Turns out it’s a Chicago boutique owner, Ikram Goldman.
Check out the NY Times article “Behind the First Lady, a Shadow Stylist”
Archive for the Style News Category
I was a huge fan of Hello Kitty when I was in high school. I used to bribe friends to take me to the closest Sanrio store so I could splurge, and even made my beau take me once in New York (Times Square) but it was way too hellish to relish. I had it all - everything from alarm clocks, piggy banks, purses, water bottles, planners - to handheld fans. I’ve definitely grown out of it now, and I have successfully passed down all of my collectibles to my 6 year old neighbor back in Pennsylvania - thus ensuring the love and gratification of a first grader. The MAC Hello Kitty line is so nostalgic, like when they did Barbie - you can’t help but regress and crave that cute little kitty face - even if it means investing in blue eyeshadow!
Brush collection $49.50
Nail lacquer $11
Lipstick $14
Shop Hello Kitty for MAC at maccosmetics.com
The well-known New York fashion week tents are moving from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center in 2010. Apparently, Mercedes-Benz fashion week wants to model itself a bit more off of the Paris events, as small designers (i.e. anyone who can buy their way in) are taking up too much space and forcing big names out into other venues - like the New York Public Library across the street.
Unfortunate as this is, I get it. I first volunteered at fashion week my first semester at FIT, at the Wunderkind show and witnessed a fellow classmate be berated by a production dude because she stepped on the still wet, white runway. As awful as it was to have to wear the uniform tee shirt (I tried to dress it up with cropped cargo’s and a flower in my hair), it was my first foray into the shows, and I looooved it.
The beauty of the Bryant Park local is that it’s right in the garment district, so the people who are actually attending the shows for a purpose and not a photo op are right near their offices and in the heart of New York fashion. So - as sad as it will be to see the shows move, at least this means for all the assistants in the city NOT going to the shows, the lack of human traffic and annoying models & celebs holding the elevators in your office will be a welcome relief.
Starting this Friday, the 13th - here are the shows I’ll be watching from the comfort of Style.com:
Friday the 13th - Yigal Azrouel, Charlotte Ronson
Saturday the 14th - Georges Chakra, Barbie
Sunday the 15th - Mara Hoffman, Diane Von Furstenberg, Erin Fetherston
Monday the 16th - Donna Karen, Jill Stuart, Tracy Reese
Tuesday the 17th - Matthew Williamson, Dennis Basso, Narciso Rodriguez
Wednesday the 18th - Michael Kors, Richard Chai, 3.1 Philip Lim, Anna Sui
Thursday the 19th - Ports 1961, Custo Barcelona, Christian Siriano, Zac Posen
Friday the 20th - Ralph Lauren, Chado Ralph Rucci
For the complete schedule - check out Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week online
It is very possible that this may outdo Subversive. Karen Erickson and Vicki Beamon are the fourth jewelry design team to collaborate on a mass line for Target. The whimsical yet edgy, and always eclectic design elements present in the original aesthetic are very apparent and not watered down in this collection. What I love about Erickson Beamon is the high-low mix, even though it’s not really high-low at all, it’s not too refined or stuffy - it’s an antique look with a modern toughness. My favorite is the gold chain bracelet with the different size gems, and a close second the star broach cuff the label made so popular. The great thing about the jewelry lines for Target, rather than the apparel, is that they stick around for much longer - this one until June. Dean Harris, the last Target jewelry designer to go diffusion, has been on the site forever and I’m so happy to see it go away for something much more my taste. The colored gems are perfect for the impending arrival of Spring, and starting at $14.99 - everyone can have a little piece of luxury.
Shop Erickson Beamon @ Target.com - starting February 15th
I am SO excited for this! Lately, all it seems I do is rant about designer diffusions being so subpar – but McQueen comes to the rescue and really, what did I expect? Turns out Target switched it up and asked McQueen to base his collection off of a specific piece of inspiration, rather than creating a capsule to meet mass classification requirements. So, who’s the muse? Leila Moss, lead singer of The Duke Spirit - the reason I am itching and itching for this collection to hit. The leather-look trench & vest are so rebel, rebel – and the Grecian draping is timely but edgy with the linear prints and color blocking – somewhat reminiscent of Jonathon Saunders Sp 09 (also a Target alum).
What’s best about this collection over others – is that it’s very clearly on trend, very McQueen, and the key – very aspiratonal! If that leather vest sells out, I’ll hunt and hunt to find another but when I do find it, it probably won’t be $30 – so there is that urge and excitement to get there and have McQueen’s likeness at a low price. I will definitely brave the 5 lane super highway that is I35 and come out victorious before any Texas fashionista gets there first - and I will throw elbows!
“I am always inspired by youth subcultures. I’m also inspired by music, rebellion, style revolution, and people with the passion to make a lasting difference.”
Hits March 1st. To read & see more - visit Nylonmag.com
Jason Wu is one lucky dude! As it’s all over the media now - he had no idea Michelle Obama was going to wear his dress, and that just melts my little 24 year old heart (he’s only 26!!). Anyway, puhlease disregard the part in the article where the Times clearly has a bias - Isabel Toledo went to both FIT and Parsons. Just because Project Runway was filmed at Parson’s doesn’t mean they didn’t try to shoot it at FIT first (they did) - so the rivalry will go on and on. AND - I love how they paint the picture of a struggling designer in his midtown apartment eating Dominos. First - you’re not struggling if your apartment is in midtown, I don’t care if it’s next to Joshua Tree. Second - Jason Wu needs to check the NYC health standards because last time I checked the Dominos in Chelsea had mice. So now that I’m all fired up for the weekend - enjoy the below article from the Times!
NY Times - Spotlight on Designer of Gown for Ball
Love Charlotte Ronson’s aesthetic, but isn’t this what Jovovich Hawk for Target was for? I already have my hippie, downtown rocker diffusion line. And - even though it’s not diffusion which Urban Outfitters carries of Ronson’s, I still would much rather spend my money on the real thing (which isn’t THAT much more), than the watered down version. I also can’t remember the last time I was in a JCPenney - that requires a mall, most times, or an urban sprawl - both of which I try to avoid (excluding Target). Anyway, you can’t fault her for going mass, it means dolla dolla bills - and it’s definitely her livelihood in the design, but Charlotte Ronson isn’t really aspirational - and that’s the missing link.
Shop I Heart Ronson for JCPenney
View the full slideshow, “First Look: Charlotte Ronson for JCPenney” @ Nylonmag.com
All Charlotte Ronson up to 50% off @ UrbanOutfitters.com
When will it end?! I’m all about designer looks for less, and this really was a great concept when it was first introduced to mass. I can remember waiting outside of Opening Ceremony in the rain, after pushing my way through rush hour subway traffic (Chinatown is the WORST), to snag Proenza Schouler for Target before it hit stores. In NYC, you have to take a long and awkward train to get to a Target - so this was every woman for herself. Unfortunately, by the time I got in - only 10’s and 12’s were left, so I had to go home defeated. I then waited until 3am for it to hit Target online, when I made my purchase (to be safe two sizes of every piece) to get those beautiful bustier cup bodices they’re known for. Crazy, yes - but that’s the point.
I have never been as excited about any diffusion line since. The beauty about Proenza for Target was that the result completely embodied what the RTW was about, what was really aspirational that people pined for. Now that it’s become mainstream to have 2 to 3 diffusion lines under a brand, there is really no tie to the original designer at all, and it’s always something I can find elsewhere.
Norma Kamali has been trying to make a comeback for the past few years - she has a little bit of the Halston curse - and in doing so launched her first diffusion line for Everlast which made no sense at all. Now that she’s collaborating with Wal-Mart, I hope she knows she threw all hopes of future Vogue covers out the window, and should focus on one market and do it well. On the flip side, her basic aesthetic works well with this consumer base - a more casual, athletic female in mind with power colors to match. I really do appreciate that a designer is taking it to Wal-Mart this time - which might be the freshest idea yet.
Shop Norma Kamali for Wal-Mart: Dirt Cheap
Trench $30
Blouse $15
Bag $6
Jacket $20
Saks Fifth Avenue’s Spring marketing campaign - NY Times article “Consumers of the World Unite”