Archive for June 2011

YSL’s Stefano Pilati Is Scared of Bloggers

Before his resort show yesterday (Lauren’s review to come), YSL‘s Stefano Pilati opened up to WWD about the criticism he’s faced, particularly from bloggers.

“My fashion has never tried to be editorially oriented. My research was more subtle, on the edge to the more boring,” he told WWD. He clarified that his clothes aren’t boring, just that they aren’t flashy and are best understood when worn. He also acknowledged that he wasn’t trying to be better than Yves Saint Laurent himself, and he puts the label before himself, never crediting a collection “Stefano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent.”

He addressed his critics head on: “I’m very surprised when criticism comes from a very shallow approach.” He wants his critics to tell him why they think something looks bad, rather than just saying it looks bad. This then turned into a conversation about bloggers.

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Shopping

Make Like Garance Doré and Order Some Thunderwing Press Stationery

Her personal life may undergo pretty regular ridicule these days, but Garance Doré is still the chicest. That’s why we weren’t surprised to hear that the queen of the street style photogs ordered herself some custom stationery from indie printer Thunderwing Press.

Founders Nic and Jennifer Brandt-Taylor are based in Garrison, a small town in Upstate New York, and they’re kind of hippies. But clearly the couple’s nuanced letterpress styles appeal to the savviest city slickers. Click through for some visual inspiration via the stationer’s blog, and email thunderwingpress@gmail.com to order your own custom set.

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Fashion Is Fun

Not Ready to Wear: A Roundup of Clothes Made Out of Cheese, Syringes, Cat Fur and Other Weird Crap

Thanks to some industrious students at Bath Spa University in the UK in collaboration with Pilgrims Choice cheeses, Lady Gaga can now wear a steak ‘n’ cheese dress. Pilgrims Choice Vintage, Extra Mature and Red Leicester cheese were melted and molded into five wearable gowns by students who put in over 1,000 hours of work on their creations, the Daily Mail is reporting. They even made “Jimmy Cheese” shoes to pair with their fromage frocks.

Now, I really love cheese and I really love dresses but the thought of dresses made out of cheese is just not OK by me. Neither are dresses made out of hospital supplies. Or toilet paper. Or steak. But it doesn’t stop people from making them.

Here, a quick look at some dresses made from all sorts of weird crap.

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Accessories

I Need, I Want, I Have to Have: Camper x Bernhard Willhelm Heels

I’m rarely in heels, and when I am, it’s never for that long. Why? Well, I like being comfortable, and I can’t be bothered to learn how to actually walk in the damn things.

But there’s always an exception, right? Like these Bernhard Willhelm pumps, created by the designer exclusively for Camper.

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Beauty

Five New Beauty Gadgets to Try

This season brings a lot of new beauty gadgets to try out. There’s something here for everyone, whether you’re a beauty luddite and don’t like to plug anything in, or you want the most cutting edge technology out there. From hair to teeth to brows, beauty companies want to make your life easier in the morning.

Click through to see some of the latest offerings.

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Shopping

The Princess of eBay: Kate Middleton’s $340 Reiss Dress is Going for Over $900

The Reiss bandage dress that Kate Middleton wore when she met Michelle Obama last week is sold out everywhere. Everywhere except eBay, of course.

The “Shola” dress, which was originally priced at $340, is still available on the online auction site and is going for up to $987.60.

Kate’s had quite an effect on eBay. Ever since her engagement announcement in that blue Issa wrap dress, listings posted with “Kate Middleton” in their descriptions have exploded. (That Issa dress is currently on eBay for $1349.99 and was originally $631.) According to Andrea Linett, creative director of eBay Fashion, there have been close to 5,000 listings with the keyword “Kate Middleton” posted on the auction site within the last 45 days.

It’s a frenzy Linett says hasn’t been seen on eBay since Michelle Obama’s campaign days. Why?

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Labels

Seven Questions for diNeila Designer Neila Granzoti Rudden

As New Yorkers, our access to fabulous beaches is limited and, as a result, so is the number of bikinis in our closets. The lifestyle of the perennially tanned, international beach-goer is one that is entirely foreign to me, but a lucky few were practically born into it. One of those people is swimwear designer Neila Granzoti Rudden, who was born and raised in Sao Paulo, where swimsuits are more or less a uniform.

While it may shock no one that a Brazilian-raised beach bum became a swimwear designer, Neila’s cultural background and experiences are more diverse than that–and that wide range of influences shows in her designs. Her parents are Brazilian and Italian and she’s also lived in London, where she earned a degree in graphic design, and Milan, until she eventually came to New York to launch her collection.

Now, her super-sexy bikinis are all over the latest Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and she just finished shooting diNeila’s next campaign in St. Bart’s with the line’s newest face–Sports Ilustrated model (and John Legend’s girlfriend) Christine fTeigan.

We recently spoke with Neila to gain a glimpse into her fabulous life.

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Beauty

Latest Crazy Beauty Thing: Makeup Depicting Scenes From Disney Movies

Continuing with our crazy beauty trends kick, here’s some insane eye and lip art from make-up artist Katie Alves. The girl can do with make-up what most people can barely do with paint, let alone on a tiny patch of fragile skin. The Disney themed eyelids are particularly amazing, although it’s tough to decide which is cooler–an Alice in Wonderland panorama, or leopard winged eyeliner? She’s even worked a little wordplay in there (think literal fish lips). Our minds are sufficiently blown. One possible problem: With this kind of art it might be difficult to display it and, you know, open your eyes at the same time. We’re disregarding that minor detail; can we commission her for next Halloween?

Check the slideshow of some of Alves most intricate work. Tell us, which is your favorite? And would you wear anything like this?

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Entertainment

Gwyneth Paltrow ‘Enters the 21st Century,’ Joins Facebook and Twitter

Our online dose of Gwyneth Paltrow wisdom has been thus far limited to her weekly GOOP newsletter and various clips of her doing ridiculous things on talk shows, like rapping. Not anymore. Gwyneth is taking the world of social media by storm–she just opened Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Her first tweet and Facebook wall post are the same–a video of her walking down an NYC street holding her phone at a not-so-flattering angle, giggling about how she has entered the 21st century.

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Streetwalker

Street Style: Jessie Digs Jamiroquai

Name: Jessie

Age: 20

Occupation: Student, Works at Uniqlo

How would you describe your style? It varies by day, usually vintage-sophisticated or grungy.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate.

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Entertainment

Blake Lively Once Tried To Smuggle Sweet Potato Sauce In a Teddy Bear, “Diets” on Chicken Pot Pie Before Awards Shows and Other Confessions

Here is some press Blake Lively was actually expecting today. She’s on the cover of Glamour‘s July issue and was interviewed by bff Florence Welch. The interview reads like a giggly “No you’re pretty!” conversation between besties at sleepover. Here’s what we learned:

For the last time, Blake does not use a stylist.

FLORENCE WELCH: What’s amazing is that you don’t have a stylist, do you?

BLAKE LIVELY: You know, my mom modeled and made clothes, so I always had such an appreciation for design. And then Gossip Girl completely blew open the door to fashion for me. I’d go to fashion shows and call my publicist and say, “Can I wear that?” I think I became my own stylist by not knowing any better. And once I was told it was time to get one, I thought: This is one of my favorite hobbies! And I’m going to pay someone to steal my hobby from me? That’s a terrible idea!

She diets on chicken pot pie. Really.

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Fashion Careers

L.A.-Based Brand Odilon Seeks an Assistant/Office Manager!

Named one of “12 New Designers to Watch Around the Globe” by Women’s Wear Daily, Odilon is an LA-based women’s ready-to-wear line headed by designer Stacey Clark. As they embark on their third collection, the Odilon team seeks an assistant/office manager to aid their growth. This is an exciting position that allows the candidate to experience many aspects of the industry while having the opportunity to grow with a rapidly expanding company.

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