Archive for November 2010

Retail

You Can Open Your Own Online Boutique on the New Revolve

Ever thought of opening your very own shop featuring your favorite clothes, shoes, and accessories? Well, fashionable e-tailer Revolve wants to fulfill your dreams.

On November 11, Revolve will relaunch with a new look and plenty of new features. These include more fashion editorials, more blog posts, and more tips from the site’s buyers and editors. But the most notable change is an opportunity for users to build their own online boutiques.

After creating a profile on Revolveclothing.com, a user can “heart” her favorite looks, which are then transferred into her own boutique. Any time another shopper buys something via her boutique, the “owner” receives a commission in the form of store credit. Commission can range from 1 to 10%, depending on how popular your boutique becomes. Ways to draw attention to your boutique include uploading blog posts and videos.

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Fashion News Roundup

Fashion News Roundup: Madonna Can’t Borrow Lanvin for H&M, Zac Posen Will Design Bella Swan’s Wedding Dress and Karen Elson Cops to Copying Christina Hendricks’ Hair

Keds Goes Back to The 90s: Keds has released a limited edition collection of sneakers called “Alternative to Everything.” We’re absolutely smitten with these 90s-inspired sneakers, which come in acid wash blue, gray denim and red plaid. {Refinery 29}

Copied Dye Job: Christina Hendricks told Harper’s Bazaar that way back when she was a model, she told Karen Elson that she should be a red head and gave Elson her formula. Now Elson’s confessed that Hendrick’s did, in fact, inspire her to go red. {The Cut}

Lanvin x H&M Drama: When Jennifer Lopez and Madonna both asked to “borrow” (i.e. have it before anyone else) pieces from the Lanvin x H&M collection, they were told that no one was allowed to wear the collection before the runway show on November 18. If this is true, then why were a few British celebs pictured wearing pieces from the collection at London’s Lanvin preview? Sure, Roisin Murphy and Sohpie Ellis-Bextor are celebs, but they’re no Madonna. What gives? {Elle}

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Accessories

Are Disposable Flats The Answer To Our High Heel Woes?

I think I speak for many women when I say that heels are worth the suffering they inflict. Even the occasional tumble down subway stairs–not that this has happened to me (ahem)–is worth it for the miraculous changes they bring to the appearance of your legs, butt, and mojo in general.

I wear heels pretty much everyday. They rank in height from “I can walk across town in these” to “out of the cab and right to a chair, where I will dangle them for all to admire.” I’m just not a flats person. But I won’t lie and say that heels are always easy. Sometimes I’m happy to get the damn things off.

But there could be a solution: A British company called Afterheels has been getting some press in the past week or so for offering a £5 ($8) emergency ballet flat for those times when you just can’t bear to run around in your Balenciaga architectural stunners anymore.

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Fashion Careers

Need an Intern for Spring? Let Fashionista Readers Know!

For years Fashionista has trumpeted the best internships and jobs in fashion and beauty. The industry has taken notice. ““The intern applicants we’ve seen from our ads on Fashionista have consistently been well-versed in beauty and fashion, smart, stylish, savvy and ready to delve into learning all about the industry. I 100% plan on posting there again for the next communications internship position we need to fill,” says Jaime Maser, Director of Communications at La Prairie.

A big part of our readership is people who work in the industry, but an even bigger group is people who want to work in the industry. Along with advertising your internship on the site, we will also send your info to our 280,000+ Twitter followers. Interested in posting an ad for interns? Email winnie@breakingmedia.com and she’ll get you set up. Until then, check out Fashionista.com/fashion-careers, where our most recent internship postings live. And thanks!

And P.S.: We do job postings, too.

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  • Thursday, Nov 4, 2010 / 11:00 AM
The Business

Will Style.com’s Move to Fairchild Mean Restrictions on Editor Gifts?

Style.com’s move to the Fairchild Fashion Group got plenty of attention.

But there’s an elephant in the room yet to be addressed publicly. Fairchild has a strict no-press trips/ no-gifting policy. Will Style.com editors be forced to follow those same rules?

If so, that would mean any work-related trip a Style.com editor or writer takes would have to be paid for by Fairchild. And they wouldn’t be allowed to accept gifts. (Aka swag.) According to one source, “it was such an issue when W was at Fairchild that it was one of the internal reasons why they moved W to Conde.”

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Could It Be? A Sneak Peek at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

The spectacle that is the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show takes place next Wednesday, November 10 in NYC (and airs November 30 on CBS) but photos of the angels in their wings have started to leak.

There are some very unwieldy looking harp wings, a peacock feather in lieu of panties, and some athletic theme appears to be taking shape with Chanel Iman in a sheer baseball uniform.

The Gray Lady even took an interest in the VS Show today with Guy Trebay’s “Angels in Stripper Heels,” which takes a look at the casting process for the show. And describes Carolyn Winberg’s hair as having the “texture of wood shavings.”

Take a look.

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Fashion Is Fun

Sandra Lee Is the New First Lady of New York: An Introduction To Her Style (Tablescapes Included)

Andrew Cuomo is New York’s new governor, which means that his longtime girlfriend, Food Network star Sandra Lee, is New York’s new first lady.

Confession: When we’re not trolling the internet for fashion news or out at fashion events, we’re watching the Food Network. Food Network’s lady stars tend not to be too concerned with their style. Giada De Laurentiis’s style is pretty much limited to plunging jersey v-neck tops with a camisole underneath, because, let’s be honest, if it weren’t for her camisoles Everyday Italian would really be food porn. (Weird side note on Giada, Lauren hears from a source that Giada wears all Anthropologie because her husband’s a VP there.) I don’t even know what Rachel Ray wears because I can’t see behind the pile of ingredients and EVOO she’s loaded into her arms to avoid a second trip to the pantry or the fridge. There’s that new show Bitchin’ Kitchin’ on the Food Network’s hipster sister channel, the Cooking Channel, and the host, “Nadia G,” seems to have an intense rockabilly thing going, but I haven’t watched because I hate the name of the show so much and if I hear that promo where she’s says she’d rather “make out with Clooney” one more time I might burst. (Apologies for the ranty too-long sentence.) Lauren’s Food Network style icon is Claire Robinson of Five Ingredient Fix because she likes her vintage aprons and gold lockets.

But Sandra Lee is the one Food Network star who puts a lot of effort into matching her outfits to her tablescapes and even to her cocktails. She loves her some cocktails. So this is an exciting development that the Semi Home Made star will be even more visible at events and on the red carpet.

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Gucci and Christie’s Team Up to Bring You the Least Sketchy Way to Buy or Sell Vintage Handbags

Have an old Gucci bag from the ’70s lying around? It might be time to go through those family heirlooms because Gucci and Christie’s are interested. Or, at the very least, they’ll give you a free appraisal.

An online service, called “Gucci Collector: Presented by Christie’s” is the auction house’s first ever single fashion house specialization. It launched in January and has gotten over 600 submissions from over 25 countries. Basically, “Gucci collectors” can upload pictures of their vintage items online and within two to four weeks, an expert panel made up of Christie’s Director of Fashion and Textiles, Patricia Frost, her team of costume specialists and the Gucci Archive Department will studiously examine the item and present you with an auction estimate. And if you are looking to sell, you will also be told whether your item is appropriate for a Christie’s auction or of interest to either Gucci or Christie’s from a “historical perspective.” We’re not sure what kind of commission they’re offering, but this sounds a lot easier than selling through eBay or a consignment shop. And if you do ultimately decide to sell through consignment, at least you can find out what your bag is really worth.

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Accessories

Atelier Swarovski’s Autumn/Winter Collections, Designed by Karl Lagerfeld, Christopher Kane and More

Last night, I found myself adjacent to the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink (yep, it’s already that time), at the Swarovski boutique. It took me about 20 minutes to find in an out-of-the way section of Rockefeller Plaza’s basement level, but I was glad I did. First of all, they make some crazy things out of Swarovski crystals. Angels, cats, Disney characters, you name it. It is undeniably the perfect place to find pretty–if completely useless–holiday gifts.

However, the actual reason I was there was to celebrate the launch of Atelier Swarovski’s Autumn/Winter collection featuring limited edition jewelry pieces designed by Karl Lagerfeld, Stephen Webster, Holly Fulton, Kirt Holmes and Christopher Kane.

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Streetwalker

Street Style: Sophia Doubles Up On Tights

Name: Sophia

Age: 21

Occupation: Student

How would you describe your style? At school, it’s pretty easy going. During the weekends, I dress a bit more crazy, but always comfy. I never wear heels during the day.

What were you for Halloween? Little Red Riding Hood

What are you listening to? A lot of R&B

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Shopping

The Gap is Giving Away 10,000 Pairs of Jeans Via Facebook

Gap is teaming up with Facebook to give its fans some free stuff. Well, lots of free stuff. Today, Facebook announced at its mobile event in Palo Alto, Calif. that the specialty retailer would give away a pair of jeans to the first 10,000 people who checked in on an upcoming day. (The specific date has yet to be disclosed.) Those who check in after the first 10,000 will receive 40% off a pair of jeans.

This is part of Facebook’s new “deals” program, which works a lot like Foursquare’s “deals” program. Checking into Facebook via your mobile phone will soon mean getting discounts at many of the shops you’re visiting.

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Fashion News Roundup

Fashion News Roundup: Clothes Made of Giant Rats, Hells Angels v. Alexander McQueen Settles, and GQ Has Even More Inappropriate Glee Footage

Rat Fashion Show? Leave it to Bushwick to host a fashion show featuring clothes made from Nutria: giant rodents that are actually OK to kill because they are destroying Louisiana’s wetlands. Southern designer Billy Reid has also made garments out of Nutria, spurring a Guardian article earlier this year. Will Nutria be the next big trend? We’re not too keen on the idea of wearing rodents but maybe that’s just us. {Daily Intel}

Oh, Hell No: If you bought an Alexander McQueen Hells Angels knuckle ring after seeing it in our roundup, you might have to send it back. The Hells Angels, who sued McQueen, Zappos and Saks over the ring and other products bearing their trademark, have settled on the condition that the defendants stop selling the products AND recall and destroy what has already been sold. Those Hells Angels mean business. {WWD}

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