Fashionista

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

Chris Benz

Tuesday December 18th, 2012

More Than Just Eye Candy: 10 Fashion and Food Gift Pairings
Gift Guide

More Than Just Eye Candy: 10 Fashion and Food Gift Pairings

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Anna Wintour’s predilection for chicken pot pies aside, fashion and food have had a notoriously rocky relationship.

But we’ve been noticing that the two have been edging closer together.

With that in mind, we’ve come up with fashion and food gift pairings–because you’ve got to feed more than your soul sometimes, right? Click through for everything from the spiciest hot sauce to countless cookies and their natural food and beauty pairings.

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Published at 5:39 PM

Saturday November 17th, 2012

Wednesday November 7th, 2012

Saturday July 14th, 2012

Tuesday May 8th, 2012

Friday July 22nd, 2011

Heidi Klum Says Tim Gunn Will Be Seen Jogging on Project Runway and Other Tidbits From Last Night’s Glamour Dinner
Parties

Heidi Klum Says Tim Gunn Will Be Seen Jogging on Project Runway and Other Tidbits From Last Night’s Glamour Dinner

by Misty White Sidell

The many twinkling candles at last night’s Glamour reception for Heidi Klum could only be matched by the supermodel’s equally incandescent Gucci mini and megawatt smile. The event, held at SoHo’s B&B wine bar, was a celebration of Klum’s August cover. Well-schvitzed guests piled in from the heat to sip sparkling rosé in minuscule outfits—which you know are weather appropriate when Michael Kors comments on friend Anne Christensen’s getup by saying, “the whole city should be wearing a romper!“

Designer Chris Benz, fresh off a New York mag centerfold, was there to celebrate the Glamour girl, who he describes as “embracing a certain level of intelligence that I always aspire to in my collections.” Nearby Maria Cornejo, who’ll soon be departing for the Greek Isles agreed: “They have a life, they’re real women. They approach fashion with a sense of humor and also intelligence.”

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Published at 4:30 PM

Wednesday May 11th, 2011

Hang Out With Brad Goreski and Chris Benz at Art Rocks! This Thursday
Events

Hang Out With Brad Goreski and Chris Benz at Art Rocks! This Thursday

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Art Rocks! is an annual benefit supporting the Naomi Diabetes Berrie Center at Columbia Medical Center. Each year, the org puts together a night of art and music to raise awareness and money for the disease, with this year’s proceeds directed towards the development of a pediatric diabetes program.

The 4th annual benefit is this Thursday, May 12, at the Bowery Hotel, hosted by frequent Fashionista contributor Chris Benz and Bravo star Brad Goreski. There will be music by David Berrie, Paul Sevigny, and DJ M.O.S., as well as expected appearances by Olivia Palermo, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Jenna Lyons, Harley Viera Newton, and Becka Diamond. The art show is curated by LOLA NY and, from what we’ve seen, is bound to be really interesting: all pieces exist solely in the digital space, through projections and installations throughout the space.

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Published at 2:57 PM

Thursday January 27th, 2011

House of Lavande’s Ultimate Costume Party
Parties

House of Lavande’s Ultimate Costume Party

by Zandile Blay

The hundredth anniversary of Palm Beach? The fifth anniversary for antique jewelry boutique, House of Lavande? And one private beach front property? For House of Lavande’s owner, Tracy Smith, all this equaled a spectacular reason to celebrate. The lauded vintage jewelery connoisseur opened her home in Palm Beach’s North End to a chic crowd of New Yorkers. Among the hand selected group of sixty guests were medialites Amanda Hearst, Becka Diamond, Andrew Bevan, Luigi Tadini and Mickey Boardman, as well as designer Chris Benz and stylist Mary Alice Stevenson.

We wish you could have been there too, but we took the liberty of attending on your behalf. While we struggled to interpret the dress code, which called for “modern vintage,” others didn’t. Guests were draped in everything from Michael Kors corduroy suits to vintage Vivienne Westwood. See ow they complemented their wardrobe with Smith’s expertly chosen House of Lavande pieces.

**All photos courtesy of the Billy Farrell Agency.

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Published at 12:26 PM

Friday November 12th, 2010

Ask Chris Benz: How Do I Move From Wall Street to 7th Avenue?
Ask Chris

Ask Chris Benz: How Do I Move From Wall Street to 7th Avenue?

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Dear Chris,

I’m currently a second year MBA student and a big fan of your column on Fashionista. I was working in financial trading for a few years and discovered that I hated it. So I came to school and realized I wanted to put my talents to use in fashion, which I love. However, the industry is really hard to penetrate and it feels like MBAs are not valued. Do you have any advice/suggestions for people who do not have a pure fashion background but would love to get into this industry? Any advice or even a word of encouragement is greatly appreciated!!!

Thank you!!!

J-MBA

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Published at 2:30 PM

Friday November 5th, 2010

Wednesday September 15th, 2010

Last Night’s Other Parties: Creatures of Comfort and Style.com
Fashion Week Parties

Last Night’s Other Parties: Creatures of Comfort and Style.com

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We didn’t make it to the Dazed party at Don Hill’s last night (although we heard a bunch of people got arrested, so maybe that’s a good thing), but we did manage to stop by the Creatures of Comfort New York store launch on Mulberry Street and Style.com‘s 10th anniversary bash, which was taking place just a couple of blocks away.

Creatures of Comfort, a Los Angeles-based brick and mortar store, label, and online shopping destination for Rachel Comey and VPL-lovers across the country, is opening up shop in New York. Owner Jade Lai hosted a party in her expansive new space last night, and tons of our favorite designers were there: Tiffany Tuttle, Comey, Peter Jensen, Victoria Bartlett, Daphne Javitch, and plenty more. And of course Lai around, not only touting her new storefront, but also her INCREDIBLE in-house collection, which both Leah and I melted over. It’s gently priced–in the $150-$350 range–and everything is a mix and match of silk cropped blouses, tie-waist dresses, and loose blazers. Most was made from a delicate crepe, with some cotton mixed in. And the color palette? Seafoam, terra cotta, white, periwinkle…everything we want for spring.

After fawning over the clothes, we chatted with our Carroll Gardens contingency–Izzy from RackedNY, Adele from Epaulet, and Jen from Bird. South Brooklyn is the best.

But soon it was time to head to Lafayette for Style.com‘s 10th anniversary party.

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Published at 4:00 PM

Tuesday August 31st, 2010

Chris Benz Discusses the Importance of Being Earnest…With Your Salespeople
Retail

Chris Benz Discusses the Importance of Being Earnest…With Your Salespeople

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Back in the day, designers would visit each stockist, each season and present the latest collection to the shop’s salespeople. Some designers, like Michael Kors, still take this approach.

But it has mostly fallen by the wayside. Not so at Chris Benz, where the man himself and his vice president of sales, Kelly Stinnett, spent a good chunk of the summer trekking across the US to get salespeople at boutiques and department stores excited about the Fall 2010 collection.

Benz and Stinnett were also promoting their special capsule collection with Saks Fifth Avenue, which launched at the beginning of August. The duo presented each collection to the Saks sales teams from Phoenix to New York.

Now that they’re back, I “sat down with” (aka “emailed with” because we’re all too busy to meet up) Chris to discuss why this approach is so important to the success of a brand, big or small.

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Published at 4:00 PM