Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Coterie Show @ The Jacob Javitz Show in NYC
Today was the opening day of the Coterie show at the Jacob Javitz Center! I have begun working with a handbag consulting company, helping up and coming designers through the design process in developing their lines from the design and manufacturing process, to merchandising and marketing. I am working with the very talented Nancy Forman who is the Founder of Nancy Think Tank Consulting and Showroom who is one of the most knowledgable, hands-on go-getters I know- orginally from California as well! The show was amazing and having had the opportunity to meet and work with a few of the designers the Think Tank showroom represents was great! To name a few; Martha Clifford Designs, Bryna Nicole, Lockheart, and PONO Jewelry. Very happy to be working with you all, learning and growing with you all! Goodluck at the Show!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Nina Garcia wants to be your Stylist Fairy Godmother...
What's the first designer item you ever bought?
I grew up with a fashion-obsessed mother and an older sister, so there was a lot of fashion in my house. The first thing I remember owning was a Pierre Cardin jumpsuit when I was 9 or 10; of course I didn't actually buy it, but I fell in love with it. When I was older and I first started working, I was obsessed with buying my first Chanel jacket. I saved up my hard-earned money, went to Barneys, and bought a little black Chanel jacket. It saw many, many job interviews and many, many events. I’m not fitting into it lately, but I still have it.
Where do you like to shop in New York?
I love the new Isabel Marant and Lanvin stores; also, Patricia von Musulin for jewelry. I shop a lot at CrewCuts for my son. I also like visiting those quirky stores like Evolution, with all the taxidermy and skeletons and interesting stones.
How would you describe your personal style?
I'm very classic and structural. I love clean lines and interesting, modern details. But I'm all about being streamlined — less is more.
What trends are you appreciating right now?
All this minimalism, like Celine and Calvin Klein. I'm so happy we're moving toward a cleaner look.
Any trends you're ready to see retired?
I have seen everything possible covered in studs and grommets. Also, what I call angry shoes: those platforms with the multiple buckles and studs. I think the polished girl is back.
Have you had to deal with many rehashed trends when judging Project Runway?
I'm always telling those designers, I need to know that you guys understand what's happening in fashion. I don't want to see them looking back, I want to see that they can look forward.
What's one item you're saving to buy?
The Burberry shearling coat is my must-have. I just hope I get to fit into it!
What's something you never leave the house without?
Since I'm pregnant at the moment, I can't leave home without Alexander Wang drapey tees. They're easy, cool, and they make me feel a little less obviously pregnant. I wear them with Current/Elliott cargo pants.
What sets the eighth season of Project Runway apart from the rest?
Well, the episodes are 90 minutes now, so you see more behind-the-scenes stuff, more of the design-room drama. It's been an exceptionally hot summer in New York and we have a very fragile cast — there's been a lot of fainting.
Any new books or projects in the works?
My son is due in December, so I have babies on the brain right now.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
4 Myths About Your Partying and Drinking Habits
1. HOOKAHS ARE SAFER THAN CIGARETTES.
False. A typical hookah session lasts 45 minutes, so you’re exposed to at least 50 times more smoke than if you lit one cigarette. Plus, “water-pipe smoke contains about eight times the carbon monoxide, nearly two times the nicotine, and 36 times the tar of a cigarette.
2. YOU CANCEL OUT THE EFFECTS OF PARTYING IF YOU “PRE-TOX” DURING THE WEEK.
False. “One drink a day can be good for you,” says Lisa R. Young, R.D., Ph.D., author of The Portion Teller. “But if you skip Wednesday and Thursday, that doesn’t mean you can have three drinks on Friday and toast to your health.
3. DIET SODA MIXERS GET YOU WASTED FASTER.
True. Recent research found that alcohol mixed with diet soda resulted in higher blood-alcohol concentrations than when the alcohol was mixed with regular soda. Researchers think sugar may slow the absorption of alcohol.
4. MIXING RED BULL AND LIQUOR LETS YOU PARTY LONGER.
True. Red Bull and other caffeinated drinks let you party longer — but not smarter. They make you feel like you’re alert but don’t reduce the real effects of alcohol, including slower physical and visual reactions. And be extra careful: They can make you think you can drive when you’re actually seriously impaired.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The Next Wave of Fashion Designers, bring light to American Fashion.
From left to right: Max Osterweis, Joseph Altuzarra, Alexa Adams, Sophie Theallet, Patrik Ervell, Wayne Lee.
What is most exciting about what is happening in fashion now, is that it is not just six names who are making waves in New York, but an entire generation of designers who have the potential to transform what we think of as American fashion. The majority of designers showing during New York Fashion Week, which begins today, started their labels within the last decade, chasing the dream of fashion in a city that has not always been so hospitable to talented designers. In fact, very few who started here since the 1980s managed to survive.
Yet there are more new designers working in New York fashion than at any point in its history, a rush of tenderfeet that one can say with some certainty began in 2002, when Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, two students at Parsons the New School for Design, sold their senior collection to Barneys New York and became the toast of the industry with their label, Proenza Schouler. Their example changed the way young designers looked at their careers. They no longer had to apprentice for years or scream to be heard — New York was crazy for the new.
The Structured Bag for fall is about to kick hobos and bucket bags to the curb!
This timeless silhouette is definitely a classic favorite. Just make sure its an "exotic structured handbag" and you'll be ready to go!
