Sale Alert: Get Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler and Others At The Opening Ceremony Sample Sale

If ever there was a sample sale to attend, THIS is the one I would highly recommend. One of my favorite stores, Opening Ceremony, is having a fabulous sample sale from May 13th through May 16th at their Soho location (33 Howard between Lafayette and Broadway - I have it memorized), where you can get 60-90% off some amazing designer merchandise. We're talking Alexander Wang, Erin Wasson x RVCA, Jeremy Scott, Proenza Schouler, Rachel Comey, Vena Cava and many, many more. Details are in the invite. If you love amazing designer merchandise at a fabulous price, THIS is the sample sale to attend!

Eco-Chic: Earth Day News from Louis Vuitton, DECLEOR and ION Studio

So, as most of you know, FSB is a big fan of eco-friendly fashion and beauty lines, celebrating these earth-friendly pioneers all year round. This week is Earth Day (Thursday, April 22nd) and I’ll be taking the week to highlight some hand-selected news from some of the biggest and best brands that put their focus on the planet.

Louis Vuitton will be donating 10% of all sales from their site to Global Green USA, where the money will be used to focus on the greening of several major US cities, including New Orleans and Los Angeles. As part of their dedication, they’ve asked some of fashion, style and beauty’s tastemakers to share their own greening efforts on the site. Look for messages from celebrities like Zoe Saldana, Nina Garcia and others to share their efforts on the site. It’s rather inspiring. Click here to check it out.

Skincare line DECLEOR placed their focus on the fragile beauty resources of Madagascar back in 2008 and to re-energize focus on the area, they’re releasing a reed diffuser with scent notes that celebrate the region. Look for sumptuous clove, vanilla, violet and musk to transport your senses and environment to the area while your purchase does a world of good: all profits from the sale of the reed diffuser will to be donated to ASMADA, a program to develop Madagascar’s rural communities, preserve its local resources, and assist with such important initiatives as health care and clean water.

Just because you’re going green and putting the focus on the environment doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice looking glamorous. Here in Manhattan, ION Studio is partnering with Rahua Hair Care for a glass bottle campaign, where you’ll receive a 10% discount when you bring your Rahua Finishing Treatment ($45) bottle for a refill. Rahua Finishing Treatment is a styling and conditioning product consisting of organic and 100% natural ingredients that has quickly become favorite with stylists and clients alike at ION Studio. Additionally, the studio’s co-founders, a favorite of editors and fashion’s elite, are teaching free classes at New York City’s Empire Beauty School, focusing on eco-friendly initiatives with the goal of growing a new generation of  “green” hairstylists interested in opening sustainable businesses. Contact ION at (212) 343-9060 to make an appointment or to find out more about these fabulous programs.

Keep it tuned here for more eco-chic fashion, style and beauty news, including a forthcoming eco-chic cocktail recipe. ☺

Sample Sale Tale: The Epic Story of The Christian Dior Shoes from Decadestwo

Contrary to popular belief, I am not someone who spends a tremendous amount of money on my clothes and accessories with reckless abandon. I believe in smart investment pieces that will last a lifetime. I’m especially a fan of vintage, especially when the item is in beautiful condition and will hold or increase its value. This is why despite sheer exhaustion I hauled it out of bed for the Decadestwo sample sale last Sunday. What three words got me to crawl out of my warm bed on a Sunday? Easy: “shoe” “sale” and “Louboutin.”

For those who aren’t aware, Decadestwo is the little consignment sister of Los Angeles’ world-renowned vintage couture store, Decades. The brainchild of fashion expert and celebrity stylist favorite Cameron Silver, both stores a little slice of heaven for those who are looking for high-end vintage pieces. We’re talking labels that have museum collection quality: Correges, Balmain, Valentino, Chanel.  If you watch The Rachel Zoe Project, Cameron is a personal friend of Rachel’s and she pulls from him A LOT.

Decadestwo created a pop-up shop upstairs at lingerie purveyor Kiki de Montparnasse for four lovely days and on Sunday morning, they had a shoe sale to end all shoe sales. Four hundred pairs of designer shoes arrived along with handbags, accessories and racks of labels that would send any group of Sex and the City fans writing on the floor in ecstasy. I stood in line for two hours (I got there early – I don’t mess around with sample sales) and when I entered, proceeded to get down to work, grabbing six pairs in the span of about 60 seconds. The labels were drool-worthy: Chloe, Prada, Sergio Rossi, Brian Atwood, etc. I sorted through the lot and when the fog cleared from my sale-induced haze, I happened to be holding what has now become The Best Shoes I Have Ever Put On My Feet. Yep.  Meet my worn-only-once-on-the-red-carpet, pink suede with Swarovski crystal-embellishment Christian Dior 61 shoes.

The floor manager and the salesperson on the floor commended my choice. “We were wondering who was going to walk out with these spectacular shoes.” Um, have you met me? Let me give you a card. Never wonder again. If shoes like this ever show up, you call me. I mean it. Day or night. As a matter of fact, if shoes of this quality are to show up on a regular basis at this price, I’ll buy an extra phone and create a hotline. 917-SHOE-HABIT. Not a problem.

So people will show you photos of their kids, their dogs and their cats. I would like to introduce you to my babies, the limited edition Dior 61 Suede Shoe.  Let’s break it down, shall we?

Subway trip to Decadestwo Sample Sale: $2.25
Coffee while standing in line: $2.27
Pair of fabulous Christian Dior suede and crystal shoes: $150
The experience and thrill of finding such a shoe? Priceless

Fashionable Awards Show: The Best (And One Slightly Questionable Choice) of Oscar Fashion

I just arrived home from a VERY LONG Academy Awards celebration (not the party, the telecast). 3:37:05, people. So while the winners and attendees hit the Vanity Fair party and Elton John's legendary soiree, I'm here to give you my top picks for Oscar fashion.

Before we get to the fabulousness of the telecast, I have a bone to pick with E! Television and their red carpet coverage. Ryan Secrest, you have worked the red carpet countless times and you KNOW that we are all watching the red carpet arrivals for one thing and one thing only: the fashion. Your "crack journalism" skills are unnecessary in this situation. People do not donate $100,000 gowns that took fifteen people three weeks to make so you can brush them off. ASK ABOUT THE DRESS, SEACREST. Oh, and asking the camera to pan back for a "wide shot" when talking to Gabourey Sidibe was unnecessary and uncalled for. Shame on you.

OK, now back to the fashion! Let's just go with the best of the best, shall we?


Photo by: W6005Y/AAD/starmaxinc.com 2010

Best Red Dress
This one was really hard because there were so many but we'll have to give it up for Penelope Cruz in Donna Karan. The scarlet hue looked amazing on her and the draping was impeccable.

© 2010 ZumaPress All rights reserved.

Best Metallic Dresses
This has to be a tie. I've got to go with a tie between Sandra Bullock in Marchesa and Kate Winslet in Yves Saint Laurent. Two distinctively different silhouettes and fabrications but both glowing and gorgeous.


© 2010 ZumaPress All rights reserved.

Best Throwback to Old Hollywood Glamour
Hands down, I'm giving this one to Cameron Diaz in Oscar de la Renta. Cameron owned this Veronica Lake-inspired look down to the sweeping curl of her hair and the uber-glamorous red lip. She was a confection of style and I ate it up.


© 2010 Newscom All rights reserved.

Best Risk-Taker
There are always those who are willing to throw caution to the wind and take a risk. Love it or hate it but you'll be talking about this dress over the watercooler come this Monday morning. I'm giving it up to Sarah Jessica Parker channeling a 60's Anne Bancroft in Chanel.


© 2010 Newscom All rights reserved.

Best Sophisticated Style
You had to hand it to Meryl Streep, people. Classic, age-appropriate and sexy, she looked drop dead diva in Project Runway-alum Chris March.


© 2010 ZumaPress All rights reserved.

Best Evolving Style
This dress drew a lot of back and forth at the Oscar party I attended but I'm going to have to go here and say that I really thought Elizabeth Banks looked gorgeous in Versace.


© 2010 ZumaPress All rights reserved.

Questionable Style Choice
Again, I don't really do negative reviews but I'm going to have to say that I didn't really understand the rosette placement on Charlize Theron's Dior gown. I mean, she's on camera and we're staring at the rosettes on her breasts? Not so great.

So tell me: whose style did YOU love on the red carpet? Dish, people!

New York Fashion Week: Naeem Khan Fall/Winter 2010 Collection

Before The Show: Even though I had a fabulous seat assignment for the Naeem Khan show, I arrived early and I was right to do so. Naeem Khan's presentation was one of the last two shows at Bryant Park and everyone wanted to make sure they were front and center for the designer's presentation. It also gave me time to mix and mingle among the crowd, where I had a chance to meet Colin Cowie, Anika Noni Rose, June Ambrose (who looked dressed to thrill for the occasion - see photo) and a few other people who strolled in. Editors abounded and when Brooke Shields strolled in to take her seat, we knew the show was going to get off to a great start.

The Collection: This collection was high voltage from the very first look. Naeem went for high gloss, high glamour with a gilded collection awash in luxe embroidery, fur, beading and sequin embellishment, feathers - the man pulled out all the stops. Each look that came stalking down the runway drew larger and larger gasps from the crowd.

 All still show photography courtesy of Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Set to a soundtrack of classic rock from everything from The Rolling Stones to Def Leppard to Guns n' Roses, this fashion show turned the crowd upside-down. Let me be honest here: the fashion crowd are a tad jaded and you're told never to smile or show a facial expression during a show but when you looked around the room, feet were tapping, people were smiling and editors were actually gasping. If you're in need of a red carpet look or any piece for full-on paparazzi-exploding glitz, Naeem Khan's collection is definitely where it's at. I'm calling it now: expect to see many of these pieces on the red carpet come fall.

Trend Spotting: Gold and black, fur embellishment, full-on sequin and beading embellishment. It's what he does so well and this collection was bar none.

Overall Impression: Well, you can view the finale walk yourself. He's the first designer I watched receive a standing ovation at the end of the presentation. This show and its collection were in my top three of the week. Bravo, Naeem!

New York Fashion Week: Timo Weiland Fall/Winter 2010 Collection

Before The Show: I ascended the elevator to view the Timo Weiland show amongst a crowd of very enthusiastic viewers. Timo Weiland brings out fans of impeccable tailoring mixed with a touch of theatre and this year's show wasn't about to disappoint. We all walked in to view an installation of pedestals surrounded by black streams from floor to post in a wide room with a movie playing against the wall. The models walked in one by one and reviewers were invited to walk into and out of the collection to shoot and inspect the looks.

Overhead In the Crowd: It wasn't what was heard, it's what was seen. A very tall woman walked in wearing what can only be described as a marching band outfit. A HUGE Beefeater's hat with gold chains, a goat-hair trimmed leather jacket, liquid leggings and ginormous platform boots. I'm a huge fan of the avant but even that caused me to take a moment. Judge if you will but she definitely had my attention.

My two personal favorite looks from the collection

The Collection: The collection was described in its press materials as the designers attempt to "envelop themselves in their homespun, epic tale of eras colliding; the Age of Innocence meets Gangs of New York. The dichotomy of the masculine and the feminine, often captured throughout the history of cinema, is another great source of inspiration for the design duo that seeks to dress modern day dandies, male and female alike."

My take on the collection is that it was very Italian film noir-inspired, with chic retro cat-eye sunglasses, dandy tailoring and sweet, gamine dresses and suits. Think Sophia Loren meets Audrey Hepburn for the women's looks and very Cary Grant meets boarding school for the men. Tweedy and impossibly chic, the hues were saturated and wearable, with scarlet red, midnight blues and loden greens offset by camel and black The textures were rich and sumptuous and the silhouettes were classic and wearable. An extremely smart presentation and a great collection of clothes overall.

Trend Spotting: More camel and red mixed together, tweed and tailored jackets and suits. The textures were rich and I love the retro glamour feeling we're seeing.

Overall Impression: A very wearable collection with pieces for any wardrobe. LOVED Timo Weiland!

London Fashion Week: Front Row Foottage from Sass & Bide A/W 2010

Our UK Kristin is delivering like Domino's! Here's her coverage of Sass and Bide A/W 2010 straight from the front row! Read here for more!

London Fashion Week Report from the UK Kristin!

More videos live from fashion week

Hey all!  We've got our first report complete with streaming video from the UK Kristin. Read all about drama at Todd Lynne and get the scoop from House of Blueeyes! Read the full post complete with rebuttal per Hilary Alexander's dismissal of bloggers here!

Man of Style: Sean John Fall/Winter '10 Collection

Let me just say it: I love Diddy. I'm not even going to lie here. Sean Combs is a genius when it comes to the combination of aesthetics and marketing and anyone who's been around fashion and style over the past decade knows the power of his brand. When I recently received photos of the Sean John F/W '10 collection, I had to show them to you. It's really rather fabulous.

The Sean John team has just prepared their F/W collection and showroom for market week with the design direction of “The Rivalry.” Think of class struggles among men for ages and you'll immediately get the concept: different levels of society waging war for power. A clever take on some well-known rivals, let's take a look at the design aesthetic around this sharply-designed collection, shall we?

Blue Bloods are described by the label as "the epitome of refinement and upper classicism. Trained and molded to become the 'elite.' Their focus lies on the purity of victory." Kind of hot, eh, Upper East Siders?

The Crimsons are said to be "the antithesis of what the Blue Bloods portray.  They stand for utilitarianism and purpose while adding their own unique touch.  The everlasting feud continues as battles are won and lost." 

Finally, Team Noir is the style that comes as a result of the conflict between the previous two. Said to be a fusion of clean-cut and rugged style, it's a dark, chic style that refuses to play by any of the previous rules. 


No matter what team you choose, the Sean John collection for F/W '10 should be on your shopping list for day and nighttime style. Ladies, if you're reading this for your guy, put this on your shopping list and add a little swagger to your man's closet with some Diddy duds. :)

Runway Report: Rosa Cha Collection from Sao Paolo Fashion Week

Photo credit: Alexandre Schneider/UOL

Here's a quickie from the sunny shores of South America: Legendary Brazilian label Rosa Chá’ showed its Fall/Winter '10 collection at Sao Paolo Fashion Week, its first with designer Alexandre Herchcovich at the hem. With It Model Chanel Iman strutting the catwalk, Herchcovich didn't disappoint, mixing diving gear with sexy lingerie details for a collection that celebrated the Brazilian spirit of the brand with sexy, body-conscious styles.

Herchcovich's combination of beachwear and outwear takes the label on a new path without losing the spirit of the uber-sexy roots of the brand. The designer was recently quoted as saying, “This is a fundamental moment for us to be able to use the brand’s DNA in a larger number of pieces that go from fitness, spa, and the beach, to outwear.”

Judging from this stunning photo of Chanel, we'd say he's accomplished the task quite well. Now if only I were in Brazil to enjoy the beach in such stunning items, I'd say we could call this a win-win. :)

Designer Crush: ADAM by Adam Lippes

Ever since his legendary tees landed him on Oprah's Favorite Things in 2004, I've had a soft spot for Adam Lippes, the designer of ADAM. Originally from upstate New York and educated at Cornell and the American University in Paris, Adam began his career in 1995 at Polo Ralph Lauren, then moved over to work for Oscar de la Renta, where he quickly became one of the youngest Global Creative Directors of a major fashion house in history. He worked closely with the legendary designer until 2004, when he left to launch his own line of cotton basics under the label adampluseve (who doesn't have one of these supersoft wardrobe staple tees?). The Collection of Basics was picked up by Saks Fifth Avenue and, of course, became one of Oprah's beloved items, catapulting the label and the designer into international stardom. The line became a fully developed collection of sportswear collection for men and women known simply as ADAM and the CFDA-inducted designer continues his genius to this day.

 

My affection for this designer knows no bounds. I was honored to attend his show last fashion week and was simply blown away at everything that came down the runway. Inspired by the Kenyan port town of Lamu, I died over the mixture of American sportswear and influences from the continent, like miniskirts covered in shells, feathers and beads.

 

 
Lippes has such an amazing eye for movement and tone, with metallic hues that seem to capture light with an almost liquid flexibility. His eye for quality has made me a lifelong fan and I'm always excited to see what he'll do next.

What to buy, what to buy? Well, if you don't have one of his legendary, soft cotton tees, then by all means, start there. This ADAM Pima Cotton Long-Sleeve Tee ($19.50) will become one of your favorite layering pieces and your skin will truly thank you for this uber-soft gift.  Otherwise, I'm always going to vote for one of his fabulous dresses like this Embellished Tank Dress ($595).

Keep your eyes open for more magic from this design magician. Cannot WAIT to see what he does next!

Spring It Girl Campaigns: Karen Elson for St John, Karlie Kloss and Marion Cotillard for Dior, and Alexa Chung for Pepe Jeans

Photo courtesy of St John

Legendary ladies-who-lunch/power businesswoman brand St. John has decided to make a change in their advertising campaign. The reign of Angelina Jolie/Mario Testino is over and we now have the fabulous Karen Elson. The vibrant redhead looks to die for in the new ads for Spring/Summer 2010. In case you aren't aware of her other street cred, she's also married to rocker Jack White of The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and most recently The Dead Weather. Models and rock stars kind of go together like peanut butter and jelly, don't you think? I'm personally loving this campaign almost as much as I miss the old school ads with former exec Kelly Gray that ran forever. (AOL Stylelist)

Meanwhile, it looks like Dior is pulling out all the stops. The print campaigns feature It Model Karlie Kloss in a striking campaign that has the young model (she recently just got a driver's license, people) as a Lauren Bacall-esque stunner. You know how to whistle, don't you, Karlie? (WWD)




Adding to this stunning print campaign is Academy Award-winning actress Marion Cotillard as directed by David Lynch in a new music video campaign for Dior built around the legendary Lady Dior handbag. According to the good folks at WWD,  this second installment of Lady Dior campaign will feature Cotillard as a working woman who becomes a wanton lounge singer at night, as she'll emerge from behind a velvet curtain to sing "Lady Rouge," a song penned for the video by none other than Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand. Shot in NYC, the video will premiere on January 14th on ladydior.com but if you missed the first installment, "The Lady Dior Affair", directed by Olivier Dahan, please click above. It's genius, really. (WWD)

Last but not least before I head out for the day, It Girl and television personality Alexa Chung seems to be finding her footing just fine after the cancellation of her MTV show. The charming, waif-y Brit has landed an ad campaign with Pepe Jeans and looks edgy cool surrounded by adorable male models.(Graziadaily.co.uk)

Loving the S/S'10 campaigns so far!Who is your favorite It Girl of the moment? Let me know in the comments section.

Designer Event Alert: Olivia Palermo, Joe Zee and Tia Ciabani of Ports 1961 at Bloomingdale's

Here's another event alert for all you fashion fans. As you know, FSB loves Ports 1961 (the spring show was gorgeous, I must say) and we also love the MTV "reality" series, The City. Mix those two things together and it's game on. Well, Bloomingdale's must have been reading my mind because they're having a pre-spring preview with The City's Olivia Palermo, Elle's Creative Director Joe Zee (also on The City) and Ports 1961 designer Tia Ciabani!

Held on the 4th floor in the Designer Collections department at Bloomingdale's legendary flagship on 59th Street, this lovely event will be held from 6-8 pm on November 16th and promises to be a fabulous evening.

Mark your calendars, brush up on your MTV reality programming and come out to see a sneak peek at Ports 1961's amazing collection for the warmer months. Love!