Stacey Bendet - Fashionista

Stacey Bendet

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Gisele's Baby Incites Ear Piercing Controversy, Rihanna Fears for Her Career, and Francisco Costa Celebrates 10 Years at Calvin Klein

A couple of teeny earrings are causing a big controversy. Gisele Bündchen bears the brunt of Middle America's rage over her baby daughter's pierced ears--how young is too young to visit the Piercing Pagoda? {HuffPo Canada} Happy Anniversary, Francisco Costa! This year marks the creative director's 10th anniversary with Calvin Klein, and he's got some major celebration plans for Fashion Week... {Elle UK} Rihanna reportedly has a phone on which only BFF Cara Delevingne and her mom can reach her, and she uses it to confide her fears that her career is reaching an expiration date. (Does this remind anyone else of Spencer Pratt's "Bro Phone" and "Girlfriend Phone"?) {Entertainment Wise via The Sun} As for Cara's maybe ex-BFF, DKNY tapped Rita Ora for its resort campaign (ousting the brand's fall face, Ms. Delevingne herself). {Vogue UK}

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Pokémon Goes High Fashion, Mulberry Takes Meghan Collison Underwater, and Tights That Look Like They're Melting

Jersey Shore might be over, but that apparently doesn't mean seeing any less of J.Woww: The MTV star flashed a bit too much of herself at the network's New Year's show. {HuffPo} On Tumblr, 23-year-old Zara employee Francis Phommisai combines fashion editorials with Pokémon--and the results are kind of amazing. {Daily Beast} Crystal Harris finally wed her Playboy honey Hugh Hefner in a pink gown, which makes us wonder if this trend is finally over. {US Weekly} Meghan Collison goes under the sea for Mulberry’s spring campaign, shot by Tim Walker. {WWD}

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The Fashion Crowd Weighs in On the 'Made in America' Debate--Can Anyone Really Afford to Produce Domestically?

The controversy over Ralph Lauren's Chinese-produced Team USA uniforms has raised a bigger question in the fashion community: Is making affordable clothing in America a feasible option for any designer? That was the hot issue for some of the designers and fashion personalities who attended the Project Runway 10th Anniversary Party held in Chelsea last night--and while most agreed that the Team USA uni production ideally should've happened domestically, the empathetic laments about the cost (and feasibility) of producing locally proved to be a common thread. Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet touched on Lauren (whom she called "pretty friggin' awesome") being unfairly singled out for this "misshap"

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10 Questions for Project Runway

1. Is a garment made of pet supplies really going to show off someone’s talent? Even these kids have it better. 2. Did Tim Gunn reference Guantanamo Bay torture methods? And relate them to fashion? Comparing Julie’s fabric to waterboarding was a bit of a stretch, no? 3. Can we break out of this bandage skirt silhouette that everyone’s really into? 4. In the words of my friend Erika, “Why do the models all look like they’re going to Pacha?” 5. Why can’t we be best friends with Michael Kors? Especially during fashion week when referential quips like “Sea vixen Barbie,” would deliver a much needed jolt of hilarity.

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Gwyneth Paltrow's 4AM Finds for Alice & Olivia

Every week, Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet puts a feature on her website called 4AM finds--basically a visual list of cool things that she finds, be they clothes, beauty products, furniture, whatever. Gwyneth Paltrow, who does something similar every week in her newsletter GOOP, and wears a lot of Alice + Olivia, guest edited this week's edition of Stacey's feature and shared her current must-haves, some of which actually look affordable (which things she shares on GOOP usually aren't).

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Alice+Olivia And Tracy Reese Fall 2011: Pretty Girls

If you need to be gloriously, full-on pretty, look no further than Tracy Reese and Alice+Olivia by Stacey Bendet. These two labels, while definitely having different sensibilities, appreciate that you’re a girl and want to dress you like one. Alice+Olivia by Stacey Bendet: “Life’s a banquet, and most suckers are starving to death.”-Auntie Mame. Stacey Bendet’s inspiration for Alice+Olivia’s Fall Collection was a modern interpretation of Auntie Mame. To this end, her models were presented in a gilded room at the Plaza, surrounded by waiters passing champagne and chocolate, with a burlesque performance by Hazel Honeysuckle thrown in for good measure. Sequins, spangles, beading, rich metallic tweed jackets, and fur--all heaped on together--looked rich, luxe, and playful. The gold skinny pants with the patented Stacey rise and waistband were amazing, as was a relatively simple long-sleeved knee length dress covered in silver sequins.

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Alice+Olivia+Glitter+Tavi

I was reasonably sure when I walked into the Alice + Olivia presentation that I wouldn’t be seeing much white minimalism. I was correct. Gold glitter covered every surface, and Stacey Bendet was dressed in a silver twinkling bolero, black sparkly beaded dress, and bejeweled hair piece. Even her eyelids were glittery. I got to chat with her for a few minutes, feeling quite bland in my black and grey ensemble. Thank goodness my earrings were sparkly. Fashionista: So tell me about the collection: Stacey Bendet: The whole concept of the show was supposed to be this sort of timeless travel. The feel is a mix of '50s, '60s, '70s and I wanted everything to be mixed and matched in a way that it all felt fresh, but each piece you’re not sure when it came from. It’s very cool and detailed and classic, and I want you to be able to pick it up and wear it ten years from now.

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Mid-Day Snack

Settled: Woody Allen asked for 10 million, but this morning settled for 5 from American Apparel. {NYPost} Smells Like Guinness: Daphne Guinness reve