Fashionista

How to Make It in Fashion: June 21, Dream Hotel Downtown, New York

Nora Crotty

Friday February 1st, 2013

How I’m Making It: Tia Cibani
How I'm Making It

How I’m Making It: Tia Cibani

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In 2010, Tia Cibani sent the fashion world into a mini state of mourning when she announced she was stepping down from Chinese-by-way-of-Canada label Ports 1961 to start a family, handing over the creative reigns to her sister Fiona. But just two years later (with a brand new baby in tow!) Cibani made a major comeback with the debut of her first eponymous fashion line this past September at New York Fashion Week.

And the industry has welcomed the designer back with open arms: Earlier this week, Cibani was awarded the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award for womenswear–an honor previously won by fashion heavy hitters like Joseph Altuzzara and Michelle Obama’s other go-to guy, Jason Wu. We were lucky enough to grab a few minutes to chat with the designer, who–between attending fittings for her fall ’13 presentation next week and being a full-time mom–is at an all time life and career high.

Read on for the designer’s insights on motherhood, manufacturing locally, and how her own naivety got her where she is today.

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Published at 6:12 PM
10 Questions for Project Runway Season 11
Recap

10 Questions for Project Runway Season 11

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1. When did Project Runway become fashion Survivor? It can’t be long until the teams start voting off the weakest link, right?

2. And why are the designers surprised to be staying in the same teams? Was it ever implied they’d be swapping members?

3. Why haven’t these ping pong ball retrieving contraptions been marketed towards college students? Um, hello, beer pong…

4. Hold up! Joseph has a side career… screen printing cats onto sweaters? Dhani, are you aware of this?!

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Published at 4:00 PM

Thursday January 31st, 2013

Wednesday January 30th, 2013

Tuesday January 29th, 2013

Editor’s Pick: Nora’s Lovely Little Side Table
Editor's Pick

Editor’s Pick: Nora’s Lovely Little Side Table

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As cliche as it may be for a 20-something Williamsburgian to admit, I really, really love Urban Outfitters’ home furnishings. For the past few weeks I’ve actually gone to bed every night just hoping I’ll awake the next morning to find the new-season online catalogue–full of masterfully decorated hipster interiors, recreated found furniture, and mass-produced quilts and wall hangings–in my inbox. And if you think I’m being funny, you don’t know me very well.

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Published at 8:00 PM

Monday January 28th, 2013

Friday January 25th, 2013

Could Eyelash Jewelry Be the Next Nail Art?
Beauty

Could Eyelash Jewelry Be the Next Nail Art?

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Have you ever gotten up in the morning, looked at yourself in the mirror, and thought to yourself, “Man, I would be a helluvah lot cooler if I had some tiny baby farm animals–or maybe some miniature cupcakes–protruding from my eyelids”? Of course you have. We’ve all been there. And now finally there’s a solution: Eyelash jewelry, by way of Etsy seller Natalie Russo.

We caught up with Russo to chat about why she started making eyelash jewelry, where she wears them (on the street, or even in a hot tub!), and why she thinks eyelash jewelry could be the new nail art.

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Published at 5:50 PM
10 Questions for Project Runway Season 11
Recap

10 Questions for Project Runway Season 11

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1. Is Heidi Klum‘s maniacal laughter in this intro enough to scare all of us away from watching the rest of this season?

2. “Hasn’t Tim worn that pink gingham shirt before?”–my mother, with whom I’m currently visiting..

3. What are the odds these designers are as creative as their chosen team names (“Dream Team” and “Team Keeping It Real”)? Bahahaha.

4. Why must Project Runway torture me so with all these scenic views of NYC in summertime? Brrr…

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Published at 3:30 PM
Al Roker Takes Fashion Cues from Girls, Wears Poler Sleeping Bag to Deliver Weather
Trendspotting

Al Roker Takes Fashion Cues from Girls, Wears Poler Sleeping Bag to Deliver Weather

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When Hannah donned a sleeping bag with arm holes (which Elijah described as “a sad, limp, little glow worm” getup) on last Sunday’s episode of Girls, we were both perplexed and fascinated. And it turns out, we weren’t the only ones. Today, Al Roker and the rest of the Today Show cast all sported their very own Poler Knapsacks.

We caught up with Poler founder Benji Wagner to find out what he thought of the unlikely endorsement–and how his design wound up on Girls in the first place.

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Published at 12:30 PM

Thursday January 24th, 2013

Love, the L Train, and What I Wore: One Direction to Dating Hell
Fashion Is Fun

Love, the L Train, and What I Wore: One Direction to Dating Hell

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Ever since we hired Nora as an intern (and then made her a permanent fixture here), the new-New Yorker has regaled us with her sometimes sad, sometimes unbelievable, but always hilarious “only in New York Williamsburg” dating stories. We figured you should get to hear them, too. So we’ve asked her to share her trials and tribulations as a single 20-something trying to bag that elusive not-too-hipstery non-asshole–and coordinate the perfect outfit to go with. Taking some inspiration from that other Nora, the legendary Ms. Ephron, we present, “Love, the L Train, and What I Wore.”

I met this guy last spring at a basement dive bar in NoHo. Out one night with some former coworkers, just, like, celebrating the joys of being young and free and whatever else twenty-five year old girls are supposed to spend their Saturday nights celebrating in New York, I spotted him: Blond, deep V, awful shorts, maybe cute, maybe not… too tall to tell.

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Published at 6:48 PM