Presidential Swag

It's no secret that the Obama's have been a hot topic in the fashion circuit. So when I saw these photos of the Pres-elect on theybf.com, I just had to put them here.

The photos, which are in TIME magazine's person of the year issue, were taken when Obama was in his 20's. If these photos don't prove that Barack was just born with swag, I don't know what does.

Enjoy!

Out & About: Holiday Fun

Last night, I attended the annual Fashion Reporter holiday party co-sponsored by Land Rover and Toys for Tots at the Land Rover Manhattan Dealership.

The theme of the party was vintage Hollywood, and I think my friend Erika and I did a pretty good job with our lace and satin accented dresses.

The DJ was hot and the diverse crowd turned out to be pretty fashionable.

There were a few individuals who caught my eye. What do you think about this set??

Ah Ha!

The moment I saw this picture of Dawn (formerly of Danity Kane), I had to put it up!

A couple months ago I posted these gorgeous Dior cut out wedges that I was absolutely enamored with:

and gave a suggestion on how to pair them with opaque black tights and a cute, spirited little black dress.

Well, it seems Dawn must be reading my blog because she took a page right out of my book! Just look at the cute ensemble she rocked to Teyana Taylor's 18th B-Day party.

Kudos to Dawn for following some fab fashion advice!

;0)

Out & About

Last Wednesday evening I had the opportunity to attend a Complex Magazine party co-sponsored by G-Shock at the Mark Ecko Cut and Sew showroom.

The Patron and vodka was flowing, the muisc was pumping and the room was filled with fashionable people. One young lady's style caught my eye:

Her 'fit screamed urban sass. I loved her retro vibe, from the leather and chain earrings, to the vintage Fendi bag peeping out from the lower right of the picture. Turns out this stylish partygoer is also a jewelry designer. Check out her website http://www.cubannielinks.com/

Thanks to my party accomplice Aamira, I also ran into William from the CW show Stylista who turned out to have a lot more personality and spunk than was shown during his stint on the show.

I was also surprised to run into Dawn from the former Danity Kane and a few of the members from Day 26.

Dawn was sporting these adorable Louis Vuitton satin platform pumps that I just had to get a picture of:

I found these somewhat similar, CHEAPER versions on bebe.com

They're a little quirky, but a cute alternative way to do the super high heel and maintain a small level of comfort.

What do you all think??

Prepare Yourselves

As one of the biggest shopping days of the year approaches, Black Friday for all those who don't know, my word to the wise is BE PREPARED! Get out the walking shoes, get together the perfect slip on and off outfit for the purposes of trying items on quickly, and get the plastic/dollar bills ready!


Something tells me that prices will be slashed like never before. Saks already kicked off the "bargins" with their designer sale

As soon as I heard about it, I just couldn't resist and ended up spurging on these boots:

The Ginevra boot by Gucci. They originally retail for $1,390 however do to my quick fingers, I was able to snag them for $416. That's 70% off! $416 is cheap by no means; however, someone as fashion obsessed as I can be just couldn't pass up such as opportunity. I just hope they fit when they arrive *fingers, toes, and eyes crossed*

Since that boot alone may have began and ended by Thanksgiving week shopping, I want to wish all the other shoppers good luck and a Happy, Happy Turkey Day!!

What do you think?

So today, I started seeing some of the shots from Rihanna's debut as Gucci's fresh new face:

I must say I love Rihanna's look in these photos; however, I am not feeling these bags AT ALL, even though they are a part of Gucci's charity campaign to benefit UNICEF. I'm head over heels with the hysteria silhouette, the bag in the 2nd photo, but I can't help but feel like the tattoo print is an upgraded take on Ed Hardy. And the idea of a big white handbag makes me cringe. I'm always down for supporting charity though.

What's the verdict??

Project Runway: The Finale

Tonight marked the last episode of Project Runway season 5. Finalist, Kenley, Korto, and Leanne showcased 10 looks from their collections centerstage during Spring 2009 Fashion Week at Bryant Park.

First to show was Kenley. I will be the first to say that I admire the fact that each piece Kenley designs makes a bold statement and is a true testiment to her work as a designer. Her knack for breaking out of the box and taking a chance is surely apparent; however, her collection lacked the cohesion it needed to make a clear statement. There were bright colors, painted fabrics, rope, full skirts, a mish moch of too many things at once. Also, Kenley's lackadasical attitude towards viewers' comments on her similarity to pieces from other designers is unacceptable. How can you be a designer and not be aware of what's going on in the industry around you? Foolish. On the lighter side, there were individual pieces I enjoyed from Kenley, my favorite being the dress worn by her muse model:

Korto's line premiered next. With pieces inspired by her African heritage, Korto's line showed clear vision and wearability. While many runway shows leave the average 'Jane Blow' dumbfounded at how the looks could be translated to everyday, Korto succeeded in producing piece after piece that could take you from lunch with friends to a night out on the town. The colors were vibrant and the craftmanship impeccable. This is my fav. piece from Korto:

So the last designer, and this season's winner was Leanne. The theme of her show was waves and water, which was quite apparent from the bland color pallet and the virtual sea of waves that walked down the runway in every look.

While I'm a clear fan of cohesion, no one likes to be lead astray, I felt this collection was too one dimensional. Vests, jackets, skirts, and dresses all layered in these waves and petals. Don't get me wrong, the waves clearly showed Leanne's level of talent but also made me yearn for something more. I couldn't help but be reminded of Prada shoes fall'08 virtually EVERYTIME I saw one of her pieces. Here's my favorite from Leanne:

I'll come straight out and say that I was quite disappointed in the results of tonight's show. Although I wasn't from the very beginning, after watching all 3 collections, I was team Korto all the way. There was just something about Korto's pieces which let me know she had an understanding of the female body and the way garments should be made to present them in the most flattering light possible.

What do you all think?? Please, agree to disagree if you must ;0)

Fashion Find: Luc Kieffer

So a few weeks ago I was in Henri Bendel and ended up passing on this glam ring for this fab Member's Only leather bomber jacket that was on major clearance.

While I am absolutely in love with my jacket, I couldn't help but continue to think about the ring I passed up. It was a simple, clear lucite ring but it was just so cute! I didn't check to see who the ring was by or anything, so finding it online was like looking for a needle in a haystack until today when I was searching for jewelry on one of my favorite wed shopping site, shopbop.com.

After searching a couple pages I came across pieces similar to the ring from Henri Bendel! Low and behold I didn't find the exact ring, but there were quite a few items by the same designer. The ring is by Luc Kieffer. Kieffer is french designer whose pieces mix resin with unlikely materials to create beautiful, unique jewelry. Here are some of my fav. pieces from his collection:

These are all just so fun! Ranging in price from $187 to $218 and can either be found on shopbop.com or revolveclothing.com. Def. check Luc Kieffer out if you're in the mood for something different and sure to get attention.

Item of the Moment

So anyone who knows me and has seen my 3 tier shoe rack that I cherish, knows that I love love LOVE shoes. So I would say it is no surprise that my item of the moment once again is a shoe.

This beauty is the $925 cutout wedge from Dior. The deep purple suede is absolutely stunning and there is no denying that purple is the fashion color for fall. With fall in full swing, this shoe is still covered enough to be worn as the temperature cools off. With a shoe like this, all you really need is a simple black dress and some black opaque tights. Here are a couple options for style sthat I think would look fab with these glamourous shoes:

a. Ever Coity mini dress $385 b. Geren Ford lack dress $350 c. Elizabeth and James $395

d. Myne black mini dress $299

Since I know I can't afford these shoes, I will def. be on the hunt for cheaper alternatives. I will let you all know how well that hunt goes.

I'm back!

Dear blog,

I have not abandoned thee!

Style tip of the day:

Use accessories to reinvent an old outfit. In this tough economy where everyone is pinching pennies and rubbing nickles together, jewelry, belts, handbags, shoes, etc. are the perfect way to add color and spice to any outfit.

Live at Bryant Park

So I finally found my way up to the tents today, not for the shows per se, but simply to be a part of the buzz. Although the evening sky was filled with ominous clouds, the scene was alive with photographers, reporters, fashion mavens, and model types. I went to the tents expecting to see stylish individuals galour but found myself pretty disappointed.


It wasn't until I was on my way away from the tents that I saw a young woman, or more appropriately, an outfit that caught eye.

Now what may look like a simple outfit to most, was so much more than a black top and skirt with lace detailing. The picture does them no justice but the shoes pictured here were absolutely stunning. These black patent t-strap stiletto pumps are a part of the 2008 collection from Miu Miu by Prada. Take a closer look:

She then topped off the look with a quilted leather Marc Jacobs handbags similar to the "kid bag" pictured here:




Fab!

Thanks for being a part of my blog!

A Taste of the Tents

Who says spring fashion needs to be about bright colors and vivid patterns? Certainly not Rock & Republic. The theme the spring '09 show seemed to be "black, white, and grey all over". Known for it's denim, the Rock & Republic showed maturity with a broader range of assortment ranging from sculpted leather jackets to long flowing gowns. The influence of Victoria and David Beckham was definitely easy to spot. The male portion of the show definitely took back seat, with mini dresses of all varieties playing a focal role in the spring line. While I def. feel R&R has some growing to do, I look forward to the future that lies ahead for this brand. Here are a few of my favs from the show:

Herve Leger by Max Azria continued to epitomize feminine power with its showcase of bandaged dresses and swimwear. 'Oozing sexuality' seemed to be the theme of the evening, with skintight bondage-like dresses being the focal point for Spring '09. For the most part, color was kept simple and straitforward but bold at the same time.

Season of love, circa 1968, seemed to be the theme for Diane Von Furstenburg's spring collection. Models were cloaked in flowing dresses made from DVF's signature colorful printed fabrics. While dresses, from mini to floor length, dominated the show; suits, tunics, and swimsuits also made appearances on the runway. Here are my picks:

Look forward to more reviews from this week's events! For those in NYC who don't have hands on access to the shows, check them out on NYCTV, channel 25.

Are you ready???

Yesterday kicked off the beginning of fashion week. One of the most exciting weeks of the year for the fashion conscious. Designers from around the world will be unveiling their Spring '09 lines in the tents of Bryant Park as well as other locations across Manhattan. While the shows are the most exciting portion of fashion week, in addition to all the great parties, I wanted to take a look at the Conde Nast 5th Anniversary Fashion Rocks concert that took place last night.

My favorite look of the night belongs to:

I'm loving the total package. I'm not sure whether to refer to this dress as ombre or tie-dye but I love it! I'm feeling the python clutch and as always Mary's blond bob. The total package gets an A+ from me.

Other favs of the night include:

Dress cute. Shoes fab!

I really was ready to give Bey an A for this look, until I saw the back. I don't know what's going on around the rump, but it's definitely not flattering.

I'm loving the silhoutte of this dress

Songstress Leona Lewis is just too adorable in this babydoll dress!

Fergie rocked the laidback fab look. I love the studded Gucci stilettos.

Yes, I was surprised too but I think this look on Miley Cyrus is extremely cute.

Valentino's dapper look made him the only man to make my best dress list. And who says you can't wear white pants after Labor Day???

These celebs left me straddling the fence on whether their style was hot or not:

Ciara is gorgeous in this dress. However, all the sequence makes her look more like a pageant debutant than a popstar.

I'm loving the royal purple as well as Hilary's swank (Hilary... Swank, get it... nevermind) new hairstyle. However, something about the extra draping on the dress doesn't do it for me.

I'm usually team Rihanna when it comes to her style, but this dress doesn't do it for me. I love the top of it as well as the jeweled belt, the huge pockets surrounding the skirt of the dress kill it for me. Sorry Rih.

And now for my catastrophy list:

The worst part about Lil Mama's look is that the dress is actually cute. Where the top hat and satin varsity jacket fit in, I have NO idea. Horrible.

It looks like she has a feathered umbrella on her shoulders and it's raining glittery sequence. I just don't get it. Major catastrophy!

So this look isn't that horrible, but I expect much better from JT. What's really going on with the ashy wash jeans and the 5inch cuff?? So, unfortunate.

Even if this dress were cute, the knee socks alone would have still ruined this whole look. Try again Vanessa.

Beyonce's look for her performance with JT. What in the sequined hell is Beyonce wearing? I mean the whole thing is nothing but sequins and it's atrocious. I hope this si a themed performance or something.

If you want to see these celebs and others in action, make sure to catch the concert when it airs the 9th at 9pm on CBS!