Archive for April 2011

Streetwalker

Street Style: Jake is an All American Guy

Name: Jake

Age: 20

Occupation: Student

How would you describe your style? Americana and a bit preppy.

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Fashion Is Fun

We Heart: Terry Richardson’s Opening Ceremony Look Book, Starring Lindsey Wixson

Shopbop‘s got a great interview today with Opening Ceremony’s Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, which you should definitely check out.

The duo’s wise words make it a must read, but the accompanying images from Opening Ceremony’s Spring 2011 look book–starring Lindsey Wixson and shot by Terry Richardson–shouldn’t be missed, either. If you haven’t perused the entire look book yet, you can do so right here. (Oh, and the best news: most of the stuff is available to buy on OC’s site right now.)

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Seoul Fashion Week, Part 1: Men’s Fall 2011 Collections

Fashionista contributor Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt.

SEOUL, KOREA–”I am in my second year at Seoul Arts College majoring in modeling,” says Lee Sang Min, wearing a wool cotton double breasted coat, black and white striped turtleneck sweater, black slim pants and black leather boots. He was waiting in line to get into the CY Choi show in the main hall at Korea Fashion Week with a group of five of his schoolmates. Surprised, as I thought they were just fashion kids rather than college students studying modeling, I asked through my interpreter: “How long is the modeling school program?”

“You can do a two year associate or a four year bachelor’s program,” said Back Min Kyu, who stood nearby wearing a black button down shirt, a white double side button pea coat, black pants, and black leather boots. “Have you come to the shows here before?” “Yes, we came the last time,” replied Choi Min Suk wearing a pair of light sunglasses, grey beret, black double breasted side button coat, grey knitted cardigan, black slim jeans, and black boots.

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  • Long Nguyen
  • Thursday, Apr 7, 2011 / 1:53 PM
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Beauty

The UK Releases New Guidelines To Prevent Misleading Cosmetics Ads

It’s become the norm rather than the exception that models in makeup and skincare ads are retouched to death. The fact that the recent “unretouched” Makeup Forever ad made such news is a testament to this fact of life in the beauty industry.

But cosmetics companies have been getting in trouble for this, particularly in the UK. Over the years, there have been a lot of complaints, especially about mascara ads which depict models in fake eyelashes. L’Oreal Paris was targeted in 2007 because Penelope Cruz was wearing fakes in a Telescopic Mascara commercial. Rimmel is a repeat offender, giving Kate Moss digitally enhanced lashes in 2007 and Georgia May Jagger fake lashes last year, both in mascara ads.

Two UK organizations, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) just released new advertising guidelines for cosmetics advertising.

The guidelines address pre-production (styling and makeup) and post-production (re-touching). Some of the guidelines include:

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Fashion News Roundup

Fashion News Round Up: The Royal Wedding Gets a Fragrance, Doutzen Kroes Lands an Acting Gig, and Dolce & Gabbana are Bieber Fans

Smell Like Royalty: A Hamburg perfumer claims that the royal family commissioned her to create the official wedding fragrances–one called Catherine that has notes of magnolia and rose, and one called William that’s sporty and direct. The cheesy packaging includes a locket with a photo of the couple. {BellaSugar}

Daphne Guiness Will Get Ready For the Met Ball in the Barney’s Windows: To coincide with the Met Gala in May, Guiness has collaborated with Barney’s for a six-week long window display that will include pieces from her collection of Isabella Blow’s wardrobe as well as from her own, a short film, and performance art, a.k.a Guiness preparing for the Gala in the Madison Ave windows. {Vogue}

Susie Bubble’s Guide to Online Shopping: The blogger breaks down and critiques the e-commerce sites of major brands like Alexander Wang and Burberry for those of you wondering whether you should brave the April rain or shop in your pajamas. {Style Bubble}

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Beauty

Have You Worn or Will You Wear Yellow Nail Polish?

Yellow nail polish is one trend that keeps popping up year after year and just will not die. It seems to be fueled by whatever pop tartlet is embracing it that particular season. Rihanna did it in 2007. Katy Perry did in 2010. And this year, of course, Lady Gaga wore yolk-y yellow nails–courtesy of Deborah Lippmann–for her egg stunt at the Grammys.

This past weekend I saw three different tweets discussing yellow nails and sending Twitpics of freshly painted yellow nails. Will you wear this trend? I have to say I’m firmly against it.

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Reviews

Madewell Fall 2011: Schoolboy Clothes For Grown-up Girls

For fall Madewell wants its young ladies to take a tip from roughhousing English schoolboys and wear suspenders with slouchy printed pants or well worn denim paired with checked work shirts layered (in that perfectly disheveled Madewell way), under chunky cardigans. But she’s not all tomboy. There are lust-worthy printed maxi skirts to be belted and worn with ankle boots with bright red laces. As always, there was a lot to lust after–from the soft slouchy striped sweatshirt tops to the camera bags to bold geometric jewelry to sturdy outerwear that included a blanket/poncho hybrid I wanted to crawl into right then and there. Unfortunately it didn’t seem appropriate in the meticulously assembled old-time-y school room office hybrid Madewell had assembled for their fall presentation.

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The Olsens Are Launching a New Online Shop, StyleMint

The juggernaut that is the Olsen twins refuses to stop. Mary-Kate and Ashley are now throwing their big, floppy hats into the interactive e-commerce arena with a new venture, WWD reports today.

StyleMint, which launches this July, will work the same way as jewelry site JewelMint, which boasts Kate Bosworth and her stylist Cher Coulter as partners. It’s basically a 21st century “of-the-month” club, but with personalized recommendations that get more specific the more you buy. You register as a member and fill out style quizzes so that the site can tailor purchase suggestions for you–WWD likens it to the algorithms used by Pandora. You can also link to Facebook and Twitter through the site to garner opinions from your friends and followers.

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Fashion’s Night Out 2011 Will Happen September 8 and Include E-Commerce Sites, Too

Fashion’s Night Out details have begun trickling in, and we like what what we’re hearing:

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The Business

Aerin Lauder’s Lifestyle Brand is Happening, Will Include a Makeup Line Sold by Estée Lauder

Estée Lauder has confirmed earlier reports this week that its creative director, Aerin Lauder, is launching her own lifestyle brand, tentatively called AERIN. And while this is a completely separate company from Estée, the beauty heiress will continue to play a major role in her grandmother’s firm. “I’m thrilled to continue playing an active role in the iconic Estée Lauder brand, including serving as global brand ambassador and spokesperson,” she said in the statement. “At the same time, I look forward to pursuing my vision to create the AERIN brand.”

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Fashion Is Fun

Lela Rose Answers Your Wedding Fashion Questions: Day 1

In honor of bridal fashion week, designer Lela Rose has been kind enough to answer your wedding day style questions. Here’s the first:

Dear Lela,

I want to buy my bridemaids their shoes so that they all look uniform, but I don’t have a huge budget. Any suggestions?

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Shopping

Reiss Founder David Reiss on the Kate Middleton Effect, Plus Kate’s Latest Reiss Purchase

Reiss, the British-based contemporary clothing label, has been around for a while. In fact, the brand just celebrated their 40th anniversary last night over cocktails at the Crosby Street hotel. But many folks, especially Americans (Reiss only has outposts in NYC, LA, DC, Boston and Florida), only became aware of the brand when Kate Middleton wore a cream colored Reiss dress when she was photographed by Mario Testino for her official engagement portraits with Prince William. It wasn’t new–it was from her closet. Nevertheless, a frenzy for the frock followed and Reiss rereleased the fall/winter style for this current spring season in a lighter material.

“It was the most bizarre thing–I was flying to Moscow that day to open our new store there and as we land I turn my phone on and I was absolutely inundated–journalists, requests for TV–and I had no idea what it was all about,” founder David Reiss told us. “And then the whole thing snowballed from there. I was getting calls from Hong Kong, Germany, Spain, the US–pretty much all the key American programs wanted me to do TV–it was phenomenal. I knew the Americans loved royalty, but to that extent I didn’t realize.”

And as for what Kate has done for the brand?

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