, especially when they typically focus on more on heels and things like that – as with Miu Miu. I am so besotted with this brand, so I became almost shamefully gleeful when I stumbled across Miu Miu’s Studded Lace-Ups ($524.99 at Saks). A simple name for a super shoe – plus, Saks does itself proud again: they’re on sale, down from $750.

There is literally not a single aspects about these shoes that I do not adore, and I can already think of two dozen outfits I would wear them with, right off the top of my head. They are totally unique, and while the pebbled texture of the leather plays a big part in their innovative look, the studs and metal detailing are what really do it.

Studs and metal, studs and metal; any pair of shoes in the world that combine studs and metal will probably make me squeal with delight. I really am awfully shameful. Shameless about it, too!

But back to the shoes: Oxford in style, the metal is located in a thin line at the toe and at the heel.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Deflecting the Male Gaze

LEANDRA MEDINE, a fashion blogger who lives with her parents on the Upper East Side, was thumbing through the hangers in her bedroom closet on a recent Monday morning, pulling out the sort of items that she calls “sartorial contraceptives”: a blouse with erect shoulder pads from Zara; a floral, curtainlike blazer by Zimmermann; high-waisted lime green trousers by Opening Ceremony; drop-crotch utility pants; an ostrich-feather miniskirt; a cape.

Since April, Ms. Medine, 21, has been publishing photos of herself wearing these pieces on her blog, the Man Repeller, as well as shots of similarly challenging recent runway looks: fashions that, though promoted by designers and adored by women, most likely confuse — or worse, repulse — the average straight man. These include turbans, harem pants, jewelry that looks like a torture instrument, jumpsuits, ponchos, furry garments resembling large unidentified animals, boyfriend jeans, clogs and formal sweatpants.

Glossy magazines have taken notice. Lucky has asked Ms. Medine to guest-blog. Harper’s Bazaar assigned Ms. Medine a feature in its December issue titled, “Can You Be in Fashion and Still Get a Man?” And women in New York who have become fans of her blog have begun using it as a verb, as in, “I am totally man-repelling today.”

“I’m really happy that people understand that man-repelling is a good thing,” Ms. Medine said, seated on a velvet blue sofa in her parents’ living room. “I was afraid people would think I was mocking fashion, and it’s like, ‘No, I swear, I’m wearing feathered sleeves as I write this!’ ”

Growing up, Ms. Medine attended Ramaz, the private Jewish Orthodox prep school, where she had to wear a uniform. Now a senior at the New School majoring in journalism, she said she always wanted to start a fashion blog, but “didn’t want to be just another personal style blogger wearing a sequined minidress on the High Line.” Last year, inspiration struck while visiting Topshop with her friend Rachel Strugatz, an online editor at Women’s Wear Daily. “We were laughing at how everything was so man-repelling: acid-washed harem pants and enormous shoulder pads, and I just said, ‘That’s it! That’s the blog,’ ” Ms. Medine said.

As for whether she’s dating anyone, Ms. Medine declined to comment. “I think men like things tight and simple,” she said. “It’s not even about slutty, tiny dresses from Bebe because that’s not very becoming of a woman either. But to guys, harem pants don’t exactly shape the body, shoulder pads are unusual because you look like a linebacker and sequins are a cry for attention.”

On this day Ms. Medine, a brunette with big brown eyes and a tanned complexion, was dressed in skinny brown jeans and an oversized gray sweater with fringes and braided fabric along the arms. “I wore this sweater on a date once, and he was like, ‘Can’t you just wear a regular jacket?’ ” she said. “I guess it looks a bit like a throw pillow.”

Around her neck were pretty pendants layered with biker chains; her father owns a wholesale jewelry business. “I get it from my dad too,” Ms. Medine said, meaning negative feedback. “When I wear the Opening Ceremony bow wedges, he says, ‘Your feet look like trucks!” But if you go to the Jane and you’re wearing enormous harem pants and a turban, people are like, ‘Oh, that girl is really cool.’ ”

Although designers like Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera loyally cater to the classic female silhouette, Ms. Medine contends that now more than ever before, designers are pushing boundaries in ways that might turn off the average man. “This past Chanel collection had all those outrageous grizzly suits, and even Jason Wu had turbans running down his runways,” she said.

Ms. Medine attributed this to the attention that bloggers pay to fashion personalities. “So much of the inspiration for designers has been that someone like Anna Dello Russo” — the fashion director of Vogue Nippon who replicates looks from the runway — “has been pushing limits so much,” she said.

Ms. Medine’s mother, Laura, popped in wearing easily comprehensible leggings and a blue sweater. “Oh, that’s my Mommy!” Ms. Medine said.

“I think she tapped into something here,” said the blogger’s mother, who was leaving for a yoga class. “She is relating fashion to feminism. She is saying women dress for themselves.”

“We used to shop together and she bought snakeskin pants once,” Ms. Medine recalled fondly. “She said, ‘Dad is going to make me return them.’ ”

“I really used to dress for my girlfriends,” Mrs. Medine said. “And my husband would say, ‘What is that? And I would say, ‘What do you know!’ ”

There is a bit of Cindy Sherman in what Ms. Medine is doing: proudly obstructing the male gaze by disguising her body with androgynous or intimidating silhouettes. And perhaps there is someone out there who will be able to discern it as wearable art.

“I do think there are men who would see a girl wearing this stuff and think, ‘She has so much confidence and she still looks great despite the fact that I don’t know where her crotch starts in those pants,’ ” she said. “You can still tell when a girl is pretty. The men who really get repelled by what you’re wearing are a little shallow, and you probably don’t want to date them anyway.”

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

12 days of holiday glam, day 3 sassy and sophisticated scarves

If you're on the East Coast and have been experiencing the cold winter weather, we are sure you are bundled in a scarf BUT is the scarf sassy and sophisticated?!  You say its not, well let us help you get stylish in a scarf today!

The Marc by Marc Jacobs Day Dots will add a sunshiny finish to your look, any time of the day! A jumble of jubilant dots adds visual excitement and a posh playfulness. A distinctive cashmere scarf that is shaped on a curve, designed to fall in a ruffled cascade.

If you want a more chic casual look, everything the Rolling Stones touched turned to gold, and this adorable scarf is no exception. With the lyrics of the famed song printed on the scarf, the Lyric Culture Gimmie Shelter Fringe Scarf is not only super stylish... it screams music taste as well

We love this one! Colorblock style is right now. Sections of bold black and yellow mix with sections of small and large leopard print for the softest and sexiest look in scarves. This lace-print cashmere-silk scarf features frayed edges and offers logo lettering at one corner.

Designer Christian Audigier creates easy-to-wear staples with the launch of his new apparel brand, the same guy. The contemporary line offers classic pieces ranging from solids to one-of-a-kind washes and treatments.

Another sassy scarf for holiday glam is this print silk-chiffon scarf features a 'Diane' signature at the corner and is 3' wide by 6.5' long.

We're not talking about three-point shots on the basketball court - we're talking about how this red, cable-knit, cowl-neck scarf will score you a front row seat in fashion! Wear it cozy around your neck, and tie its drawstring into a cute bow under your chin. Layer with long-sleeved favorites and button-up vests or tunic tops and leggings for cozy ensembles that will name you this season's, scarf-hooping MVP!

YARNZ, an international boutique design house specializing in exquisite, top-grade cashmere, fuses ancient craftsmanship and traditions with innovative designs to create a sensuous, luxurious range of world-class cashmere products. This clock-print cashmere-gauze infinity scarf features metal and resin rings and is 1' wide by 5.5' long.

 

Monday, December 13, 2010

East Valley residents don't have to empty their wallets to stay fashionable anymore

Ivy Boutique, co-owned by Ahwatukee Foothills resident Gemma Wilson and her partner Chris Rockwell, aims to bring fashion to its customers at a price they can afford while also doing their part for the environment. The resale store buys and sells quality women's apparel and accessories. Brands offered at the boutique include Louis Vuitton, Juicy Couture, Chanel and more.

"We're really confident that we're filling a niche that has not been met in this area, or even this community," Wilson said.

Joni Combardo said she has been coming to Ivy since April. A fan of resale shopping, the 50-year-old Chandler resident said she comes to the boutique because she finds clothes that other resellers don't have.

"Plus, they carry a lot of small sizes," she said.

Ivy doesn't just sell, but also buys shoes, suits, dresses and more. Although Wilson admitted the two are very "picky" about what they accept, she said this means they are able to sell better quality merchandise, often in pristine or barely used condition.

"That's for the benefit of the customers," Rockwell said.

Jazmine Colomby, who sold clothes to Ivy, said she enjoyed the boutique in part because of its appearance. Many consignment shops look like warehouses, the 36-year-old said.

"This looks like a boutique," Colomby said.

The boutique doesn't just aim to be easy on the wallet, however. "People should be smarter about how they spend their money and also smarter about how they treat the environment," Rockwell said.
Chemicals used to make new clothing can significantly hurt the environment, she said. Buying resold clothing, Rockwell added, reduces the damage shoppers do to the world around them.

"Even if people don't see it right away, they will eventually," Rockwell said. "This really helps that, whether they realize that or not."

Wilson said she and her partner met through a mutual friend at a book club eight or nine years ago. While Wilson came from a corporate and marketing background, Rockwell was a stay-at-home mom at the time and used to work heavily in retail. Rockwell said the pair's diverse backgrounds brought a lot to their business approach.

"It's a great combination of strengths," she said.

The two, however, needed to flex their business skills before the store even opened, Wilson said.

"Getting the doors open was a bit of a struggle," she said.

Dealing with contractors, finding the merchandise they wanted to sell and making sure everything was just right before opening was difficult for the pair. They succeeded, though, and have enjoyed a stable first year, Wilson said.

"We both really believe in resale and what we're doing," she said. "I've shopped resale before and I just think it's the way to go."

 

Sunday, December 12, 2010

This is what’s known in fashion circles as Post-Pirate Couture

Here’s Johnny in a white T-shirt and a worn pair of jeans. Silver skull rings cover each finger and black silk bracelets adorn his wrists. His professionally mussed/non-washed hair falls into his face and stops abruptly at his chin, which is covered in two-day stubble. He wears nerdy, black, thick-rimmed glasses and has a denim bandana around his neck.

This is what’s known in fashion circles as Post-Pirate Couture.

Depp is fresh off playing Captain Jack Sparrow for the fourth time in a “Pirates of the Caribbean” sequel due out next year.

“I’m done and now I’m spending six days decompressing,” he says. “I’m in Paris. I’m eating bad foods, playing with my kids and watching cartoons. I’m a happy guy.”

Part of that decompressing is hanging out with a fellow A-Lister he barely knew before they made a movie together called “The Tourist”: Angelina Jolie.

“It was sort of surprising that after all of these years in this racket that we didn’t know each other,” Depp says. “We had a lot of mutual acquaintances, but I had never really met Angie before this movie.”

He gives Hollywood’s most famous lips the best lip service.

“I was immediately impressed by her,” he says. “It’s not that I had read so much in the press about her — or even myself. I did know that she and Brad [Pitt] are globally hounded, stalked and tracked down.

“Given that, I was most impressed by her kind of normalcy,” Depp says. “She’s very down to earth. She’s very smart, very funny, kind and caring. I was also impressed to find out that she’s a great mom. That’s always nice to see.”

Jolie returns the praise.

“Brad knew him first and said he was a great guy,” Jolie says. “I found that he was such a likable person. He’s very easy to talk to and I knew we would have fun together. We seemed to have a laugh very quicky.

“When we improvised most of what we did wasn’t usable. But it was funny to us.”

Depp, who lives with longtime girlfriend Vanessa Paradis and their two children in both Paris and Los Angeles, could relate to the Pitt-Jolie type of spotlight.

“Angie and I talked about how to live a normal life. The key is none of us really go out that much. Vanessa and I stay home a lot. We try to lead as normal a life as possible. A simple life.”

In “The Tourist,” Depp plays a widower from Wisconsin, a math teacher on vacation, who gets mixed up with a gorgeous mystery woman (Jolie) who is on the run from the law and Russian mobsters.

“The ultimate challenge is to portray an everyday man with all his warts,” Depp says. “Like any pedestrian, he’s put in a series of situations so radically outside his hemisphere.

“I like the idea of exploring normalcy,” Depp continues. “Those people who are considered normal most of the time are the most fascinating. They usually have routines teetering on obsessive and compulsive. I love their tics.”

The only issue Depp had with the movie was dancing.

“Dancing is the thing that scares me the most in life. Dancing to me is like a hard stunt,” says the man who didn’t mind jumping off rooftops and being dragged through the canals of Venice in the murky water. “I never dance in my life outside of my films. But weirdly it seems like in every film, I end up having to dance and go to jail.”

Good thing then that Depp refuses to watch his own films.

“I do my best to try and avoid them — at all costs,” he says. “My kids watch my movies. Obviously, there is a select few they can’t watch.”

Depp says the rock in his life is his family.

“Having kids didn’t change my life. It made my life,” he says. “Even when my kids were babies, I was the one learning from them. Now, my daughter Lily is 11 years old and my son Jack is 8. You start to get into these profound conversations. They ask me questions that leave my head spinning. They’ve added just pure joy to my life.”

 

Friday, December 10, 2010

How did chemists become the greatest force in fragrance?

A perfume, any perfumer worth their jasmine absolute will convince you, begins with inspiration. For the Lush perfumer Simon Constantine, when he set about creating a collection of scents for the launch of new fragrance house Gorilla Perfume, that meant bottling Lust, The Smell of Freedom, Orange Blossom, an Italian dance called Tuca Tuca, and even the sweet, ingenuous whiff of Imogen Rose, his new baby.

Both Simon and his father, Mark, a co-founder of Lush, say they want to reinvigorate the perfume market. Hundreds of similar fragrances are launched each year, mainly by the five big perfume houses, and in a fragrance market worth £1bn in sales, last year 46 per cent of product was shifted in the Christmas holiday period, despite striking similarities between many of the products.

This is not simply a case of coming up with the most innovative, or outlandish, idea for a perfume. The smell of money and cheese have been bottled and sold. The Constantines have even made edible and drinkable perfumes to showcase their new scents. Yet the art and inspiration must be met by science, which binds all perfumers.

Scent science dictates what raw materials are available to them, and their cost. Perfumery might seem like the most flimsy of sciences, and you do not, indeed, need a chemistry degree to mix a decent scent, but bottling a smell is much more complicated than deciding you like the smell of this or that flower or herb, boiling it up and dabbing a spot on your wrist. The idea that any scent is a field-to-fragrance distillation of an English country garden, Moroccan spice bazaar or meadow of lily of the valley is a marketing construct.

"Natural" is perceived as a good thing, whereas "chemical" is bad. In fact, almost all perfumes end up being a blend of natural raw materials and synthetic raw materials. Even perfumers who like working with natural ingredients need synthetics.

The natural materials, mixtures of molecules, are sold to perfume houses by extraction firms. But they need help to become the smell the perfumer is after. Simon Constantine wanted an orange blossom to communicate his childhood holidays on the Mediterranean, but the classic orange blossom oil has a dense, tarry smell. Eventually, he found a high-quality orange blossom absolute and mixed it with neroli to get the honeyed, sunny experience he craved.

"Naturals are the beauty of perfumery," explains Lyn Harris of luxury fragrance house Miller Harris. "They link back to the heritage and are what inspire me the most. But it would be wrong to say that I prefer them over synthetics."

Synthetic ingredients exist for a variety of reasons. Naturals do not always smell the same when extracted as they do in nature, and need to be "rebuilt" synthetically. Strawberry, banana and pineapple flavours are always synthetic. Synthetics are often much cheaper than a 100 per cent natural ingredient (cost dictates much of a perfumer's work; a decade ago, a fine fragrance might have cost £200-£300 per kilo. Now, £100 is expensive (and £15 much more likely). Perhaps most importantly, synthetic raw materials, usually single molecules, enable perfumers to create entirely new smells for us to enjoy. "I would never want to do without chemicals or synthetics as these are what add the magic to a formula," Harris says.

The first time a synthetic material was used in a commercial scent was in 1881, when Paul Parquet used synthetic coumarin in his Fougère Royale fragrance for Houbigant. The name translates as royal fern – the joke being that ferns have no smell, so Parquet had created a smell out of nothing. Coumarin is present in many natural products which Parquet had access to, but making his own meant he could use it in huge doses, creating an altogether different effect to anything else on the market.

More than 100 years later, single-molecule smells, on their own, rarely resemble anything we recognise. No doubt Geza Schoen's Escentric Molecules, single-molecule scents, are a success precisely because they smell so peculiar.

The five big perfume houses (Givaudan, Firmenich, IFF, Symrise and Takasago) make fine fragrances and smells for soaps, cleaning products and anything else we use that is scented. Their perfume scientists work hard to create new molecules, the secrets of which are then fiercely guarded. The senior vice-president of fine fragrance creation at Symrise, Beatrice Mouleyre, explains that in the Givenchy Play range, Ambroxide, one of Symrise's specialities, gives the dry, woody note in the men's fragrance. Symroxane, a Symrise "captive", is in the women's fragrance. If you want to make a new scent and enjoy Givenchy Play's complex woody facets, you should turn to Symrise.

Although Constantine's laboratory in Poole is tiny compared with those at the big perfume houses, all perfumers use the same, fairly simple, apparatus – bottles, pipettes, beakers, scales. The complex bits are the ingredients. These are mixed, drop by drop, until the right blend is reached. The oils are mixed with alcohol to reach the desired concentration. Each new fragrance is left to sit for at least a week, because the smell will change over time, before settling, just as perfume does on your skin.

There are so many potential smells available to perfumers, it is a wonder they ever achieve what they are aiming for. But, as celebrated fragrance scientist Luca Turin explains in The Science of Scent, perfumes can be thought of as "chemical poems" made up of hundreds of words. Each word can be followed by a number of potential words, but not by anything at all. You can't read a poem backwards or vertically and come away with the same overall effect the poet intended, but you can make minor adjustments with punctuation and small word changes and create your own unique variation on the original.

Rose was once considered something of a "granny" smell but has experienced a boom in popularity in recent years. Constantine wanted to create an entirely new rose sensation when creating a perfume in honour of his new daughter. What he has managed is a genius stroke of bottling a fresh, clear rose scent along with the Johnson's talcum powder sweetness of a baby. Of course, he didn't get there by mixing rose oil with talc and Johnson's Baby Oil. He added basil notes to the Damascus rose oil to give the flower a greener, fresher smell. The talcum powder hug was found by mixing tonka bean with rose absolute.

When Constantine launched the scent at a specially created "fragrance gallery" in Tokyo earlier this month, its effect was palpable. Fragrances are typically associated with sophistication, and certainly adulthood, yet here was a smell that transported every wearer to the playfulness of baby bath time.

The fun, and the challenge, of scent for scientists and perfumers is its malleability and endless potential. When Lyn Harris created one of her original and best-selling scents, Fleur Oriental, she added fresh orange flower, heliotrope, spicy carnation and rose to the "great and grand orientals". Florals and orientals are considered two different categories of scent, but Harris successfully blended the two into one of her signature creations.

This is how small perfumers, who do not have access to captive molecules, make their mark on perfumery and are able to shake up the industry. Yet while perfumers can influence what we smell, they cannot affect how we smell their work. The chemistry of scent is up for grabs – anyone can have a dabble – but the biology of smell is a much greater mystery.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Issey Miyake to launch a perfume aimed at younger women

Almost 20 years after L'Eau d'Issey hit the shelves, L'Eau d'Issey Florale, which was created in hopes of appealing to a younger generation of women, will be launched worldwide in February 2011.

"L'Eau d'Issey is considered a classic in the world of perfumery," Nathalie Helloin Kamel, vice president of Parfums Issey Miyake, toldWomen's Wear Daily. "We have a lot of very faithful, loyal customers. But we know also that the small challenge we have is to recruit new customers to the brand."

The scent, concocted by Firmenich's parfumer Alberto Morillas, is centered around the rosebud, along with notes of lily, mandarin and white woods. It comes in a light pink bottle that recalls the shape of the original L'Eau d'Issey. The perfume will be sold as a 50-ml eau de toilette spray for 65 euros, a 90-ml spray for 90 euros, or as a limited edition 25-ml spray for 45 euros.

While waiting for the release of L'Eau d'Issey Florale, women can rely on these other rose-centered fragrances: Paul Smith Rose, a blend of rose, Turkish rose oil, green tea, magnolia and violet flowers; Stella Rose Absolue, a sophisticated perfume by British designer Stella McCartney; Yardley English Rose, a timeless fragrance by Yardley of London; and Creed Fleur de Thé Rose Bulgare, a classy scent made from the rare Bulgarian rose.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Jessica McCormack: Piece by piece

‘Wing of Desire’ was the first jewel Jessica McCormack ever designed. Inspired by the winged headpiece worn by the Greek god Hermes, it’s a singular earring containing around 45 diamonds and weighing in at 3.96 carats. It sweeps up the wearer’s ear like a glittering, whizzing comet. A comet that costs $23,770.
 
When Rihanna tried to buy it, McCormack very nearly wouldn’t sell it to her. “It was the first piece of jewellery I’d ever made and I wanted to keep it.” So they made a deal. McCormack could borrow it if she ever wanted to do a retrospective collection of her work.
 
The Christchurch-born, London-based 31-year-old launched her fine diamond jewellery line just two and a half years ago. In that time, and with no formal training in jewellery design, she’s attracted a covetable fan base that includes Madonna, Cheryl Cole, French Vogue editor in chief Carine Roitfeld and, happily, a number of wealthy Russians.

McCormack’s work has appeared in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, W magazine and the Financial Times. Vanity Fair declared her one of the top 50 most influential players in jewellery two years in a row. Recently, stylists have been making enquiries about borrowing pieces for their stars to wear at next year’s Oscars and BAFTAs.

This Tuesday McCormack finds out whether she’s won the Emerging Talent Award for Accessories at the British Fashion Awards, an event that “recognises the most influential people in fashion today”. Fellow nominees in other categories include Victoria Beckham, Erdem, Christopher Kane, and Christopher Bailey for Burberry. It’s a big deal, and it’s also the second year she’s been nominated, though she has no idea who by. “Honestly, last year I didn’t even know people knew I existed; I was shocked. Even this year, again, who nominated me?”

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

British Fashion Council to honor designer with a posthumous award

The late Lee Alexander McQueen will be presented with a posthumous award for Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Design during Tuesday's British Fashion Council Awards.

To commemorate McQueen's life, the ceremony will open with a short film featuring the British designer's most iconic pieces directed by Nick Knight, styled by Edward Enninful, with a soundtrack by Bjork. The clip will be streamed live online at Showstudio.com starting from 7 p.m. London time.

Speaking about his film, McKnight told Style.com, "It is being styled by Edward Enninful and will feature black models only. We felt it was important to have the clothes featured one last time on flesh and blood before the museum takes them away."

The museum that McKnight is referring to is the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is staging a major retrospective on the late designer's career titled, "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty."  Running from May 4 through July 31, 2011, the exhibit will feature 100-plus pieces and highlight everything from his Central Saint Martins postgraduate collection in 1992 to his final runway presentation, which was staged posthumously in February 2010 following his suicide earlier this year.

Born in London in 1969, McQueen began his fashion career with an apprenticeship at the traditional Savile Row tailors Anderson and Shephard. He went on to create his own eponymous label and was later appointed chief designer of the French haute couture house Givenchy. McQueen's shows were reputed for their theatrical elements, emotional power and raw energy, and were often the highlights of the international fashion weeks.

Harold Tillman, Chairman of the British Fashion Council, commented, "The Outstanding Achievement Award celebrates the exceptional talent of an individual who has contributed to the British fashion industry both internationally, and here in the UK throughout their career. There was only one person we felt we could recognize with this award this year- Lee McQueen."

Monday, December 6, 2010

It's OK to keep warm with scarves, thick tights and woolly hats

Ah yes, the Suri issue. Well noted, Leila, well noted indeed. As a fellow fan of most of the garments that you are currently working (NB: "most", ie, not all, and we will return to that crucial point in a moment) I, too, have pondered the Suri issue and have felt far more resentment towards la Cruise Jr than an adult should towards a four-year-old. Goddammit, that kid is stealing my look!

But, in fact, I feel that Suri is a force for good in that she is opening our collective eyes to the fact that far too many of us have, for some time, been dressing like toddlers. Princess coats, woolly tights, long scarves: all of these have been popularised for adults by labels such as Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs and become known as Bonpoint Chic because they look like the clothes sold by Bonpoint, the super-dooper posh and expensive children's clothing company.

Read that sentence again: "a children's clothing company"; in other words, not an adult's one. Do you see where I'm going with this, Leila? I am a touch concerned that you do not, or at least have been so brainwashed by the popularity of Bonpoint Chic that you can no longer see what is wrong with the look. Your penultimate sentence suggests as much when you express an active desire to wear a "cute childlike outfit". Is this acceptable at any time of the year? Yes, I reply, it certainly is – if you are a child. Under any other circumstances, it most certainly is not.

Which brings me back to the previously advertised point about how I like most of your outfit, not all. Mittens, Leila, mittens? No. These are not acceptable. You have now gone past the point of Bonpoint Chic and entered the world of Paedo Chic.

The only reason Bonpoint Chic worked was because the various garments were both practical for adults and pretty to boot. When you get into clothes that only children should wear due to their slightly reduced motor skills, you have a problem. Thus, woolly tights and princess coats: yes. Mittens and babygrows: no. Do you understand the difference? Have you thrown away those mittens yet? Good.

Right, so now that we've dealt with the most extreme manifestation of your fashion problem, we can turn to more mainstream issues. There is nothing wrong with liking a touch of Bonpoint Chic, but you cannot wear all the pieces together or you will be at risk of being co-opted into the Cruise family, and nobody wants that. A princess coat with a pair of jeans and trainers, for example, looks marvellous and keeps one looking more Sofia Coppola than Suri Cruise. Woolly tights and long scarves are fine, but should then be worn with more grown-up or casual-looking coats. It's not very complicated. I would say that a baby could do it, but that might take us back to square one.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Niya Pickett Miller of Hoover, Alabama

Who: Niya Pickett Miller, 30, who is pursuing her doctorate in communication studies at the University of Southern Mississippi. She, her husband, David Miller, and their daughter, Nalla Paige Miller, live in Hoover.

What are you wearing? A sequined tunic from Eve Marie's Boutique in Hattiesburg, Miss.; black Jessica Simpson patent leather pumps and black Hue leggings, both from Belk; silver and rhinestone bangles from Eve Marie's; earrings from Baker's; and hair by Darius Peace of Birmingham.

Who did your makeup? "I did. I did some online tutorials and also had a consultation with Hayah Cosmetics to practice some application techniques. But as far as applying the makeup and the lashes, all of that, I did myself. I will Google, I will YouTube and figure out how to do it. I was up the day of the party at 5 doing my makeup, putting my lashes on and figuring out proper placement and making sure I was comfortable," she said.

Niya said said she practiced to get her makeup just right for her birthday party. (Special / elle Danielle Photography)
You pointed out that you wore MAC makeup and their matte red lipstick. "There's an art to wearing red lipstick. When you wear red lipstick, you have to make sure that your lips are conditioned and you have actually exfoliated your lips. Red is one of those colors where all of the imperfections, cracked lips, dead skin, are magnified. You have to line the lip with a red liner, preferably a shade of red that's darker than the lipstick."

Friday, December 3, 2010

Miu Miu Launch Party in London!

Rolling her Louis Vuitton suitcase behind her, Emma Roberts keeps it comfy in a gray dress as she heads to security at LAX airport in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon (December 1).

The 19-year-old actress turned up in London, attending the launch of fashion brand Miu Miu’s new flagship London store at Miu Miu Store Bond Street on Friday evening (December 3).

Emma hung out with Jessica Alba, Bonnie Wright and Chloe Moretz at the party.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Fair Isle sweater has manned up and trimmed down

It’s too bad that the previous Prince of Wales, the great-uncle of the current titleholder, is known to history for his dubious decisions: namely, spending barely a year as Edward VIII before abdicating the throne, and picking the wrong horse in World War II.

Before he became the black sheep of the House of Windsor, the fair-haired Prince of Wales was known for woolens of a different color, his clothes slavishly imitated in the 1920s and early 1930s. In 1924, Men’s Wear magazine put it bluntly: “The average young man in America is more interested in the clothes of the Prince of Wales than in the clothes of any other individual on earth.”

Among the remarkable examples of his sartorial influence was the fame and fortune he inadvertently brought to obscure Fair Isle, one of the most isolated of the Shetland Islands, known for a knitting style bearing colorful folk motifs and bold geometric designs. He made the brightly patterned sweater a key part of the well-heeled golfing outfit; before long, the trim-fitting Fair Isle sweater was an all-around emblem of the sporting good life.

Identified with skiing, Scandinavia and snowflakes in the ’50s and ’60s, the sweater has in recent years become baggier and schlumpier, more a token of the couching life than the sporting one.

“It kind of lost its way in the ’80s and ’90s,” said Michael Bastian, who has made the Fair Isle sweater a signature of his men’s collection as well as the collegiate-style line he designs for Gant. “That’s why we try to make it more masculine with the patterns and colors. I even did a motif of crossed lacrosse sticks on one this year.”

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The Nina Ricci Ondine Agneau Bag

The Nina Ricci Ondine Agneau Bag is, by far, one of the prettiest bags of the season.

This beautiful purse calls forth images of extravagant architectural moldings and hand-carved details you only see in palaces like Hofburg or Versailles. While this handbag is clearly made with superior attention to craftsmanship and history, there is a certain effortless glamour about it; perhaps achieved by the pale pastel color palette.

This leather flap front bag features an elegant woven leather horseshoe and bright silvery chain strap, and comes only in this particularly exquisite shade of pale grey. At just 7" x 12" x 4", it's a delicate bag, but its sheer class and subtle detail render it unmistakably expensive.

This demure handbag is extremely versatile; easy to dress down, easy to pair with patterns or colors, and easy to carry to a black or white tie event. It's one of those if-you-only-buy-one-purse-this-year pieces that you'll use again and again.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Fashion's Night Out to return in 2011

The popular event that celebrated NYC fashion and its designers is already scheduled for Sept. 8, according to a press release from Mayor Bloomberg's office.

The one-night shopping extravaganza was a joint effort  of Vogue magazine, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the city's marketing and tourism organization.

The 2010 event was deemed a resounding success by the mayor's office.

Stores opened their doors until late into the night, offering steep discounts, drinks, makeovers, gift bags and lots of incentives to get people to open their wallets.

The large-scale event was Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's solution to sagging 2009 retail sales.

The public also got to see the faces behind the brands. Iconic designers manned the counters to meet their adoring fans.

"It's the exchange between the customers and the salespeople. I was really happy to see people [last year] not in front of their computer screen and adding to their cart, but actually getting out and being on the streets of the city," designer Marc Jacobs told the Daily News.

Celebs by the dozen, including Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker, came out to support their favorite designers and  the city's economy.

"Next year's event will once again expose shoppers to new stores and products through events and promotions featuring some of the fashion and retail industries' top designers and leaders," according to the press release.

Monday, November 29, 2010

What does your bag say about you?

Monica Botkier, loved by Angelina Jolie, pleads utilitarian but works with pleating and ruching. Somehow that doesn't add up to utility. "That's because she uses buckles and studs in a functional way, it's a more girly - no, that's not the right word - feminine look." Her violet satchel has a "younger edge to it", appealing to the schoolgirl lurking in us.

Versace, leader of the old IT-bag gang, screaming with opulence and coveted by Beyonce, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Liz Hurley et al, has toned down and swivelled its eye towards a youthful market, too. Watch out for patent leather satchels.

Here's another insight: women judge each other by their bags. Stalking is rife, Huey says.

"They get bag envy. I know I do. I check them out to see if they're fake or real." She can even tell the difference between the 2.55 Chanel quilted bag (named after the date it was launched, February 1955) and Marc Jacobs's quilted mini-Stam (named after his pal, model Jessica Stam), jokingly photographed as a hat.

Coco Chanel invented the inside pocket for "women's secrets" and the shoulder strap because, as she put it: "I was fed up holding purses in my hands and losing them so I added a strap and carried them over my shoulder."

Marc Jacobs's Stam bag put him on the map and is still a best-seller. With its 1950s frame and kisslock closure (a classic purse clasp), Huey forecasts iconic status for the bagman. In BAG, which showcases 30 of the world's most exciting designers, Jacobs rates up there with Dolce & Gabbana, which also strives for "more austere designs". Ditto Isaac Reina's industrial aesthetic, Kaviar Gauche's avant-garde utilitarianism and Jas M.B.'s fiercely functional messenger bags. Is this another sign of the shocking times in which fashionistas are forced to toe the line with sartorial meltdown?

Experts say yes, colours are toned down to black, beige, tan and chocolate brown, with a few brighter shades on the catwalk. Tell that to Moschino's Absolutely Lovely red heart bag by a designer known for quirky cheek. "When you buy a Moschino bag that's why you buy it." (Its Rugby Ball bag, however, is brown.) Versace, too, can't give up red. Jerome Dreyfuss says his tan Tom and far-from-classic shimmering python Billy bags are made to help women organise their lives. "I don't care for IT-bags, I am not happy to be known for them. They are worn by Paris Hilton."

Rocio UK, working with acacia wood and precious stones, is not an IT-bag brand. Neither is Bulga but what of Chloe? Her 2005 arm candy Paddington IT-bag is now history and "she is all about stitching, definitely not logos and locks and metalwork". Erva says logo-mania is overexploited. Liberty says one piece kept and cherished is the way to go. Loewe of Spain is for "provocative classicism". Phillip Lim says

IT-bags are passe but he is in love with big bags: "They're such a statement without being obnoxious."

With the exception of Rocio UK and Ports 1961's Hogni clutch sculpted in wood, favoured materials are lamb, deer, python, ostrich, snake, alligator, iguana, lizard and pony - a touch gruesome in print and not for the vegan-vegetarian reader. "In the leather world that's normal," Huey says. "There are ostrich legs too, quite small but interesting. Things like that excite people in this industry."

But what about Milan-based Zagliani, owned by a one-time dermatologist, whose crocodile and snakeskins are made supple with cosmetic filler injections? How gruesome is that? Huey's not sure whether he does that before or after. "I hope they are dead. I didn't have the nerve to ask him," she says.

All very creepy. But then Jamin Peuch pops up with what he calls his recipe for Gallic style - witty, whimsical and humorous. "After all they are only bags, it's not art, you have to have fun with them," Huey says. "That's the French for you."

Sunday, November 28, 2010

the devil's not the only one wearing Prada

If the world is tightening its belt, then it's made of luxurious Italian leather. Profits at fashion house Prada have trebled so far this year, boosted by sales of luxury items in Asian and American markets.

Rising unemployment and a crisis in the eurozone, not least in the label's home of Italy, have not affected the world's appetite for staggeringly expensive handbags and leather boots and shoes.

All four of the Prada Group's labels have contributed to the rise: Prada, Miu Miu, traditional British shoemaker Church's and designer moccasin makers Car Shoe.

Church's were among a number of high-profile acquisitions in the 1990s which left the company €1bn in debt. But Prada's attempt to increase revenue by expanding its network of shops has paid dividends.

It marks a significant step in the extraordinary journey of the company since it was taken over in 1978 by Miuccia Prada, now 61, granddaughter of Mario Prada, who opened the first Prada store in 1913, a leather goods shop in Milan.

Miuccia Prada's husband, Patrizio Bertelli, an Italian who had begun his own leather goods business at the age of 17, joined the company shortly after meeting Ms Prada in the late 1970s, and is now its chief executive. He has been at the heart of the company's drive to become a big player in the global fashion world.

Prada hopes to list on the stock market next year with Hong Kong rumoured to be the most likely centre, close to the Asian consumers which are driving its recent surge in profits.

China, in particular, has been the centre of Prada's commercial renaissance. There are estimated to be more than 130 US dollar billionaires in China at the latest count and hundreds of thousands of Chinese millionaires.

"The data confirms that the retail network expansion is a winning strategy. These excellent results let us confidently look at the oncoming group's development," said Mr Bertelli in a statement.

Sales were said by the firm to have risen by 31 per cent to €1.38bn in the last nine-month period. Europe and the United States have contributed to growth, but in the Asian market sales have risen 51 per cent, the most significant element in the firm's success.

Prada's status as a major global brand was enhanced by the 2006 movie The Devil Wears Prada, which was based on the notorious Vogue editor Anna Wintour and celebrated the fashion industry's love of corporate excess.

English actress Carey Mulligan was also wearing a strapless jet-black Prada gown when she lost out to Sandra Bullock at this year's Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

Friday, November 26, 2010

The summer blazer

In the 1920s, the nautical navy blazer was adapted to become the sports blazer, a popular item for men whether on the tennis court or watching from the bleachers. French tennis player Rene Lacoste even had a blazer with his now-famous crocodile motif on the pocket. College types loved the loose lines and had patch pockets with their university crests. In the 1930s, cricketers also wore striped blazers with their team colours and crests. In the 1980s, oversized blazers were popular womenswear, with their shoulder pads, rolled-up sleeves and bright colours. Working Girl, anyone?

Why you need it now

We can still blame Balmain for blazermania, after it sent out its fierce, peaked-shouldered jackets in autumn last year. Since then, blazers have continued to ascend but have softened up considerably. The current preppy sportif trend has popularised the summer blazer again and even for those less-sporty versions, lightweight fabrics and spring colours lift this otherwise "working" wardrobe piece into casual, weekend territory. Tommy Hilfiger's recent spring-summer show featured the best example of this preppy styling. Antipodean designers have also embraced the summer blazer, with loose tailored styles found at labels including Fleur Wood, Karen Walker and Yeojin Bae.

What to look for

Loose-fitting styles mean you can roll up those sleeves for all play, no work. Similarly, fabrics such as cotton, denim, linen and that summer favourite, seersucker, give you a relaxed edge that will pair perfectly with jeans, shorts or your favourite breezy summer dress. Stripes are perfectly preppy, as are contrasting trims around lapels, sleeves, hems and crest pockets. For colours, the season's hottest shades of nude are fabulous, as are gelato shades of pale pink, blue, mint and lavender. Prints also add a fun twist to this lightweight (and light-hearted) item.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

from a traditional mass market retailer to that of a purveyor of stylish, avant-garde fashion

Maria Luisa - the famous Parisian fashion buyer responsible for the collaboration between 3 Suisses and designers Charles Anastase, Natalia Brilli, Christian Wijnants and Bernard Willhelm this A/W 2010 season - has once again lent her stable of promising protégés to the French company. Three of her vanguard designers have contributed haute pieces at bargain prices for spring/summer 2011 (ranging from 60- 150 euros or $80-200 USD): There are sleek block color silk dresses and tops by Scottish-born designer Jonathan Saunders, structured tuxedo suits and graphic cocktail dresses by the young French talent Maxime Simoens, and breezy silk tops and day dresses by British Fashion Council award winner Richard Nicoll.

Luisa says the purpose of her creative partnership with 3 Suisses (now in its second season) is twofold: first, to infuse the decades-old company with a dose of high fashion; second, to give her roster of rising designers valuable publicity. "As a designer, you can't just live in the showrooms and be cut off from reality - you need to sell. The designers I've chosen are not yet known by the mass market, but by partnering with 3 Suisses, their creations will be seen by at least five million French customers."

"The dream of every designer is to see their pieces worn on every woman," said Maxime Simoens, who worked with Dior and Balenciaga before starting his eponymous label last year at the age of 25. "I was thrilled when Maria [Luisa] approached me about this project. I had no hesitations about going mass market." Shoppers will be delighted to know that Simoens has produced an affordable version of his embellished cocktail dress - worn by Leighton Meester in an episode of Gossip Girl - for his 3 Suisses line.

3 Suisses' creative repositioning, which has been envisioned by its makers for the past seasons, aims to capture a younger, edgier clientele. Traditionally, the French company - founded in 1928 by Xavier Toulemande for his family's knitted wool business - serviced an older crowd: women ages 45-50. But thanks to its recent collaborations with young hip designers, its main clientele has shifted.

Meanwhile, 3 Suisses' competitor La Redoute- who previously commissioned the voguish designers Gaspard Yurkievich and Tsumori Chisato- is also unveiling several collaborations for S/S 2011 collection, including Cathy Pill, Robert Clergerie and Tila March.

3 Suisses is already available in all of Europe and some Asian and African countries with the launch date of its S/S 2011 collection set for December. Meanwhile, the US section of its site announces that it is "Coming Soon."

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Even reusable bags can carry environmental risk

They dangle from the arms of many shoppers, a nearly ubiquitous emblem of empathy with the environment: synthetic, reusable grocery bags, another must-have accessory for the socially conscious.

But the bags, hot items at upscale markets may be on the verge of a glacier-size public relations problem: some bags have been found to contain lead.

"They say plastic bags are bad; now they say these are bad. What's worse?" asked Jen Bluestein, who was walking out of Trader Joe's on the Upper West Side with a reusable bag under her arm Sunday.

"Green is a trend and people go with trends," Bluestein said. "People get them as fashion statements and they have, like, 50 of them. I don't think people know the real facts."

There is no evidence that these bags pose an immediate threat to the public. But reports from around the country have trickled in recently about reusable bags, mostly made in China, that contained potentially unsafe levels of lead. The offending bags were identified at several stores, including some CVS pharmacies; the Rochester, N.Y., -based Wegman's grocery chain recalled thousands of its bags, made of recycled plastic, in September.

Concerns have proliferated so much that Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., sent a letter on Sunday to the Food and Drug Administration, urging the agency to investigate the issue.

Reusable bags have maintained their popularity even amid charges that they become hothouses for bacteria. The recent studies, none of which were conducted by the government, found that the lead in some bags would pose a long-term risk of seeping into groundwater after disposal; over time, however, paint from the bag could flake off and come into contact with food.

"There's always something wrong with everything," said Barry Lebost, standing outside a Trader Joe's in Manhattan with four reusable bags filled with groceries.

But Lebost, an alternative energy consultant, did not appear fazed by the revelations of lead. He said his home, in Gardiner, N.Y., had been outfitted with a hydroelectric plant that saved the energy equivalent of 200 plastic bags a day. "It may not be a total solution, but this is a step in the right direction," he said of the suddenly suspect bags at his feet. "The fluorescent bulbs we have now, they're no good because they have mercury in them. You look at it as a transition."

But many shoppers said they would continue relying on the bags until more information came out.

"I wasn't planning on throwing it out, so that's a positive thing," said Catherine Paykin, standing by the meat counter at Fairway. "As long as I use it and don't throw it away, that will be my plan."

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Preppy chic fashion retailer J. Crew sold for $3 billion

Preppy fashion retailer J. Crew Group Inc. on Tuesday agreed to be taken private in a $3 billion deal that would be the second multibillion dollar specialty retail buyout launched in two months.

The announcement of an offer from two investment firms — including one that used to own J. Crew — came as the retailer reported Tuesday that its third-quarter net income fell 14 percent, hurt by weaker women's clothing sales. The company also lowered its guidance for the year.

Under the deal as proposed, J. Crew shareholders would receive $43.50 per share from private equity firms TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners. That is a 16 percent premium to the stock's closing price Monday of $37.65.

CEO Mickey Drexler, the former Gap Inc. chief credited with turning J. Crew around since coming aboard in 2003, will remain in that role and retain a "significant" stake in J. Crew. He owned 5.4 of its outstanding shares as of September. In a prerecorded call, Drexler called the proposal a "highly compelling offer that will provide J. Crew's shareholders with substantial and immediate value for their shares."

J. Crew shares rose $6.18, or 16.4 percent, to $43.83 during midday trading. The stock has traded between $30.06 and $50.96 during the past 52 weeks. TPG took a majority stake in J. Crew Group Inc. in 1997 and remained majority shareholder until the company went public in 2006. As part of the proposed deal, J. Crew can solicit other offers until January 15, although there is no guarantee the company will get a higher bid, J. Crew said.

Private equity buyouts are rising after a lull during the recession. Gymboree Corp. in October agreed to be bought by Bain Capital for $1.8 billion. That deal closed Tuesday. Marc Cooper, managing director and head of retail at Peter J. Solomon Co., said specialty retailers can be a solid investment for private equity firms because the recession forced retailers to become much more efficient, cut costs and lower inventory. When chains slowed or stopped expanding, that also increased their cash on hand, he said.

"They are fairly stable, have significant cash flow and are trading at a low multiple (of earnings per share)," he said.

"That's a recipe for a perfect leveraged buyout." Gymboree and J. Crew both have "safe, stable, strong management teams," which is reassuring to private equity firms, he said. "Mickey Drexler is a good guy to back." Wall Street Strategies analyst Brian S. Sozzi said J. Crew is one of the more expensive specialty retail stocks. But he agreed that buyers would get a "strong management team led by Mickey Drexler . a productive mall-based store portfolio and a growing outlet business."