The Skinny on Denim: 8 Pairs for Now and Later
Jeans are an absolute mainstay in everyone’s closet and they’re now constructed in virtually every way imaginable! From colored to striped and leopard to solid, we scoured the expansive denim market to bring you some of the best fits, looks and trends this season has to offer.
1. J Brand 899 Niko in Bright Royal, $255
No denim collection would be complete without a little J Brand love! Started in 2004 with a vision to create a jean with so perfect a fit it followed the contours of one’s body the brand became an overnight success after begin sold exclusively in LA at Ron Herman’s Melrose Jean Bar. The 899 Niko in bright royal is their new mid-rise skinny and we just love the racing stripe detail—perfect if you want to get in on the colorblock trend!
2. rag & bone Khaki Tuxedo Skinny, $198
One of our favorite pant looks is the tuxedo stripe (it gives the illusion of a thinner leg!). These jeans not only look amazing on but are extremely comfortable and made of cotton, tencel and spandex stretch twill. Über stylish rag & bone was founded in 2002 by Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, both of whom had no formal fashion training— sure fooled us! We are huge fans of the brand and these jeans will certainly make a great addition to your wardrobe!
3. Joe’s Jeans The Skinny in Fiery Red, $158
Joe’s Jeans “The Skinny” comes in 55 fabulous colors— so you can count on them having your favorite shade! Sitting just above the hips, The Skinny has a 12″ leg opening and boasts a 2% elastin concentration for comfort. The Fiery Red is bold and bright and a perfect color for all skin tones. Rock them during the day with your favorite striped flats and spring sweater or at night with a slinky top and pumps! Joe’s Jeans are celeb favorite, spotted on A-listers like Natalie Portman, Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie.
Fashion Week SS2012: Favorite Fashion Round-up
Fashion Week was a whirlwind of outrageous styles, sky-high heels, glamorous parties and celebrity sightings. We spyed Emma Roberts, Alexa Chung, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Stam, Beyonce, Heidi Klum, Johnny Weir, Nigel Barker, Olivia Palermo, Ramona Singer, Whitney Port, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kelly Rutherford and Kourtney Kardashian, among others. Everyone loves to spot the celebs at Lincoln Center but fashion week is really about the designers and showcasing their new collections for Spring 2012. What shows stuck out in our mind? Read on for our Fashion Week faves!
Zac Posen is known for ultra-feminine and figure-flattering styles (see picture above). This season he went retro chic, too, and we loved it! Flirty dresses in fab prints and colorful solids. No wonder he is a celeb red carpet favorite.
Rag and Bone was sporty with hoods, drawstrings and pops of neon orange. Super young and fresh!
Rebecca Taylor was also a feminine favorite with muted grays, flowy florals and lace cutouts.
We loved Diane von Furstenberg’s use of lace and color blocking. Her clothes were very wearable, as usual!
The Pamella Roland presentation rocked with models that turned up the attitude with dramatic poses and chic shades! Gowns and sequins galore, real Hollywood glamour.
Rachel Roy’s last look was absolutely breathtaking: a fabulous blue dress with a dramatic back was our hands-down favorite.
Models at Elie Tahari donned tailored pieces paired with gladiator boot-sandals for a Greco-Roman look. Tailored and at the same time feminine.
Ralph Lauren was total modern elegance. Think silk pastels with feather and sequin accents…very Spring!
This year Christian Siriano’s collection was his signature oversized chiffon ruffles and edgy footwear meets J.Crew-esque nautical striped tees. (PS, Did you know you can get wearable versions of his glam shoes at Payless?)
Jill Stuart used lots of pastels including pale coral, yellow and blue. There was a great mixture of pants, dresses, flowy skirts and silk fabrics in solids and soft ethereal prints (lots of Hermes orange too!).
Yigal Azrouel’s contemporary line Cut25 used color blocking to create a line of flawless casual basics. Sporty, clean lines reminiscent of 80’s surf culture.
Narciso Rodriguez’ collection was full of graphic prints, pretty below-the-knee shift dresses and lavender. Feminine and modern.
Donna Karan featured tribal prints and flattering fits with lots of a-line styles. Favorite cocktail dress: short purple, one shoulder number with perfect ruching.
Michael Kors went for an African-inspired collection with flowing earth tone fabrics and neutral animal prints. The accessories (bags and belts!) were the highlight.
Prabal Gurung had one of the best collections we have seen! Lots of violet, fabulous use of sheer fabrics and prints, black and white. Simply gorgeous…We want everything!
Helmut Lang is one of our all time favorite designers and this edgy collection did not disappoint. We love his signature use of draping in severe black and white with a splash of daffodil yellow for spring.
Mother’s Day Gifts for Every Mom
Mother’s day is approaching fast which brings with it the task of finding the perfect gift for Mom. There are plenty of new products out there that are sure to suit even the pickiest of mothers. I have something unique and special for every type of mom:
1. Foodie Mom Gwyneth Paltrow’s New Cookbook – “My Father’s Daughter”
I went to Gwyneth’s book signing at Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago to pick up a copy of her new cook book to review. Thanks to Glee, we all know superstar celeb Gwyneth can sing, but did you know she can cook? In “My Father’s Daughter” she shares her recipes that celebrate family and togetherness. With a foreword by master chef Mario Batali, you know the recipes must be delicious! They are also remarkably easy for even the most gastronomically challenged Mom. Plus, there’s something for every palatte from the exotic tuna and ginger burgers to chicken and dumplings to wood oven pizza. I literally want to try every recipe in this book.
Buy Now – $30
2. Fashionable Mom
Rich Rocks Jewelry
Rich Rocks is a fabulous costume jewelry line with a celebrity following that appeals to women of all ages. The cast of Gossip Girl certainly loves their baubles–Blake Lively, Leighton Meester and Kelly Rutherford to name a few. The selection is carefully edited and there is something for everyone. For the classic mom, I love the elegant pair of silver clover hoops (very Van Cleef). The boho Mom will adore the leaf earrings with champagne crystals and the hip Mom would enjoy the oversized hanging smokey dangle earrings. Also, all of the jewelry looks luxe and the pieces have a nice weight to them.
Buy Now – Clover hoops – $75
Buy Now – Leaf earrings – $40
Buy Now – Smokey dangle earrings – $75
Jennifer Miller Jewelry
Another great costume jewelry line and designer who is always on trend is Jennifer Miller. I am crazy about their dog tag necklace engraved with the sentiment, “LUV U MOM.” I like this one for the cool Mom who lives in jeans and t-shirts. It also has a yellow gold-plated cut out heart charm disk to add to the style. Made of sterling silver on a 30” stainless ball chain, the necklace looks very substantial and is the perfect Mother’s Day gift for Mom from the kids.
Buy Now – $175
3. Pampered Mom L’Occitane Sparkling Verbena Skin Care Set
If you’re mom loves the spa, pamper her this Mother’s Day with this Sparkling Verbena set from L’Occitane. This kit has everything Mom needs to relax including shower gel, body lotion, a delicious verbena scented sachet, shea butter hand cream and shea butter soap in milk and verbena scent. It even comes with a Mother’s Day card. I am a huge fan of these products and use them regularly. It is SO nice when someone buys them for you!
Buy Now – $55
4. Beauty Junkie Mom “All About My Mother” Make-up Gift Pack
Celebrity make-up artist Napoleon Perdis “All About My Mother” gift pack comes wrapped and ready to go in a lovely gift box. The make-up kit includes a cute vintage-inspired coin case with universally flattering shades of eyeshadow, cream blush and lip color. I love the lip color because it is shiny but not sticky and the four color eye shadow palette has the hottest colors of the season. Cream blush is super easy to use and all of the makeup in the kit comes with “how to” instructions (available in two different color palettes).
Buy Now – $49 ($100 value)
5. Techie Mom PhotoOp Ipad Case
If your Mom is anything like me, she never goes anywhere without her iPad. Luckily, PhotoOp makes an iPad case that you can personalize with an adorable photo of the kids. All moms appreciate personalized gifts! Just email PhotoOp the picture you would like to use as a jpeg, and they will send you the ipad case. Available in leather or fabric.
Buy Now – Leather – $150, Fabric – $120 (Call the studio at 212-362-1911 to place an order)
6. Eco-Conscious Mom Recycled Windshield White Wine Decanter from Gifts.com
A sophisticated and modern wine decanter made from recycled auto-glass is the ideal gift for the eco-conscious Mom. What’s really cool about this decanter is that it has an open ice chamber that chills wine without diluting it. Every decanter is unique and handmade in Colombia making it a special gift that any Earth-friendly mother will love to have in her home. I would use it as a decorative piece and for chilling ice tea or lemonade!
Buy Now – $55
7. Sentimental Mom TinyPrints.com Personalized Mother’s Day Cards
A refreshing break from the ordinary drugstore greeting card, TinyPrints.com offers personalized cards that they even send for you. No need to remember to mail a card on time or waste time trying to choose the right card. TinyPrints custom-made cards are heartfelt and special. Choose the photos, colors, fonts and text to create a card Mom will cherish. Tiny Prints also offers personalized stationary as a gift for Mom. Celebrity fans of TinyPrints include Gwyneth Paltrow, Kelly Ripa, Rachel Zoe, Reese Witherspoon and Brooke Shields.
Buy Now – $1.99 – $3.99 per card
8. Organized Mom (or one who wants to be) PurseN Purse Organizers
Whether your Mom loves to be organized or if your Mom is the type who can’t find anything in her purse (sound familiar?), the PurseN purse inserts are a fashionable and functional gift. These organizers make it easy to change from purse to purse without leaving behind any of your go-to items and keep bags clean. The inserts make Mom’s life easier with compartments for everything from her phone to her lipstick and wallet–and the rest of the “stuff.” Good-bye black hole!
Buy Now – $58
9. Charitable Mom Love Quotes Scarves
Loved by celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Hudson, and Jennifer Aniston for their luxe fabric, chic colors and charitable cause, Phyllis Wiener’s “Love Quotes” scarves make a perfect gift for the chic Mom who wants to give back. The scarves, available at lovequotesnyc.com, come in an array of gorgeous colors and can be worn around your neck, as a shawl, or on the beach as a cover up. They also happen to be the perfect size and are amazingly soft. I want them in every color! Plus, 10% of the proceeds are donated to international children’s charities. Each scarf comes with its own special quote, making it a truly heartfelt gift. P.S. Did you see Sofia Vergara in the new Pepsi commercial sporting the Regatta blue one as a pareo?
Buy Now – $75
The Great of 2008
By Jennifer Wright
2008 was quite a year. You may note that I am refraining from applying too many glowing adjectives to describe it. That is in case you worked for Lehman Brothers, or Citibank, or Bear Stearns. Or on the off chance that you are a staunch Republican. Or, alternatively, that you are Bernie Madoff. Taking those situations into account it probably wouldn’t be fair to call 2008 a really great year.
However, like every year, it had its moments. And by “moments,” I mean bodacious parties. Here are eight of the great parties of 2008, or at least, some that I really loved:
8: The Screening of Hamlet 2 : It was August 19th, but people dragged themselves back early from their summer houses to be rocked by Sexy Jesus. It was worth it. Focus Films provided miniature champagne bottles with straws as well as a variety of different, absurdly delicious popcorns. The crowd was peppered with notables, including producer Eric Eisner, film star Phoebe Strole, and Focus Features president Andrew Karpen. But what about other screenings, you ask? What about Doubt? What about W? What about . . . yes, you could certainly inquire. But Hamlet 2 gets extra points for being a party that happened during the summer and, yet, did not require me to sit on the Jitney next to a screaming baby for approximately 10 million years. Unfortunately, it is the only party I went to this summer of which that can be said.
7: Escada Event at Saks: It would be great to go out, sometime, and see a movie star who was not even more beautiful in real life than on the screen. It did not happen at the Escada event on October 30th. Hilary Swank looked impossibly gorgeous – and was lovely as she commented on the fantastic “architecture” of her one shouldered dress. And Amy Sacco was there! Of course, Escada’s creative director Damiano Biella was there too – Duffy even dedicated one of her songs to him.
6: Times Square on November 4th (If you were the aforementioned staunch Republican, just skip this one): It may not qualify as a traditional party, but at least every New Yorker was able to attend. And besides, how can you really define a party? Is it defined by wild dancing? Because that was happening on Times Square after the election results were announced. Cartwheels? Check. Wild screams of joy? Strangers embracing strangers? Check to all merriment. If you needed celebrities, well, Barack Obama was beaming down from the overhead screen.
5: Cookie Magazine’s Kidfest Benefit to aid Free Arts NYC: I spend a lot of time wishing that I’d grown up in New York. Because if I’d been raised here, rather than being taught to paint by my second grade teacher, Donald Baechler would have been helping me out. At least, he would have if I was a child who attended the Kidfest Benefit on November 16th. Meanwhile, Patrick McMullan would be taking family photographs, while Brooke Shields, Kim Raver, Cynthia Rowley and Nigel Barker milled about. As it was, I felt like it was too late to try to learn how to paint with Donald Baechler. Fortunately, it was not too late to take advantage of their “decorate your own cookie” stand.
4: The Plaza Retail Collection Presents Maggie Norris Couture: When I was a kid, not living in New York, I spent a lot of time reading Eloise, about the little girl who lives at The Plaza. However, these days, I am savvy enough to know that Maggie Norris is giving Eloise a run for her money. After all, Eloise’s mother simply “knew Coco Chanel” while Maggie Norris’s gorgeous and simple yet impossibly elegant designs rival Chanel’s own creations. It was never more apparent than on November 13th, when models including Fatima Siad, Marcia Mitchell and Hayley Finklestein appeared in her creations. Onlookers included Devorah Rose, Alex McCord and Anthony Nicola, the general manager of The Plaza’s Retail Collection.
3: Kelly Klein and Andre Balazs Celebrate the Publication of HORSE: Rachel Zoe was there. She was there, and she was nice, and she took pictures with Melissa Meyers and me. That alone is enough to make Kelly Klein’s book party in Miami on December 3rd a memorable party. However, it becomes more memorable when you factor in the fact that Ivana Trump was there too. So was Julian Schnabel along with his son Vito and Calvin Klein. The book was beautiful, too.
2: RFK Bridge Naming Ceremony: You may have heard the name Kennedy mentioned in the news lately, and if you were at the RFK Bridge Naming Ceremony November 19th you’d certainly have had a chance to see the clan as well. Ted and Kiki Kennedy were in attendance as were a host of luminaries who graciously paid homage to Robert F. Kennedy. Some of those notables included Melissa Meyers, Sarah Jessica Parker and Alec Baldwin. Senator Clinton was also in attendance, as well as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Speaker Pelosi.
1: Young Lions Disco Ball: Edward Albee and Salman Rushdie aren’t generally the first thing you think of when you consider Disco, but they were in attendance for the Young Lions Disco Party at the New York Public Library on November 3rd. Bohemian It girl Arden Wohl was twirling wildly on the dance floor, alongside Stephanie LaCava and Ivanka Trump. Philanthropist Steven Schwarzman was also there, dancing exuberantly to Disturbia. And, like every party, it had its party animals, in this case, the giant NYPL lion’s mascot.
So, from a purely party based standpoint, it was kind of a great year after all. And if you weren’t out on the scene in 2008, I will be looking for you in 2009.
