fashion

I’ve been feeling cash poor lately—like most of my countrymen.  And I’ve definitely gotten a lot feistier about my purchases. Luckily, I am quite the savvy spender so I really feel that I haven’t been looking or dressing less cute than the standard I have always held myself to…cute wise.  So I thought I’d share a few of the smarter alternatives I’ve been turning to in these times that try men’s souls. Stay tuned for the next week, friendly readers.

Wet N’ Wild Lipstick in Hot Read

I have been lusting after Nars Semi-Matte Lipstick in Jungle Red for years now. BUT I already have one in Manhunt and cannot justify another $24 spend for such a similar hue. (Have I mentioned I have a lippy addiction?) Thus, Visual Therapy’s resident maven Sarah Davidzuk showed me the way, the truth and the light by recommending Wet N’ Wild’s Lipstick in 519A. It is a movie star pinup, Rita ‘Hay-worthy’ matte red lipstick. And it’s $1.29, people!!!!
 

Source: nyshirt.com

The Museum at FIT is home to permanent and temporary exhibitions that portray the role of fashion in society.  The current exhibition, “Fashion & Politics” explores the influence of clothing on social change and patriotism. The designers involved in the exhibit include Catherine Malandrino & Vivienne Tam. The exhibit showcases an ''Ike'' dress from the 1956 Eisenhower campaign, a ''Nixon'' paper dress, and memorabilia from the 2008 presidential election.
 
Experience the history of political fashion statements. The cost to view the exhibit is free- It’s your American right! (Exhibit ends 11/7)
 

I remember when the concept of e-commerce first launched, at least in my world. 1999, Boo.com. And wow, it was a disaster. The site crashed immediately, etc, etc. BUT, it was exciting, it was new and at the time it was still a BIG question mark, would e-commerce become the way of the future? It has, by the way. But nobody was really sure back then.

At the time I was representing Tracey Ullman’s online e-tailer, Purpleskirt.com. It had a niche because it was one of the first specialty fashion platforms online. Her partner owned Fred Segal Flair, one of the most well-connected resources for unusual, hard to find and terminally hip women’s apparel. PLUS, it had Tracey! She was hilarious, able to garner loads of great awareness and press just by showing up. AND, perhaps a lesser known fact, she was and is INCREDIBLY stylish. The woman totally gets it. Remember her performance in Robert Altman’s fashion flick Prêt-à-Porter?

So, what has this got to do with DailyCandy.com? Of all the forerunners of this online “stylized” world DailyCandy.com continues to be a leader. You have got to give them TONS of credit for that. They made it! As they prepare to enter the world of commerce you have to assume they are going to do something worthwhile here too. I know I do. Go, Dany!
 

Source: dailycandy.com

I was quite recently turned on to the super fabulous blog P.S. I Made This. Like many, I was briefly entranced by the Do It Yourself revolution precipitated by “Trading Spaces” a few years back (does anyone have as much spunk as Paige Davis?). But also like many, I got over it in a hot flash and moved on to reality TV shows about obese people and ne'er-do-well teens from the LA suburbs. But I digress.
 
P.S. I Made This rocks my world. Author and rad gal Erica Domesek shows all us lesser abled fashion followers how to whip up our very own faux fur wrap a la Kate Moss or create a feather shoulder embellishment that looks runway ready. Her straightforward formula of showing us a chic collage of high fashion imagery to prove the next big trend followed by a quick step-by-step guide on how to Do It Ourselves is, quite simply, genius. All I have to say is: Watch out Christopher Bailey, Laura C. Thomas is all over the equestrian brooch.
 

Source: psimadethis.com

I am a “Good Morning America” nut. I watch every single morning. I follow Chris and Sam on Twitter. You get the idea. And while GMA feeds my soul on a daily basis, it seldom feeds my work—alas, stories about three-year-olds surviving a week alone in the woods outfitted only in flame-retardant PJs aren’t as applicable to fashion as one might think.
 
So imagine my surprise when Diane announced during this morning’s show that the Olsen twins were stopping by to make an announcement—causing me to recalculate my morning routine to allow for lunch making as well as Olsen twins news. Turns out those wily twins are launching a tween fashion line with J.C. Penney’s set to hit floors in February nationwide.
 
Now, I must admit, when Penney’s opened up their Manhattan flagship store this summer, I cringed at the amount of money they were dumping into such a grand venture during the worst retail climate in a long time. I mean, I think Target’s move to introduce the GO International program was nothing short of brilliant. But J.C. Penney’s celebrity diffuse lines have fallen short for consumers and me as well. A quick gander at the I ‘Heart’ Ronson line, by wunderkind Charlotte Ronson, shows a hefty number of markdowns. That said, I must say that I’m impressed with Penney’s ability to cajole Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen into launching a line for them. The kids that grew up watching Ash and MK on television and video are now credit card carrying teens and young adults—a fact I’m sure the big wigs at JCP are banking on (pun intended).
 
Select styles of the "Olsenboye" line — named for the twins' family in Norway — will be offered for a limited time online and in some stores from Nov. 6 until the official launch in February. Prices range between $20 and $50. Marketing support leans heavily on social-media buzz and "guerrilla" street outreach via pink ice cream trucks turned mobile shops that will travel around New York City today, with the Olsen sisters aboard. Ultimately, if this venture doesn’t end in a landside retail success (which it just might) it’s already a resounding PR success. As Michelle on “Full House” would say: J.C. Penney’s, you got it dude!
 

There's a new Webisode series on the net and I LOVE IT! The brainchild of that sassy lady Candace Bushnell of "Sex and the City" fame, "The Broadroom" is a look at a gaggle of gals in business who "go off" on their lives - professional and otherwise. These women are funny, savvy and all too real. Their escapades include closing deals with men by sneaking the scent of vanilla into the proceedings—apparently male cat nip—to waxing poetic about their personal lives: "My sister has 2 kids and doesn't work, I can't imagine asking my husband for money everyday!"

There is a great cast (Jennie Garth, Jennifer Esposito, Talia Balsam, Mary McCann and newcomer Lauren Devereux). These women have style and substance and an all too real approach to what it's like for big city women to make it in biz. I love the female camaraderie, the witty (and honest) dialogue and the great clothes—this is how women in these upper echelons dress. Everything is spot on and I can attest to this because I've seen it in action.

Maybelline is a sponsor so the cursor that leads you through the site is a lipstick tube. Cute. Not sure who Maybelline's demo is, because these are not youngish girls, but I guess they know who they're looking to reach.

What I love most about the series (have I said this before?) is how real it is. Sure the clothes are fun and the banter is upbeat, but the underlying sentiment, at least for me, is bittersweet. Let's make fun of ourselves, but when it all comes down to it we're just "making it happen one day at a time." No matter how glamorous the perception is on the street anyone in that world knows when you enter that world you leave your glamour at the door.

Source: weblogs.wpix.com

Like many people in the fashion industry, I was addicted to the first few seasons of “Project Runway” but certainly never took any of the contestants seriously in an Alexander McQueen sort of way. The contestants always seem to be cartoon characters who could sew…some of the time. (I remember running into Austin from Season 1 on the street and gasping, not in recognition, but in horror at the over application of neon pink rouge.)

But moving right along, I was literally stopped in my tracks when I saw Christian Siriano beside Narciso Rodriguez and Proenza Schouler in the window of Saks Fifth Avenue just before show week in New York. Firstly, a major retailer believes in his collection enough to invest in giving him floor space during one of the toughest times for retail ever. Secondly, they gave him the front window right next to the main entrance and placed him next to some of the most proven young design talents of our time. My interest was piqued.

Personally, I’ve always felt that Siriano’s designs leaned toward the world of beauty pageants, but as a former scribe I obviously decided to poll some experts. A friend who writes for the Financial Times and Vogue China (among others) stopped by the Untitled 11:11 presentation just before the Siriano show up at the tents. I was surprised she was going, but she assured me that he was something to watch. He can sew. Fine. His designs are somewhat interesting. Check. He merchandises his collection. Ok. But then I asked her if she thinks he would be where he is if not for “Project Runway.” She looked over her glasses and down her nose at me and said, “What do you think?”

Well, here’s what I think, if you care to know. I think that a lot of people love “Project Runway” because it offers a chance for the common man to walk off the street, to make a dress or two out of trash or recycled jeans, and to win the hearts of America. It harkens back to that favorite of all American mascots: The Underdog. And, I think that Christian Siriano is the first Underdog to graduate from “PR” who has a fighting chance to go up against the big boys and girls of fashion. The real beauty of the formula is that those same people who voted for Christian Siriano to win “Project Runway” are the same people who Saks and other retailers are hoping will buy his clothes.  This time around, it’s Melva from Houston who will decide if Siriano is in or if he’s “aut.”
 

Our agency reps jewelry and fashion brands that year on year vie for red carpet exposure. And year on year we show up, thanks to the tireless efforts of our team. It's always a bit of a struggle as you wrangle temperamental stylists (they are artists after all) and compete against the BIG brands with BIG budgets who PAY for their spot on the carpet. It's all a white knuckle experience as the E! pre-show airs and the team scans the celebs, especially the ones they've been negotiating with. Will they or won't they???

We've been doing this for years, and the anticipation and general freak out never gets that much better. But a little better, with a long line of success in your wake (January Jones, Jessica Lange, Olivia Wilde, Natalie Portman) does make it a less painful experience. So, as we move past Emmy and toward Oscar (not to mention our golden friend) I started wondering, will Emmy ever catch up to Oscar in terms of desire and panache? What separates them? TV vs. Film. Is film really that much more glamorous? Maybe. But maybe it's also the crush of award shows and all the build up that makes Oscar so exciting.

Oscar has been getting a bit tarnished these last few years, mainly in the ratings game. They've tried to spice up the proceedings, and last year was a great new step forward, but not sure if things will continue to slip. I sure hope not, that red carpet has spelled gold for several of our clients. But back to Emmy vs. Oscar. Here's what I think: Emmy has been gaining over the years and I think our golden boy may need to watch his back. It will be interesting to see how things shape up. I'm watching. Are you?

Source: thewrap.com
 

Gwyneth Paltrow had me the moment she stepped out with former-beau Brad Pitt wearing matching black leather jackets, white t-shirts and jeans. They were the definition of chic minimalism and patrician beauty in my 15-year-old mind. And while I have brown hair, brown eyes and I am not a lithe 5 foot 9 Aphrodite-like figure, I have always found inspiration in Ms. Paltrow’s style and poise.

Thus, when Gwyneth (first name basis obvy) was launching a lifestyle site called Goop last fall, I signed up to be notified the very moment she flung open that window into her seemingly pristine life —see previous post about my being a Peeping Thomas. I must admit it’s good goop. I am no domestic diva. I am not exactly a health nut. (Isn’t climbing up the subway stairs each day exercise enough?) And I have yet to get my Isabel Marant wardrobe in place.

However, I knew Gwyneth was on to something when close female friends from completely different walks of life—mommies, single girls who like to drink beer, sorority gals, yogis and even my friend’s husband come to think of it—all mentioned how much they like the site. A friend who is about to be married this fall has been using the Goop detox to get all svelte and glowy for her wedding. My roommate is stockpiling recipes on a weekly basis—I have yet to taste one, ahem. And a work acquaintance told me she went to Barnes & Noble and bought practically all of the summer reading suggestions that came through last week. I can’t argue with those kinds of results. So, call her what you will, the unstoppable Mrs. Martin may just be the next Martha.
 

Source: nydailynews.com, goop.com

I am a simple girl. You will rarely find me in pants because I am too lazy to find a top to pair them with and my closet is riddled with dresses—short, shorter, super mini, open back, deep v-front maxi dresses…basically ANYTHING that only requires me to put on one garment in the morning. I sleep until the very last second and throw my hair up into a bun EVERYDAY without fail.  Makeup?  Almost non-existent, except for my undying dedication to wearing eyeliner or mascara (I can’t leave the house without it). Some may consider it lack of style, but it makes my life so much easier. Plus, I always add a point of interest with accessories. 

The one thing I live and die by at the moment is anything studded. In the morning when I wake up, the first thing I spy is a sea of beautiful studded shoes—Louis Vuitton with small grommets and kilties, Louboutin with bright gold conical studs, Gucci with large bulbous studs, Zanotti with open burnished silver and gold grommets and studs. You would be surprised at what a grommet, pyramid stud, ball embellishment or metal weaving can add to an outfit. My BBC team has taken to locating the newest and most fun studded accessories and emailing me images of them. The Elle team just cosigned my love of studs in the August issue with Miley Cyrus! Joe Zee, Kyle Anderson and I seem to be on the same wavelength. In their FOB coverage of ‘the’ Miley Cyrus, Elle showcased some amazing studded pieces, and one of Joe Zee’s must haves was a studded vest (that I could certainly toss over a mini dress). Check out our newest client, Jessica Robinson Jewelry, who has the hottest pyramid studded rings and cuffs!
 

Source: mantrajewelry.com, elle.com