Ashley in Soho this past Saturday. Looks like she was making her usual Wolford run. I know I've mentioned Wolford's a million times before...but if you want a nice luxury fix for under a 100$, maybe even 50$ (depending on the style) then picking up a gorgeous pair of Wolford tights is a must. I would also suggest Fogal, another one of my favourites.
The return of the plaid shirt. Different Plaid shirt, same theme. Love this look.
MK last week in LA. Funny I just bought a great pair of red leopard-print vintage 80's skinny jeans just like the pattern she's holding (a scarf I believe...). Love, love the shoes, tho I couldn't wear them myself without falling over!!
Hey gals,
Just got the scoop on a new boutique set to open this Tuesday, May 1st. Erin Whelan who founded Clarabella, left a career in the music industry to unveil the store named in honour of her grandmother. "My hope is to create a space that draws as much attention to the designer as the product," says Whelan, who, through classes in book-binding, shoe-making, and jewelry
design, has become fascinated with process and design. The store will feature jewelry, accessories, and shoes in a gallery setting.
Keeping with the gallery theme, Clarabella will feature different
designers throughout the year. Some of the store's initial offerings will include:
Jewelry: Angelica Bergamini, Beth Lauren, By Boe, BB Designs, Carla Caruso, Devon Driscoll, Gypsy Born Designs, Judith Haas, Leoworks, Tamaura, and Zoe Chicco
Accessories: Andrea Brueckner, Brave Leather, Carla Beeby London, Crystalyn Kae, Kristin Aronsson, Modus/Basically Brazil, Nam Kim, and Tracy Tanner
Shoes: Mariana, Marcello Toshi Creazioni, and Tashkent by Cheyenne.
The store will also have space to highlight works by up-and-coming photographers and painters. The debut art exhibit features works by New York City poet and artist Seldon Yuan (showing through May 14). For the Grand Opening in late May, Clarabella will feature photographs and drawings highlighting projects by Oisin Clancy and Marc Ackerson, the architects who worked closely with Whelan to design the store's interior.
From the photos it looks like she's got some pretty cool jewelry offerings. Definitely worth checking out!
Clarabella - 279 East Houston Street, between Clinton and Suffolk -
(212) 979-0270
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 12pm-8pm; Sunday, 12pm-7pm. Closed Monday.
A nice selection of the muted theme in handbags. I especially love the new collection from Gryson (who was formerly a bag designer at MJ).
Miu Miu Coffer Frame Bag in Sand, available at Net-A-Porter.
Chloe Edith Leather Shoulder bag in Nutmeg. Available at Net-A-Porter.
Miu Miu Leather Coffer Bag, available at Net-A-Porter.
Gryson "Sophie", Seamed Satchel in Burgundy, available at Bergdorf Goodman.
Gryson "Rachel", Pocket Shoulder bag, available at Bergdorf Goodman.
Gryson "Olivia", Leather shoulder bag, available at Bergdorf Goodman.
O.K., so I admit I am almost hesitant to post anything more about the Kate Moss for Topshop collection coming to barneys in less than 2 weeks, for fear of an even more chaotic madhouse than I already anticipate it will be.
But anyway...
Check out the countdown.
Needless to say, I am SO excited!!!
Amanda Bynes, last night at Mr. Chow, loving the new blonder 'do. Adorable dress, really working the higher waist. She looks, just totally Fab.
Read this yesterday in the NY Times Style section.
Yikes.
The article points to a disturbing trend among the 'tween' age bracket of girls, essentially caught between childhood and growing up, who have become a HUGE market for the consumer driven economy of fashion.
I love fashion, I love shopping but I firmly believe that kids ought to be kids. I had that chance as (what I think of) a child (that is 12 and under...tho I would argue more for 13) to climb trees and have tea parties, and essentially still be a kid.
There will be time enough for being grown up when adulthood with all its inescapable responsibilities comes. Young girls should feel free to be kids, for that still brief but precious time before the rat race descends. I feel like the older I get the more I see younger and younger girls trying to look older and older. How has our culture come to this? Dress-up is fine, but young girls need time to be just that; GIRLS.
What do you think? Has commercialization gone too far in creating and marketing fashion to 9 year-olds?
(Image courtesy of The New York Times)
Who doesn't love fresh flowers in your home, and what a wonderful gift on your way to a dinner party for your hostess.
Now you can buy flowers and know that they come from a sustainable, organic, earth friendly source at Organic Bouquet, check them out online.
Get your hair cut and colored in a much more environmentally and health friendly fashion. Check out John Masters Salon and Products. If you are in NYC then this is a cinch, his beautiful, light-filled salon is in Soho on Sullivan Street (number 77, between Spring and Broome).
Get your nails done in a safe, clean AND environmentally friendly environment at Sweet Lily Nail Spa in TriBeCa.
Sweet Lily™ Natural Nail Spa & Boutique
222 West Broadway NYC 10013
(Between North Moore and Franklin Street)
Phone: 212.925.5441
Try Stella McCartney's new 100% organic cosmetic line: Care! The line was formulated to be wonderful for your skin, body and the environment without sacrificing results. This is a luxury skincare line. All of the ingredients are certified organic. There are no genetically modified ingredients, no endangered plant species are used, and formulas are not tested on animals. There are no animal-derived ingredients, no silicones, no petrochemicals, no chemical preservatives, and no parabens.
Get it here.
Read up!
Get informed and aware at Treehugger a great online resource for all things green and sustainable.
Read about style and green lifestyle at the always hip 'Style Will Save Us'.
Eco-Threads!
Buy Eco-friendly clothing without sacrificing style from: Edun.
Barney's "Don't Panic, It's Organic" section.
Buy Vintage. This is one of the most earth-friendly shopping options there is. Re-using!!! Try one of my favorite vintage spots (or your local thrift store/Sally Ann/Goodwill if you have a keen eye), some of my faves below:
Some Odd Rubies (NYC, LA)
Don the Verb (NYC)
A Second Chance (NYC)
Decades(LA, UK)
Circa Vintage (UK)
Rellik(UK)
Free 'P' Star (Paris)
And remember; 'Green is the new Black'.
Also, FINALLY picked up a tube of the very famous Cle de Peau Concealer that EVERYBODY raves about. InStyle has featured it every year in their annual 'Best Beauty Buys'. It is as amazing as everyone says. LOVE it.
The consistency is lovely, it goes on creamy and dries matte, has wonderful staying power and very true colors. The best part: the packaging. It has what has become my favourite case ever, it is so old-world glamour, reminds me of 1920's Hollywood, it has a nice weight to it, not cheap and flimsy plastic and a very austere dark blue color with accents of gold to give it light and glamour!!! Who would thought concealer could bring such joy!!
At Bergdorf Goodman CdP is having a Spa/Facial event May 3rd and 4th, this is a great way to get an in depth look at what products you should be using on your skin. Call Hilda (that's right just like Betty's sister on "Ugly Betty") at (212) 872.2726 if you are interested in setting up an appointment.
Available at Bergdorf Goodman.
So, I'm not usually Ms. Negativity, and I prefer to keep this blog light and upbeat, but I have to share my tres terrible experience at Artbag yesterday/the last 3 months. I won't get into the gory details but needless to say my overall experience was stressful, harrowing and overwhelmingly negative. As you've heard me ramble on about over the last few months, I have this great vintage Morabito Alligator bag, which I dropped off at Artbag to have repaired, treated and generally made ready to conquer the world. I paid quite a bit to have this work done, but I was O.K. with that, assuming that I was going to get quality work and be happy with my experience (duh, right?). I mean if you have a quality item, you have to take care of it, otherwise what's the point; it has upkeep and you want to keep it at it's best and not let it deteriorate.
So, anyway, I put the deposit down and wait the max 4 weeks that I am assured it will take for the work to be completed. A month comes and goes, still no word....I'm like O.K., not a huge deal as long as its worth it in the end. A few weeks later though, I am a bit worried so I call, and I'm told, "actually its ready"...(they had assured me they would call, so I had been patiently waiting). Next day, I trek up there (a bit of an ordeal for me, they close at 5pm, so I have to move my schedule around and make time in the middle of the day), and...it's not ready. What? "come back in 2 days", so I do, and guess what? still not ready! By this point I am getting more than a little annoyed, after-all who has time to be foolishly running around like this for no purpose, still I think it will be worth it in the end. Third times a charm right? Wrong. They call me a week later to tell me its ready--AGAIN, I go back, and lo and behold this time they produce the bag from the depths of the back room supposedly ready to go. However, upon closer inspection, at least 2 parts that were supposed to be fixed are not, I have to remind them about other additions and the workmanship looks shoddy and unfinished in places. I am so upset. You have to understand the cost of these repairs would have bought me a new Balenciaga. I definitely had high expectations. They tell me, "sorry, we will work on it some more, we will call you when it's ready' AGAIN. At this point, I have become really wary, but still I think and explain to them "Okay--I would rather you take it back in and the work come out well", I am O.K. with waiting longer as long as the end product is beautiful workmanship and complete. The story is almost over (and hey, I left out most of the details!). Bare with me, Ugh.
So....a few more weeks pass by and this Monday I get a call, "it's ready". So, I trek up again and at first they can't even find the bag. One guy asks me "is it under a different name?", he reeks of vodka, at this point I am becoming frightened, "a different name?", nope same one it was under the last 3 times, OY! Finally the bag is produced, and the drama begins. In brief, rude behaviour, disagreements about what was included in the cost, and general unhappiness...ugh...It was soooo unpleasant.
A couple of things I learned from this experience: especially with higher value items, take pictures before you get work done, otherwise it's just your word, and make sure you have a detailed version of any repairs being made, very detailed. In my case, when we originally went over all the repairs to be made, he listed them all on one piece of paper by incremental cost then transferred that to a receipt with only the grand total and not a complete list of all that we had discussed..BIG MISTAKE. Make sure you keep that breakdown of costs....since I didn't have that (nor was it offered to me), I was really at a disadvantage. Usually I am bit smarter, and I definitely had some gut reservations initially, but honestly, I naively wanted to trust him; this is a well-established store and I guess more than anything, I wanted it to be a positive experience. I didn't want to start questioning his methodology for calculating cost and 'stir up trouble' so to speak. Lesson learned: don't be afraid to ask for all the detailed info you are entitled to, look out for yourself!!!
P.S. This Chris Moore guy (at least that's what the card he gave me said) that I dealt with throughout almost the whole process (I might add not the vodka-tainted one, no slander here!) was mostly very rude and unpleasant always. Why, oh why? You'd think for that kind of money he'd be just a touch sweeter. I am hoping this whole thing doesn't taint my love for the new bag, it is most definitely absolutely beautiful.
P.P.S. I would also say, if you can, go straight to the manufacturer to fix high-end items (e.g., Louis Vuitton--I have always had great luck and experiences with their 5th ave flagship store's repair department). Unfortunately in this case the manufacturer was in Paris, but let it be known, next time I will fly to Paris to get Morabito fixed before I return to ARTBAG.
The things people can get away with these days.
oh and P.P.P.S. I will post pictures of the bag on Monday.
Til then,
BG
Popped into Bergdorf Goodman yesterday to browse the cosmetic section for new Spring picks.
Stopped to chat with Edward Bess about his lipstick line and accidentally discovered the perfect formula to create the Pale Lip look that I wrote about last week.
I used 'Nude Lotus', one of his amazing lipsticks, as a base and then topped that off with 'Desert Glow' one of five 'Deep Shine Lip Glosses' he sells.
As I mentioned when I first wrote about Edward Bess, these lip products smell SOOOO good. They are scented with wild Fig. And they really are wonderfully moisturizing. Finished product: gorgeous.
Have to run out, but will post a picture of the lip color later in the evening...(Done: see pic above, sorry for the glare!)
Oh and a quick note, a lipstick from the Edward Bess line will be featured in the July 2007 issue of InStyle Magazine...according to Bess, it is most likely 'Natural Seduction', which is a Taupe-y shade that I tried last night, so beautiful, perfect with the 'Nude Lotus' on top....anyway the theme being 'sophisticated' in the style of Dita Von Teese. Ummm, sounds intriguing.
Ta Ta dahlings,
BG
And speaking of great vintage:
The Manhattan Vintage Show starts today. Do stop by, there are always amazing finds to be had. Vintage Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Pucci, Hermes etc.
April 20th (1:00-8:00pm)
April 21st (11:00am-6:00pm)
Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street
(btwn 6th and 7th ave)
Admission $20
These are so cute, maybe pants, maybe lighter-weight jeans? The pockets appear to have ruched stitching. Love it!
So listen, I know a lot of what I post is quite expensive, and as I have said before, quality isn't cheap, and you have to think of great pieces as an investment, and inspiration is key, etc. etc. yadda, yadda. In honour of all that, I wanted to post some great pieces that are not so expensive but still totally fun and cut well. Design and quality are key with me. This is where Betsey Johnson comes in. What's not to love about this crazy awesome chick. She was one of my favorite designers when I was 10 along with Sonia Rykiel, and she has remained my fun-flirty dress go-to since then. You just feel so fun and alive and kind of like anything totally out-of-the-blue exciting could happen when you don one of her frocks. Have fun with clothes girls, you only live once!
Below find some totally wild fun pieces for upcoming summer nights, parties, dances, dinner (oh my!) whatever. And do check out a boutique if you can, I was in last week and there are so many other great styles not pictured on the website!
Oh, and check out BJ herself, read this, this, this, or this! As a woman, she is an inspiration, she is energetic beyond belief and a dreamer that rocks creative boundaries. She has been in the fashion biz for a long time and she is wild, fun and fantastic. She has battled and survived breast cancer, been a single mom, is a gramma now and built a giant successful fashion line without selling out.
Enjoy!
Party-ish Dresses:
Taffeta Bustle Dress
Love the bustle, so fresh! And Taffeta is so lovely, the crisp feeling of the fabric, so old-school.
Sateen Strapless Bow Dress
So you know how I feel about bows. Love it!!
Evening Ombre Taffeta Strapless Dress.
Again, love Taffeta and the bow. Colors are lovely and muted as well, seemingly blending into each other.
Evening Martini Dress.
Silk. Very Ethereal. Love the bow.
Cafe de Paris Strapless Dress.
Classic, love the contrast between fabric, sheer mesh and taffeta.
More Casual-ish Dresses:
Charmeuse Peasant Dress.
Light and Lovely.
Bows on Charmeuse Mid-Sleeve Dress.
Oh, Oh, I LOVE this!! I remember last season, she had ballet flats with this pattern on them, and they were divine. The trick with this dress is to keep everything else simple, plain black ballet flats, the dress speaks for itself.
From the Runway (Spring collection should be in store, Fall coming up):
Spring 2007
Spring 2007
Spring 2007
Spring 2007
Fall 2007
Fall 2007
Fall 2007
Fall 2007
Fall 2007
Fall 2007
Fall 2007
And to go with that dress; Shoes:
BJ makes some wicked shoes. Hot and believe it or not comfortable.
Check these out.
Leather Polly Heel.
These are chic and super sexy. Not often that you get that plus comfortable. So worth it. They come in all sorts of colors and materials, Every year they seem to make more options in this style. They are so sexy and trust me (I own them in gold sparkle) completely comfortable. I wore them for one of the biggest nights of my life and they were like walking on air, good design and nice padding in the shoe (important if you will be dancing the night away). I bought them for a formal event and ended up wearing them the next day with jeans, and on it went. BTW, I know they look a little scary, but take my word for it, try them on, you will be surprised, they look maybe a bit trampy on the shelf, but not so when on the foot. Hey, and did I mention they are comfortable?
Jalia Heel.
These would look so hot with any of the formal dresses. Very Louboutin. Classy/Sexy.
Sammy Ballet Flats.
A flat alternative. Love the bow and heart combo.
Enjoy! And remember be free in your hearts!
