Can't Live Without: Versace's Metallic Gold Leather Peep Toe Pumps
If I could sleep in these shoes, I most certainly would. How divine are these Versace peep toe pumps? In metallic gold leather, no less! I'm just saying.........
Tracy Reese has a pretty fly, fully lined raffia dress and coat in her pre-fall collection. But raffia's just for bags and beach hats, you say? Nah-uh. We've got some raffia shoes that would be killer with either piece.
Not that I have too many red carpet events on my social calendar. But if I did, I'd be selling my next-born child for this party dress by Bill Blass. Sparkly? Check. Sequins? Check. Strapless? Check. What more could a girl ask for?
[Image courtesy of Style.com]
How long you can stand in your coolest -- and cruelest -- shoes? From those strappy sandals that should come with a two-pack of Tylenol to the dominatrix boots that hurt so bad they've never left your apartment, 10 New Yorkers confess. Check out our gallery and get a lil' insight into why Carrie and her Choo-wearing crew needed so many Cosmos!
"These Miu Mius kill my feet if I wear them longer than three hours. But I love them so :-)" -- Kenya
"Custom illustrated for me by Richie and Traver of Heatherette, I can't stand in them for more than an hour because they're plastic and have NO traction or support." -- Faran
"I call these my Rat Pack shoes 'cause, for some reason, when I wear them with black slim pants, a white shirt and black skinny tie, I feel like I'm channeling Sammy Davis, Jr.! They're a little scuffed, but when they're buffed they're cute -- though definitely not to be hoofing around in. I've got about 30 minutes standing in them before I get a little grouchy." -- Malcolm
"Three to four hours max! That peephole can be dangerous." -- Jackie
Three hours for the brown ones and about eight hours for the striped ones."
-- Elsa
(left) "These were my wedding shoes and I wore them for 16 hours -- their time limit is actually closer to two hours. I didn't feel two of the toes on my left for about nine days after the wedding." -- Aya
(right) "I couldn't even put a time limit on these because I've never
managed to wear them past my front door... I no longer wear leather, these boots epitomize the bad karma I'm hoping to work my way through." -- Cherrybomb
"They're Gucci -- the only designer shoes that I own, and I bought them on Bluefly... They are semi- comfortable for about 40 minutes, but I actually endured four hours of standing in them for a party once!" -- Kylie
"I bought these Christian Louboutins in London. They aren't the highest of heels -- but the 'buckle' is not very well placed. It digs into the toes like a vice gripping a piece of wood. They are quite pretty though, so I endure the pain. I wore them to our holiday party and thought I was going to hurl them off the top of the building by hour two. Instead, I had a couple extra glasses of wine, four extra strength Tylenol -- and pretended my feet did not exist. :) All of this and yet, I continue to wear them." -- Stacy
It's been raining, snowing and downright disgusting in Portland for the last 10 days straight, making the mere act of getting dressed in the morning nearly impossible. I mean, what do you wear when the calendar says spring and the scene outside your windows say mid-December? Thankfully, I can be casual-hip at work (bless the magazine world!) but I'm also glad I had the foresight to purchase last fall in NYC the most useful piece of clothing I've ever owned: The basic, durable trenchcoat. This thing has saved my life, whether I'm rocking jeans or a little dress, it's ideal for work, running to the store - heck, I've even worn it to the gym - because I can fit about four layers underneath. Long live the trench!
It's spring coat time and I am absolutely loving the trenches that are starting to pop up. Check the candy striped number, fellow blogger, Marilyn Kirschner was wearing when I ran her down just outside the tents at this past Fashion Week. Alice Ritter's more muted transition trench (and matching skirt!) will be perf when it comes out in the fall.
Ford Model, Alejandra let us in on her fave swimsuit looks and you can shop each "slink or swim" style straight off the video by clicking the "buy" button now. How fly is that?
I love when January rolls around: The holidays are over, the Golden Globes are days away and I can ask for my birthday what I didn't get at Christmas. It's also a month when everyone not living in L.A. or Miami struggles to look good (is there ever really a way to look hot in the freezing cold?), which is why I like InStyle's approach to staying pretty amidst the winter blahs. Just in time for Hollywood's convergence on Park City for Sundance in a couple weeks, the mag says it's ok to rock bejeweled sweaters this time of year, to keep using your New Year's Eve handbag and that there really are designer boots that will keep you looking hot, feeling warm and won't break the bank. Personally, I'm still getting mileage out of the leather, faux-fur-lined boots I found for cheap in the West Village a few couple years ago, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to poke around for a new pair. You know, just to be safe.
Would you enslave yourself for a Fendi fur coat? One artist did. After Fendi lent him the $165,000 coat, artist Terence Koh had a hard time giving up the luxe life. "I couldn't return it," he told Style File. "When I wore it, I felt like the last Chinese emperor." Koh found himself a sugar mama who bought the coat, accepting artworks about the coat made by Koh as payment in kind.
Did someone over at Christian Lacroix go temporarily insane when designing these embellished motorcycle boots? Or maybe they've been spending too much time at Leslie Hall's wonderful and amazing Gem Sweater gallery?
Pics from Stella McCartney's new handbag line for LeSportsac are starting to come out and despite the eco-friendly credentials, we're a little underwhelmed by what looks like it could be just another marked-down Dooney & Burke bag. What do you think? [WWD via hippyshopper]
Related Links: As long as you can handle high heels, no one will be harmed in the wearing of this shoe.
It's not quite ass-less chaps, but we've all gotta start somewhere: Fashion Week Daily reports that Brooks Brothers will buck tradition next spring and issue its trademark classic white button-down Oxford in a--wait for it--daring shade of black! Believe it or not, this has never been done before in the company's almost-200 years of existence. (The company dispelled rumors that it was out of reverence to old Abe Lincoln, shot wearing one of their black suits.)
Related Links: Some folks just need time to come around.
British rock star couturier Keanan Duffy launched his Bowie-branded fashion line for Target last week. The limited-edition men’s collection, available October 14 through December 24, 2007, consists of skinny pants, dress shirts, ties, blazers, and a line of “rocker” tees that are so sweet,sad and cheap it makes me want to smile-cry. Where was Target when we mullet-headed Bowie wannabes had to make do with stencils and silver spray paint?
Could there be a designer handbag bubble? Some seem to think so. "Designers are just testing the laws of economics by pricing handbags higher and higher until people stop buying them," Lauren Goodman, fashion director of Domino magazine told the New York Times in an article on the waning appeal of having each season's overpriced "must-have" handbag. But the appeal hasn't gone away completely -- the article reports that a special edition of 25 Chanel bags, sold for $25,000 each, sold out at Neiman Marcus in an instant.
Refinery 29's got a showcase of boots by the season's lesser-known designers, and you probably shouldn't go look at them unless you want to get a major case of the must-haves. They make a good point about asking a lot of our boots -- not only do they have to bear the bad weather, but they have to look good not just with your skinny jeans, but your wide-legged trousers and your miniskirts as well. Some of our faves, from left to right, by Rachel Comey, B Store and Apapezza.
Trace the rise, fall and resurrection of Lanvin in a newly released account of the nearly 100-year-old label. The book's author, Dean Merceron, will show off some never-before-seen images from the House of Lanvin at a lecture Nov. 16th at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, so check it out if you're in NY. [via Hint Magazine]
Related Links: Maybe you've seen these before, but ya still probably want 'em.
There's still time for scrambling Cokeheads to rush order the perfect Halloween costume. Not only will will you blow away every sexy witch in this Japanese anti-crime skirt, but you will be able to transform yourself from a sniveling victim to a soda machine in the time it takes to walk from the party to your car. Japanese designer Aya Tsukioka told Australia's The Age that her vending machine disguise was inspired by Japan's ancient ninja, who cloaked themselves under black blankets to evade pursuers at night, which sort of makes it the streetwear line to rival Pepsi's sportswear collection.
Museums aren't the kind of place you'd normally find yourself a must-have handbag, but starting Monday, all that will change. Another collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami will be unveiled at the Japanese artist's retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. The exhibition will showcase all the leather goods he made in the past with LV, plus some fun new stuff, pictured. [photo via BagBliss]
People may fetishize Christian Louboutin's red-soled heels, but his designs haven't been known for being particularly subversive -- until now. Maybe it's because he teamed up with filmmaker David Lynch, who is known for being kinky and weird. Anyway, check out the shoes Loubou made and the footage (sorry, that pun was intended) and photos Lynch took for the Pierre Passebon Gallery in Paris. Fashionistas went so wild for the collaboration that they made a limited-edition set of five pairs of shoes to go with five prints. [via Cool Hunting]
How genius is Pia Tonna? Her Preziosa line of handbags comes with a coordinating pair of sandals, for when those heel start driving you batty on long walks. Not only is she solving an age-old problem of the city girl, she's also selling you some shoes along with that handbag. Brilliant.
We all have our weaknesses, and for one woman, that weakness is unreasonably unwearable shoes, of which there are many this season. Take, for example, these red bubbly Christian Dior shoes. Read the confessions of the lady who has to have these, who says, "With that precarious heel, a tumble in these spine wranglers could lead to a life confined to a wheelchair." On our list? These winged heels by Nina Ricci. [via T]
Snicker now at these conceptual Halloween costume ideas, but you'll be digging up this link once October 31st rolls around. It's either that or go as "groovy hippie" again. And there's still time to order up a little fright night via the internet. Defamer suggests this horrifying Jacko mask, and we're a fan of anything in the scary-clown camp. The bloodier, the better. Sexy devils suck.
A debate over whether these flipper shoes are real went raging on Snopes.com last summer, and results so far are still inconclusive. Styledash hunted for a High Tide Heels shoe outlet to no avail, so it's pretty likely they're just an art project, perhaps a nod to global warming? Regardless, they are quite fab, even if heels aren't the best way to get through sand before hitting the water and swimming like mad.
Attention Harlem shoppers: pack a black Amex card for your next buying spree. In addition to populist megastores like Old Navy and H&M, a spate of tony designer shops has sprung up on 125th Street. From the Gucci and Prada-crammed Apollo Signature store to the dope Atmos sneaker den (pictured here), Soho styles and prices have taken the A train uptown. Harlem designer Bill Witherspoon describes the local vibe as "very superfly" with "hip hop and jazz and ... tribal influences." Time will tell if that adds up to unique brand of Harlem-style commerce or America's first Black Heritage shopping mall.
Related Links: You don't need to go all the way uptown to look ghetto fabulous.
Images from the second issue of Plastique magazine, a fabulous fashion rag that launched earlier this year. Thanks to Olga at The Fashion Spot for scanning.
Next month's issues, straight from the newsstands. W's "art issue" used Marc Jacobs collaborator Richard Prince to come up with their November cover, a stock photo of Angelina Jolie "signed" to the artist by the artist posing as Angie. The rest of the celebs pictured in the series were likely happy to not have to come in for a photoshoot, but designers must be displeased with the lack of product placement. Jennifer Connelly lands Vogue while Jennifer Anniston gets Harper's. [via The Fashion Spot]
How fast can you get naked? We bet it's not as quick as this guy, who takes off all his clothes in 7.5 seconds for some Japanese game show. [via JustJared]
Danny Sullivan, the quirky British shoe designer whose fashion week love affair with Heatherette spawned the Heatherette Loves Irregular Choice line of "shboots" and stilettos, launched his new line this month in his first-ever boutique in NYC's Nolita. An L.A. store is slated to open this winter. "We're looking for a space in London," U.S. manager Piper Nightingale says, "But we need a lot of space. If you think about it, every shoe you see has six pairs downstairs." Wait, you mean those black glitter unicorn slippers aren't one of a kind?
Related Links: It'll take a pretty special hat to match those shoes.
Shoes continued to be cruel on the spring 2008 runways, with totteringly high heels and shoes that look like freaks of physics (see Antonio Berardi's shoes, far right). Other kicks destined to send you falling, from left to right -- Giambattista Valli, Versace and Alexander McQueen's geisha-esque platforms. Check out the shoe report on Style.com or the New York Times for more death-defying shoes. If you need a break from all that, New York mag's Shop-A-Matic has a delicious guide to fall shoes, some of which you can walk around in unassisted.
We're not sure what i-D magazine is trying to say about Kate Moss if they're making her the cover girl for the !#*? Issue, out tomorrow. See Kate's cover -- plus a collection of all her other covers for the mag -- over at i-D's MySpace page. Is that lace thing the same black bolero she wore to the Glastonbury music fest?
My wife is always asking me for money.
$200 one day, $150 the next, $125 after that.
"That's crazy," my friend said, "what does she do with it all?"
"I don't know," I said. "I never give her any."
Another good joke from the collection? "I'm a fan of SpongeBob SquarePants," Marc Jacobs told reporters after the show, "and for all I know, so is Rei Kawakubo, because that's where our color came from!" Does SpongeBob know how haute he's become?
Bold colors? Interesting textures? The granny look? Is everyone on drugs? Whatever happened to a flattering and functional fit? Bent out of shape by all the garish, weirdly proportioned, unwearable clothes on the market, I turned inward and found high-end yoga wear: body-hugging high-tech ensembles, pretty camis, buttery tees -- all in 100% machine washable fabrics. So you can keep that forest green body brace with the swell musketeer detailing, I'm locking into a head-to-toe look. [Photo courtesy of Basia Lipska]
Related Links: Even the pursuit of nothingness, warrants dressing well.
Don't keep your valuables in this Chanel anklet purse, seen on the spring 2008 runway -- it may be cute, but it's also going to be a dead giveaway to pickpockets. Just the right size for some Chanel lipstick, maybe some perfume. Was it inspired by Chanel groupie Lindsay Lohan's recent ankle monitor trend? Only Karl knows. [via The Fashion Spot]
"How I'd Sink American Vogue" is a project by designer Scott King that imagines the magazine's cover without Wintour. We love the spoof "Angry Issue" which tells readers "How to Dress Angry" and offers "769 Things that Make Scarlett Johansson Angry at Injustice." We also like the issue that is a mere 14 pages long, with a "Two page Steven Meisel Fashion Extravaganza." [Creative Review via Gawker]
Skootch over Sports Illustrated, America's premier queer femme swimsuit calendar is about to hit the shelves and it's gonna land hard. Twelve foxy Brooklyn femmes with frightening physiques vamp on the beach at Coney Island in hot swimsuits by local designers in this year's edition of the I Heart Brooklyn Girls calendar. Brooklyn-born photographer Erica Beckman told us she launched the calendar two years ago on a lark. "I like girls. I like girls in bathing suits. Why not photograph them?" Could this be the year of the un-airbrushed outie?
Thanks to Home Ec, a new sewing studio that the designers of the Brooklyn-based Flirt label recently opened in booming Gowanus, everyone in New York can learn how to make the perfect skirt. The large studio equipped with vintage sewing machines and supplies hosts a schedule of project-driven sewing classes that make it a weekly destination for paradigms of perfection and connoisseurs of custom-fit from all over the city. Sound dubious? "We’ve mapped the classes out pretty well," assures co-owner Seryn Potter. "It pretty much prohibits any disasters."
Related Links: The perfect skirt demands the perfect shoe.
See New York Fashion Week from the eyes of Oded Balilty, a Pulitzer prize-winning photographer for the Associated Press. He's usually known for his work covering the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, but of course fashion week features its own kind of combat -- getting into shows, enduring days without eating and walking miles in stilettos. Don't miss checking out these hauntingly beautiful black and white shots.
Related Links: Dress like a classic photo in black and white.
A dozen disco-era mannequins sculpted by Halston's window-dressing protege and boyfriend, Victor Hugo, and painted by Andy Warhol for an event that never happened, would seem an odd tribute to three legendary fashion insiders, but it works. "We wanted to show them during Fashion Week," Mazdack Rassi, owner of Manhattan's Milk Studios told us, "Because this year is celebrating American designers." Victor Hugo's Venezuelan heritage notwithstanding, the vintage plaster models on display in the Chelsea gallery now through September 28 have a menancholy charm that seems to reflect the designer's affinity with all the people who press their noses against the windows of the world he creates.
Related Links: Isn't it time we had another disco renaissance?
In making a nod to the war, Italian Vogue goes far beyond camouflage in its recent "Make Love, Not War" editorial shot by Steven Meisel. The models get down and dirty with the troops in the barracks, all while wearing Versace. We wish the male models were real troops, they likely deserve a few gals in gowns around. But we imagine this kind of morale booster -- sending ultra-hot model Raquel Zimmerman (center and right) clad in Roberto Cavalli -- wasn't mentioned by General Petraeus as part of his Iraq testimony.
Two wildly extravagant gowns, the one on the left by old guard designer, Oscar de la Renta, with the new face of red carpet/opera gala wear on the right, Marchesa. We'll probably see these dresses again and again in fashion editorials until spring hits, so get used to them now.
Don't get me wrong. I love my summer minis and the short shorts that make the hottest months of the year bearable in New York, but when you want instant glam without much work the floor-length dress is the way to go. Yesterday, young designer Terexov showed stunning casual and formal versions.
Related Links: Check out our collection of floor-length styles you can dress up or down.
Get some classic 80s style advice from Mr. T, whose feel-good flick "Be Somebody or Be Somebody's Fool" is probably one of the best after-school specials ever made. But seriously, some of his advice about creating your own style ("Don't let fashion designers from New York or Paris tell you what to wear. Would Calvin Klein, Bill Blass or Gloria Vanderbilt wear clothes with your name on it? No! Of course not.") and fashion descriptions ("With her mustard socks and ketchup sash, she's a real hot dog.") are not to be missed. Thanks to Radar for the link!
It takes brass balls for a knockoff artist to freely admit to taking fresh-from-the-runway goods and getting them made overseas before the originals even get manufactured. "If I see something on Style.com," Seema Anand confessed to the New York Times, "all I have to do is e-mail the picture to my factory and say, 'I want something similar, or a silhouette made just like this.'" Her most recent ripoff? A gold sequined tunic "inspired by" Tory Burch and sold via private label to Bloomies. Ew. But then again, the problem remains: would you rather buy a $760 top or the same thing for $260?
A woman on the prowl should dress with an edge, says designer Frieda Iordanous, of Frieda's boutique, a haven for Toronto-area cougars like Valerie Gibson, author of "Cougar: A Guide for Older Women Dating Younger Men." Along with Cougar Camp, a reality show that will teach older women to pick-up fresh, young prey scheduled to air today, and cougarlife.com, a December-May dating website set to launch this year, it seems 40-somethings (60-somethings?) will finally get something to sink their teeth into. Whatever to wear? "Nicole Miller," says Iordanous, adding, "If you have nice legs, show them off."
Here's a clever way to create fall's giant corseted waist (an Azzedine Alaia version seen from Italian Vogue, center) without breaking the bank -- double up on belts as seen in the latest issue of Elle to really get waisted. Of course they casually throw on a couple from Fendi, Gucci and Chanel, but you don't have to.
Related Links: You've got belts kicking around, here's another.
There's kind of a big problem with artist Damien Hirst's new skull-and-crystal jeans for Levi's, $4,000 price tag aside. We love Hirst's work, even his insane $100 million diamond skull, but skulls and crystals on jeans? That's so two years ago. Enough already.
Related Links: We say keep the jeans bling-free please.
What could be cuter than these multi-colored totes by Susan Bijl? Super-stylish, vibrant and less pretentious than that other grocery tote, these fold up small enough to leave in your handbag for last-minute grocery shopping. [via Cool Hunting]
Related Links: You can fold Susan's bag into one of these nylon bags, you Greenista you.
Has the turbanista trail gone cold? While headdress-friendly actress-rocker Juliette Lewis shows off her new turban from Turkey on Style.com, Fashionista notes that turbans at Prada's friend and family warehouse sale were 60% off.
Related Links: The great thing about scarves is they go either way.
Word out to all the homeroom playas who rock their Timbs with a dookie rope: The Dookie Boot, a "40-Below" boot designed by Darryl McDaniels of old school rap trio Run-DMC will hit the streets in time for third period (October 8th). Picking up where Timberland's Borough Boot Project left off, the new boot, branded with one of New York's five boroughs, adds a gold-plated metal lace to the suede work boot design in a combo that'll add swagger to your step fo' shizzle. But tuck in those laces, yo, if you aim to wear your grill to graduation.
The big cheese behind Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga is unhappy with Gucci sunglasses at the moment. In a recent Portfolio magazine interview, PPR CEO (and Salma Hayek babydaddy) Francois-Henri Pinault pulled out a tiny brochure tucked within a Gucci sunglasses case and saw the end. "You open this elegant case, and this is the first thing you see," dangling the tiny sheet in front of the reporter. "People have to realize that what we are selling is an experience, from beginning to end." Good to know the man is so detail-oriented.
Fall minimalism is just around the corner. We can't wait, and neither can T, the New York Times Style Magazine. Check out their sleek spread featuring some of the season's best, from Maison Martin Margiela (pictured) along with kings of simplicity Jil Sander and Calvin Klein.
The subscription genius at Conde Nast who decided to send Glamour to former Jane readers as a consolation prize isn't winning over new readers. "I want all the Jane readers to just cancel, rather than get Glamour," an ex-Jane-staffer told the New York Post. "I hope they call and say, 'I don't want this. Give me GQ, anything but this.'"
And now for something completely different from the New York Times -- a primer on eccentric dressing. For the Times, this means wearing bright colors, feathers and nerd glasses, but we love the fun looks they put together.
Fashionista tells us "The Devil Wears Prada" may become a broadway musical in the near future, which leads us to wonder, who will do the costumes? Patricia Field may come aboard once more to dress the devil, as she did costumes for the musical "The Opposite of Sex." Regardless of who picks the clothes, we imagine by the time the play gets staged, they'll have to update Andy Sachs' outfits and most-coveted bits of fashion in order to stay current.
When it comes to plastic shoes, Brazilian designers are surely the champs, always rocking the coolest petroleum kicks. These ones, by Melissa, not only come in candy colors and great shapes but are also made to smell like candy -- lollipops and gumballs -- and fashioned from 100% recycled plastic. [via Cool Hunting]
Anxious for New York Fashion Week to hurry up and start already? Then hop on over to Refinery 29, whose new feature, The Countdown, features a sneak peek behind the spring collections of six different designers. The special feature launches tomorrow, so if you can't even wait until then, go ahead and peep the fashion week show schedule.
The UK's label Worn By, which features reprints of tees worn by iconic rock figures, debuts in October, but it looks an awful lot like Worn Free, which has been doing the same thing since 2005. The major difference is the regionalism -- Worn Free remakes tees once seen on American stars Blondie and Frank Zappa while Worn By features tees worn by British exports Madness and Freddie Mercury.
The September issue of Harper's is full of surprises, including Chloe Sevigny posing as a rehab-bound starlet and a mostly-naked, post-rehab, and definitely post-punk Courtney Love declaring her love for Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld (who, in fact, makes a surprise admission of his own in an upcoming documentary). Wanna get the fresh-from-rehab look? Strap on your ankle bracelet and dark sunglasses and get the look from the Los Angeles Times. [via New York Post, photo via Perez Hilton]
Strong feelings abound when it comes to giant handbags. "They're so vulgar even a hooker shouldn't wear them," A.P.C. handbag designer Jean Touitou wrote to the New York Times. "That would be bad for her business." Aside from not being able to find anything, ever, in the caverns of one's gigantic handbag, or getting neck aches from lugging around lunch, water and god knows what else in there, we should all welcome the return of the tiny purse.
Related Links: Truthfully, we like our bags bigand small.
A couple of vintage videos posted on Frillr offer a glimpse into the worlds of Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. The runway for YSL's 1962 show seems impossibly small, with editors and fans crowded about the models, who can barely turn around. Is that guy putting a potted plant on that model's head? You'll have to watch to find out.
It's time to get naked for Barneys. Not only is it cheap-o warehouse sale season where clothes go a-flyin' and flesh goes a-flashin', but drop off your gently-worn jeans at Barneys from this week through the 19th and and get 20% off a new pair. L.A.'s warehouse sale runs from August 9 - 19th and New York's warehouse sale begins August 16 and runs through September 3rd.
Do you have size 6.5, 7 or 11 feet and love metallics? Then hop on over to the post-Super Saturday sale at Bluefly, where a few adorable items are still available, including these cracked ballet flats by Faryl Robin. More stuff by Helmut Lang, Nanette Lepore and others. Every dime you spend goes towards ovarian cancer research.
Vans has teamed up with L.A.-based artist Robert Williams to create a series of shoes from the Vault. They're a lot tamer than his wild paintings -- influenced by 1960s drag racing, custom car paint jobs, and underground comics -- but they're really cute. [Boing Boing via Juxtapoz]
The folks who brought you brass knuckle bags and dead dog purses have a new handbag in the works, and you won't get far if you bring it to the airport. Meet The Pursuer, a handbag made to look like a giant machine gun. We love that the cell phone compartment is in the clip.
If you've ever confused Harper's Bazaar the fashion magazine with Harper's magazine, the progressive monthly, you are not alone -- the folks at Jezebel have taken the best from both worlds to create a magazine mashup that include not only tidbits from the latest Jessica Simpson interview, but also an adulterated version of the Harper's Index, which crunches the (usually political) numbers. Jezebel threw in a few extra zingers, including, "Average price of item on Bazaar's eco-friendly, 'What's New In Green Design' page: $870.94," and the very telling, "Number of women of color represented among the models on the fashion editorial pages of this month's issue: 0."
Counterfeit bags are looking so real these days that it's nearly impossible to tell the difference. The Village Voice reports, "So recent and convincing are the Goyard fakes that a Deep Throat at Barneys admitted the store took two bags back before they realized the copies even existed." Oops. Not that it matters. A recent Guardian poll found that few people care anyway whether the bags are real or not -- they just want the goods.
I like free things, and you probably do, too. Especially when the freebie in question is a haute handbag for fall 2007. Subscribe to Who Wear What Daily and enter to win a free YSL downtown tote. That's probably worth whatever spam they might throw your way. [via Fashionologie]
Get inspired by this photo shoot from Vogue Japan. It's as if Punky Brewster came back from the 1980s and posed on the streets of Tokyo for Fruits magazine.
It seems eBay is not the only way to get ahold of Anya Hindmarch's I'm Not a Plastic Bag -- a mini-black market has spring up at virtuous Whole Foods itself. Last week, I rushed over to the lavishly-cooled organic superstore at the Time Warner Center in New York to snag one only to learn that the $15 sacks had completely sold out. I hung my head and turned to leave when a sneaky stockboy called me aside. "How much you looking to pay?" he asked. I offered $50. (Heck, I could always flip the trendy tote on eBay once I'd raised environmental awareness by carrying it around a few days.) Stockboy rang up his supplier and informed me the street price was now $100. For that ugly thing? No thanks. Especially not when these are canvas too. I'll just stockpile and reuse the plastic ones.
An update for you from the fashion frontier of useful style. First, Lindsay Lohan's alcohol monitoring bracelet (a.k.a. "The Dranklet") gets a closer look from the Washington Post. For the first time, folks at MIT have made going to the moon look sexy, not puffy. Shock and amaze your friends with a pink and powerful taser gun that comes in pink and looks a lot like a fancy ladies' razor.
The leather spats sported over sandals on the Chanel runway have sprouted a mini-trend for the fingerless glove of the foot. If the Chanel versions are too rich for your blood, no matter. Fashion Tribes has it all planned out for you, from Urban Outfitter copycats to create-your-own versions made from cloth and your favorite flats (can we add that we love that the DIY ones, right, are modeled standing atop a toilet?).
After his declaration on "Oprah" that his days of dressing in Lagerfeld body-concealing capes were over, Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley showed up at Valentino's 45th anniversary gala wearing a tent dress for men -- dare we call them ManMuuMuus? Sorry, Malcolm, I couldn't help myself. [via Radar]
Does David Lynch's signing on to direct the next Gucci perfume commercial mean we can expect to see Drew Barrymore with a head wound? If we're lucky, it'll be a men's fragrance and Lynch will get Dennis Hopper to huff the stuff through an oxygen mask. Whatever the case, don't be surprised to see a wave of copycat ads by iconoclastic auteurs. Richard Kern for Hermes? Harmony Korine for Chloe? Maybe the crossover action will happen both ways and we'll finally get some ready-to-wear from The Brothers Quay and a children's film from Gareth Pugh.
We hope the U.S. Topshop opens in time to let us Yankees get ahold of some of their new vintage Archive collection. But I guess we can wait. They're starting out with old-school British designers (the empire dress here is by Biba), but will eventually remake classics from the houses of Dior, Lanvin and Chloe. That will give us plenty of time to save up for the sky-high prices. [via Fashionologie]
Ashley Paige’s new swimsuit line for Girls Gone Wild will show at Miami Swim Fashion Week this Friday. And while it isn’t winning her any love on principle, what about in practice? This crocheted number [above] makes me want to throw feminism out the window and plunk down my credit card in a hurry.
The Black Market, an art installation doubling as a pricey pop-up boutique, runs now through July 20th in Chelsea’s Anna Kustera Gallery. “We wanted to do a show that merged art, fashion and music and set it up in a retail store environment,” art dealer Kustera told us. The artsy merch includes limited-edition tees, a petroleum-based men’s fragrance (stinky!), a selection of gold-dipped sneakers -- and drug paraphernalia. Ken Courtney, the artist currently known as Ju$t Another Rich Kid, co-curated the show with an eye toward showing up the dark side of consumerism, “simulating a high end store like Comme des Garcons or Balenciaga and the darker side (drug taking, eating disorders, etc) in the back.” Art? Sounds like business-as-usual at the Tom Ford flagship store.
Plenty of shoes from the haute couture runways have us salivating. Here are some of our faves from left to right, the all-leopard look from Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier's intricate caged heels, Chanel's rockin' studded thigh-high boots, Armani's orange alligator platforms and Dior's sky-high sculptural heels that make walking look all but impossible, yet so elegant. [photos via Style.com]
See this bag? Guess where I got it? Can't? Know why? Because I made it. Well, I designed it, anyway. After months of searching for a silver backpack -- and I looked everywhere -- I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and have one made. All it took was a trip to the fabric store and a subsequent visit to my local Manhattan Portage retailer. Three days and $54 later, I was the first to own what stands to become the biggest knockoff of the summer.
What Kanye wants, Kanye gets. And what he wanted, after being styled in these 80s glasses for his "Stronger" video, was a pair of his own. So he asked eyewear designer Alain Mikli to craft him some. And they are fresh, but just as amazing as some of Mikli's own designs from the 80s. [via New York Post]
Someone was asleep on the job or this would have been the official ladies tee of Pride 2007. Here at last is a shirt that says, "I've ditched my disposable razor so that I can devote all of my energies to undermining the patriarchy." And yes, it comes from Germany. While it may look like Springsteen in a headlock, Hamburg design team Olga Bielawska and Astrid Schildkopf call it "Natural Fur." In case you still think Germans have no sense of humor, check out the matching "Winter Coat" unterhosen.
I know we were mean about Chloe yesterday, so I'm finding nice things to say today. Their new pre-fall ad, left, with Anja and Shalom shot by Inez and Vinoodh, is retro haute in a 60s way. And I really do love this 80s redux dress, from the 2007-08 resort collection. It's adorably weird and good.
Just in time for spring showers to be over, the folks over at Aquascutum have released a new book on trenchcoats, a wardrobe staple they interpreted several ways both for spring (left) and fall (right). [via Fashionista]
We love the clear plastic kerchief British singer Lily Allen's wearing in a recent Elle photoshoot. It takes the clear heels trend and puts it on its head.
A "white elephant sale" usually means a collection of bric-a-brac no one else wants, in the hopes that one person's white elephant will be another's treasure. We're not sure if that was what Comme des Garcons had in mind when creating this handbag -- after all, it comes in black and red as well -- but if they don't want it, we'll take it off their hands. [via NY Post's fashion blog]
Kelly picked up her Plume at the Garden Party, hoping to write a letter to Evelyne before hopping on her Vespa to see the Michelle Yeoh film festival. With a Silky Pop, she turned on to the road, hoping she wouldn't end up in the Paddock.
Some peeks at the July issue of Harper's, featuring Anne Hathaway looking good on the subscribers' cover, but we loved the Milan fall fashion preview best, featuring those amazing molten-metal D&G dresses, a Fendi frock and warm fuzzies from Prada. Also in this issue, Trends from New York. Thanks to all the intrepid scanners over at The Fashion Spot for the images.
Rainbow Sandals, the discriminating dude's flip-flop of choice owing to its imperviousness to salt water and guarantee of durability (if the rubber sole wears down as a result of a manufacturing flaw the company will stick a new one on free of charge), opened its first U.S. retail store in NYC's Nolita this week. Established in 1974 by surfer Jay Langley in his San Clemente garage, Rainbow Sandals are a far cry from the chi chi thongs neighbors Sigerson Morrison and Charlotte Ronson turn out of their trendy boutiques, but with the current fever for new American classics like Jordache jeans, Penguin sportswear, etc., they're way more happening.
German artist Thomas Demand has caught the eye of Miuccia Prada, who is hosting a gallery of his works at the Venice Biennale at Fondazione Prada. Demand's high-profile fashion following includes former Dior Homme designer Hedi Slimane and photographer Mario Testino. His meticulous cardboard sculptures include recreations of the embassy offices where stationery was stolen to make forged intelligence on Iraq that led to the American invasion. It won't be long before you see one of his works within the pages of a fashion magazine, perhaps selling Prada shoes.
I guess the $98 million diamond encrusted skull wasn’t enough. Now, bad-boy artist Damien Hirst –- he of sharks, cows, and other farm friends in formaldyhyde fame –- is designing jewelry. He’s taken his signature pills and fashioned them into a charm bracelet, worthy of today’s Prozac (Lexapro, Diazepam, Valium... you name it) nation. Even with modern art, you can take it with you -- for a price.
What is songstress Alicia Keys telling the fabulous and timeless model Iman on one of 20 new covers of Vanity Fair's Africa issue? We'll leave that up to you. Our best guess? "Where did you get that faaabulous turban? is it Prada?" Your turn...
Yep, it's that time of year again -- time for the cliched articles on the quest for the perfect bathing suit, replete with references to unkind lighting and less-than-perfect body image issues. Even the New York Times' Cathy Horyn is in on it this year. I would've been whole-heartedly disappointed, save for her magical find -- this leopard print masterpiece by Dolce & Gabbana. Who cares if the support up top is iffy -- it's gorgeous.
Jumpers may make one feel like a kindergartener, but with the right layering and accessories, this versatile piece can take you from spring to fall. We especially like the low-neck-high-waist combo created by the likes of Erin Featherston, whose deeply scooped grown-up jumper made an appearance in her spring 2007 collection, and we're hoping she'll do a version when she creates a collection for Target early next year. For spring and fall, New York design team Mooka Kinney, center, leans heavily on the jumper, which they interpret as a super high-waisted look over tees. Comfy and cute. Of course the Sartorialist saw this coming a long time ago, right.
Manolo the Shoeblogger will soon have some blogging competition -- from Manolo Blahnik himself. Mr. Blahnik -- or should we call him Blognik? -- will launch manoloblahnik.com this week, filling the site with his thoughts on shoes, store openings and highlights from his most recent collections. The real Manolo, however, may find it hard to compete with the faux Manolo, who has been delighting shoe-lovers online since 2004.
One of the best examples of turning trash into treasure turned up on the Anything Very Ace website, where Dutch blogger Ava put together a gorgeous necklace out of an old Coke can. Note how she incorporated the pull tab into the necklace clasp. Total genius. Reminds us of the tin can bangles in this June 2007 Interview mag spread.
I know I shouldn't be talking fall when the east coast is just starting to thaw, but there's an extensive preview of fall offerings from H&M, all looking very layered Marc Jacobs fall 06, oddly enough, since H&M steals early and often. There are some really cute sweaters, too. [via The Fashion Spot]
Help! I've been run over by the Indy Gucci bag. The handle is supposed to look like the steering wheel of an old racing car, and model Natasha Poly looks sufficiently bowled over by the new ad campaign, which launches in August mags. [via WWD]
Young denim upstarts such as Seven for All Mankind may get lots of attention for being on celebrity behinds, but when it comes to brand loyalty, Levi's is still on top, according to a denim survey on WWD of the top 12 jeans brands. It goes like this: 1) Levi's, 2) Joe's Jeans, 3) True Religion, 4) Wrangler, 5) Tommy Hilfiger, but we want to know, what are your top five jeans?
Hint magazine alerts us to the opening of another pop-up store, but this one, The Wrong Store, is less corporate and more cool, with clothes by Rodarte and Maison Martin Margiela along with artwork by Jenny Holzer and Sol LeWitt. It's open through July 9th, so if you're in New York, pop on by.
Gawker is getting into the fashion game with a new fashion media blog for the ladies called Jezebel. Jossip says it will launch today, so check back at Jezebel.com. On an unrelated note, how about this look from Vivienne Westwood's fall collection?
Yes, you can be too rich and too thin, and Radar sets out to prove it with their skeletal editorial. We're not sure if they told Zac Posen, whose dress is at far right, and Viktor & Rolf, whose clothes are at center, that the clothes would be shown on a skeleton, but we hope they had a sense of humor about it. She may be just a bag of bones, but the clothes look fabulous, darling.
This summer Tiffany and Chanel will be fighting for pavement space alongside Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana on NYC's boulevard of hard bargains. Baubles emblazoned with the must-have logos of the rich and famous are already selling like hot pretzels on the mean streets of the not-so-rich and covetous. The current batch of silver cuff bracelets, toggle necklaces and dog tags has hit the streets elegantly ensconced in Tiffany & Co.'s powder blue boxes. If you're the true-blue type who'd rather spend the summer gazing through 5th Avenue windows than settle for less than the real deal, enjoy the view. There will be thousands of women haggling over heart link lariats along Canal.
Check out the best from this summer's crop of strapless minis over at New York magazine. It's funny how poorly a strapless dress holds its shape when its not on someone's body. Most of them look like sad little dishtowels. As usual, it's the woman who makes the dress.
Topshop must have been pleased with the American response to the Kate Moss collection, because they are finally going to open stores in Manhattan. Now I can reroute my flight from London to New York and stop obsessively visiting Topshop.com with my currency calculator. The dollar is still pretty weak, so Britain's cheap chic will still be twice as much for us. [Reuters via Frillr]
Elle says wearing logos is back, but we are still wary of putting too much corporate branding on our sleeves. Our opinion of logos can be summed up in the tee pictured, but what do you think? [Thanks, Tony!]
Not that any of our readers would need it, but maybe you know someone who would -- People magazine is having a From Worst To Best Dressed contest. The winner gets a shopping spree with a stylist, makeover, and new wardrobe up to $3,000. Maybe dress yourself in the worst possible outfit and just pretend?
Oh, Forever 21 –- you ain't fooling anyone. The way the New York Times puts it, the Forever 21 "merchants are clever enough to emulate a handful of retail competitors, reproducing the styles scouted on the runways and at upscale boutiques." Translation: it's a knock-off operation extraordinaire. Case in point -- many moons ago I fell head over heels for the little number by Corey Lynn Calter pictured here. I searched high and low. I called every store in Los Angeles. I drove 60 miles out of my way to try it on, only to find that peach just ain't my color -- not at nearly $300 is isn't. But the magicians at Forever 21 created a perfect facsimile in tan and white, at 1/10 the cost. Yes, we will be friends, forever-ever.
Related Links: Knock-offs aren't necessary when the real thing is on clearance.
Some sad news on the independent fashion blog front -- the fun and inventive Letters to Marc Jacobs is dead. "I'm shedding the responsibility of writing hundreds of meaningless letters to a celebrated man of fashion," writes blogger E, who's been penning letters to MJ since fall of 2005. She doesn't know what she's doing next, so pop over there and give her some suggestions, or at least say goodbye.
You have a few more hours to win a free Dior bag from Stylephile! Tell them your best way to pretend to look busy at work (uh, online shopping, anyone?) and the Dior is yours. So what if it's covered with logos? It could be yours... Winners posted today at noon PST.
The accessories trade show just wrapped up in New York, so we thought it was time to see what your local Claire's might be stocking for fall 2007. From the looks of it, popular trends in shoes, handbags, jewelry and hats include plaid, argyle, and crest motifs. Headbands and narrow belts will continue a strong showing. So this still means we'll be stuck in 1985, but more nouveau riche, and less punk. Totally!
Related Links: All I wanted in the 80s? My argyle vest.
Footwear fetishists take note: Jessica Simpson's high-heeled leather boots are being auctioned on eBay to benefit Sole4Souls, a charity that provides shoes to poverty-stricken people. With bids exceeding $600 and five days to go, the boots riddled with Jess's ditzy script have already left Barbara Mandrell's dazzling gold-jeweled heels ($107.50) and Mandy Moore's stunning patent pumps ($202.49) in the dust. Still, I get the feeling the good-hearted folks at Sole4Souls are missing the boat. At size 7, size 8 and thereabouts, these shoes won't fit the drag queens most likely to plunk down the big money for the privilege of prancing around in pop diva pumps.
Designers love to throw a wedding dress down the runway at the end of a show, especially at the close of a couture collection (a Lacroix bride, pictured). We don't really know who can afford these confections, but we know we can't. But between Isaac Mizrahi's new bridal line for Target, Viktor & Rolf's wedding dress for H&M and J. Crew's line of bridal gowns, there's no need for June brides to break the bank. And if you are getting married, you've got some required reading to keep you on budget, Rebecca Mead's, "One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding."
Related Links: When white is so right, it's easy to get bridaled up.
The W Hotel is cleaning their closets, sending their gently-used Kenneth Cole uniforms (they now work with Michael Kors) to non-profit organization Dress For Success, which helps disadvantaged women dress professionally for job interviews. As every woman knows, putting on the right clothes gives you confidence and pride. But if you do find yourself doing some spring cleaning, look up your local chapter and donate your office garb. Let's be real -- it'll make you feel good and at the same time give you an excuse to shop again. [via Fashion Week Daily]
The bubble skirt has not yet burst, but the new shape for spring is more egg-like than round. The look can be great or blobby, even when it comes from the same collection (for example, we like the subtle emphasis on the hips from Lanvin, Marni and Givenchy for the first three looks, but the next three looks from the same designers seem a little too shapeless). How to make the best of this unflattering shape? Wear skinny trousers or wait for fall, when the pencil skirt will give us our butts back. [via Catwalking]
Who wouldn't risk "vertigo and personal injury for the sake of high fashion" and the chance to totter around in a pair of the season's best shoes -- YSL Tribute platforms? Since they are sold out until mid-May, one reporter from the Daily Mail tells us what it's like to walk like J.Lo and Gwen, who got their toes inside some ages ago. A cross between sweet and streetwalker, the $660 Mary-Jane style peep-toe shoes sit atop sharp six-inch heels, making just about anyone walk on high. The ultimate verdict? The two-inch platform makes them surprisingly wearable, but avoid those cobblestones.
Style is all about choice. We can wear whatever we want (within reason). We can say whatever we want (mostly). We are all about American-style choice and freedom to do what we wish. This is why we find the recent Supreme Court ruling so puzzling -- why are lawyers telling doctors what to do? Let me introduce some new vocab to you, fresh from Urban Dictionary -- fashion abortion. You decide what's worse -- wearing socks with sandals, or getting medical advice from a politician.
Whether fashion merely reflects our violent culture or celebrates it is a debate best left to the talking heads, but in the meantime, we've noticed a recent sampling of guns and ammo in the world of style. Mexico's most dangerous dress (note the ammo belt, left), worn in revolutionary style by Miss Mexico, has a companion handbag, in the form of Ted Noten's Lady K Bag, which has a gold handgun encased in lucite, center. And let's not forget the Hundreds version of Rolling Stone's last cover featuring Rosario Dawson and Rose McGowan draped in little more than bullets.
If you can't afford a personal stylist, never fear, online help is here. Polyvore lets you select from a bunch of cute clothes to create your own dream outfit. It's a little addictive, and serves as the perfect late-afternoon work diversion for shopping addicts tethered to their desks. For the braver among you, there's ShareYourLook.com, where you can post a snapshot of yourself and get feedback on your outfit -- good or bad -- from anyone on the site. [via Fashionista and Time]
Maybe neutrals are not your favorite colors. Maybe gray reminds you of office cubicles and beige reminds you of nude pantyhose or hippie hemp pants. But obviously it is big for spring, so along we go, trying to think of ways to love being so bland. The International Herald Tribune offers five ways to love beige, but we have some reasons of our own. 1) it will take you through fall, 2) beige trenchcoats are easy to find in a thrift store, 3) it goes with everything, including the beach, 4) Zac Posen and Willow, and 5) it's a classic.
With trends like skinny jeans and obscure high top sneakers already so passé to legions of hipsters, trendsters can now breathe easy because a new obsession is here: Wayfarer sunglasses. The references are hip: Blues Brothers, the 80s in general, and Nirvana-inspired grunge. Best of all, you don't have to get Ray Bans but can feel OK with knockoffs from Walgreens or a vendor's table. I'd work my way to having them in every color. That could take up to three or four months, which is cool because by then we'll be on to something else.
Who could forget the hideous corsages, uncomfortable shoes, and embarrassing photos? Maybe it's less about forgetting and more about not wanting to remember, but who doesn't have a cringe-inducing prom story to share? C'mon ladies, we need to know-- how big were those puffy sleeves? How much AquaNet went into that hairdo? Even though it was all ugly in retrospect, those gowns did seem glam at the time, and of course shopping for them was about 99% of the fun. Send us your most horrific prom getup and the winner will get 10% off at Bluefly. We hope that's enough of a discount in exchange for total humiliation. [photo courtesy UglyDress.com]
The lack of fabulous kicks for ladies with large feet has a new solution, thanks to publicist Nadine Johnson. Simon Doonan cornered her about where she managed to find strappy heels in her size, a 12 narrow. She found them at Payless. "And they are chic," she told Doonan. "If you sprayed the soles hot pink, people would think you were wearing Louboutins!" Word to the wise -- whether you've got large feet or a small budget, this could be your ticket to $19 Loubous.
This is probably the most useful piece of jewelry I've seen in a while. Just throw on a floss necklace with a toothpaste pendant and you're all set. [via Times (U.K.)]
Maybe you already knew this, but apparently the Pope had to give up his beloved Prada shoes when "The Devil Wears Prada" came out. He is not so brand-loyal that he'd be caught in satan's shoes. Now he wears Ferragamo, as in the red sharkskin kicks seen on German Vanity Fair. [via Fashist! Forum]
An exhibition opening this weekend in Germany features the artwork of Carolin Jörg, who paints sloppy -- yet lovely -- versions of luxury-brand labels. It's really a new way to love logos. And the artwork probably costs as much as a handbag, anyway. [via Style Bubble]
What do Versace, quantum theory and Anna Piaggi all have in common? They are all bound within the pages of the first issue of the world's first fashion comic. An editor at Australian Harper's altered photos frm the runways, turning models into beings from outer space and omnipotent goddesses. We especially love the Model Death Stare, which truly sends icy chills down our backs, whether the models are omnipotent or not. [The Glossy via Fashionista]
As far as must-haves go, there are really only a few essentials, and a bra is one of them. Although the bra has been around for thousands of years, it wasn't called a "brassiere" until it appeared in a 1907 issue of Vogue. So thank your bra for all the support over the years, why don't ya? [via Daily Express]
Related Links: A birthday is as good an excuse as any, right?
We love photographer Martin Parr's candy-colored vision of the world, so imagine our delight when the New York Times Magazine created a spread of spring's hottest accessories all shot by Parr with crappy-yet-gorgeous drugstore backdrops. We thought he did red shoes best. From left to right, Miu Miu, Sergio Rossi, and Proenza Schouler.
Yet another item to add to my expanding "Why didn't I think of that?" file is the fantastically clever Mohop sandal. For a fraction of the bones you'd pay for 3.1 Phillip Lim, Giambattista Valli (center) or Marc by Marc, you can get all DIY on your Mohops (right) and cater to your footsies' ever-changing moods by changing the ribbons. Imelda Marcos, eat your heart out.
I didn't think I could love any Converse more than I love my tennis ball Chuck Taylors, but I'm afraid these rubber ones just might steal my heart. At least in a rainstorm. They'll be out fall 2007. [photo via Fashion Wire Daily]
Mostly an excuse to showcase a hundred tight-fitting, ultra-short, stripper-friendly dresses, Beyoncé's new video "Freakum Dress" also makes us curious about the kinds of clothes you wear when you want to get your freak on. So, short of a Freakum Dress series from the House of Dereon, what designers do you rely on for guaranteed action?
Related Links: For the ultimate in freakum, may we suggest this cute lil' thing?
One woman's story of trying to hide her womanly figure inside bubble tops and trapeze dresses made for toothpick-thin gals may strike a nerve if you're built more like Marilyn Monroe and less like Kate Moss. "Fashion is about creating something to incentivise the consumer," one market research analyst told her. "So when we see tunic tops and skinny jeans and leggings that most people can't and more often shouldn't wear, we end up in this place where fashion is not wearable." I can't really foresee any time soon when high fashion will set its sights on curvier ladies, but you know what? Skinny girls in the 1950s had it rough, so it's impossible to make everyone happy, right? [via Financial Times]
With the approach of spring, ballet flats are sprouting up on feet everywhere, even places where it's still too cold. Flats bring with them not just fresh blisters but also the toe cleavage debate -- is it haute or not? Personally, I find it kind of cute (not in a foot fetish-y way, mind you), but most folks find it icky (in a foot fetish-y way?). If you wanna weigh in, head over to SheFinds and drop your two cents, or tell us what you think here since our comments are finally back in action.
Atlanta fashion magazine Clutch recently found itself an online home, with plenty of advice, style features and news we love, such as plastic is the new platinum. Also up recently, How to be a Fearless Fashionista: 1) forget the rules; 2) mix it up, and 3) love your body as it is. How much do we love these ladies?
Fashionista has made a parlor game from New York Times street style photographer Bill Cunningham's spread of printed spring dresses. Seventeen different dresses are featured in Guess the Dress -- go on over there and drop the knowledge.
Perfect for describing the bandwagon-hopping types who've adopted the turban as their headcover of choice, a "turbanista" is anyone who would buy one and appear in public. The word first showed up on The Ugly Earring blog, but will likely come to wider use after appearing in the New York Times today: "Turbanista Mary-Kate Olsen...strangely wore one atop her long white tresses and ended up looking more like Axl Rose." Use it while you can, because this new phrase may not last very long -- it's only as long-lived as the trend that inspired it.
We couldn't be happier that the glory of the world's largest diamond pendant went to Lil Jon and his $500,000, five-pound "Crunk Ain't Dead" diamond-and-gold pendant. The Guinness Book of World Records, which bestowed the honor, better keep tabs on the hip-hop world's ever-escalating search for over-the-top luxury, because pretty soon someone else will have to topple Lil' Jon's hard-earned record. From the New York Post's new fashion blog Haute List.
Related Links: So maybe it's not five pounds, but it's still blingy.
Barneys Girl over at iamfashion has revisited the minor furor over Louis Vuitton's tongue-in-cheek market bags, from the spring 2007 line, and the 99-cent store laundry bags they emulate (above, in Teen Vogue). Personally, I love the high-low aesthetic, and, with the right attitude, any bag that doesn't break the bank is A-OK by me.
Related Links: Paper or plastic? The answer is clear.
Since the upcoming Marc Jacobs documentary will only show in Europe (at least for now), we thought we'd console you with some upcoming and resurgent fashion documentaries. Eco-luxe designer Linda Loudermilk will be profiled as part of a Sundance Film Channel series "Big Ideas for a Small Planet." The documentary "Model," filmed in 1980, showed recently in New York as part of a fashion film series. You also can't neglect the 90s classics "Unzipped" and "Paris is Burning." And if that's not enough for ya, check YouTube for some DIY fashion docs.
Target's latest entry into the world of capsule collections is from Libertine, and Carol Han's cute new blog for Elle has given us a sneak peek. Minidresses, espadrilles and tops and jackets silkscreened with spiderwebs and birds, hallmarks of their original collection. Peep the entire collection at Fashionista.com.
Who knew it was so tough to find a good catsuit? Stylephile tells us to beware the crotch snaps. The M by Madonna version looks more like a jumper and less like a bodysuit. But the real secret weapon comes from Trash and Vaudeville's Jimmy Webb via the New Yorker. His advice? Avoid the overpriced, ill-fitting ones and go to Capezio.
In my ongoing search for killer tees I've done dorky, slack and DIY and found that in these post-Dov Charney times the seller is almost as interesting as the T-shirt. Tasty Tees is an artist-driven line of hand-painted, limited-edition tees run by a couple of high-minded hotties intent on taking silk-screening out of the garage and on the road in the service of principled profit. Partners Toby Crabtree and Chris Murray propose to devote much of the coming year sizing-up talent explaining, "How else are we going to find those hard to get, one-of-a-kind artists?"
I'm not much of a fancy handbag person, but when I saw this crocheted Chanel bag in Craft magazine, I almost became a logo whore. They also feature patterns for Dior, D&G and even a Murakami Louis Vuitton handbags. If crocheting seems a little daunting, you can always make a quilted Chanel cake. Yum.
Related Links: If you like the real thing, by all means...
The JC Report has a major shoe fetish and we love them for it. Their 4th Shoe Report gives us the best from the runways and the indie brands, our favorite of which is Loeffler Randall, who makes shoes for the "lady-who-lunches in-training." Even better, they're getting into handbags. Go on, ask me how badly I want any of those shoes. And I know skulls are so over, but I want those, too.
It's not just an "It" -- it's also eco-chic. The new I'm Not a Plastic Bag bag by Anya Hindmarch announces it's best to bring your own instead of piling up all those dreadfully ugly plastic bags that just get tossed anyway. Said to be the cheapest "it bag" ever sold, at about $10, that may quickly change now that it's been seen on the arms of Keira Knightley and Lily Cole, right. A few are up on eBay for nearly $400. [via My Fashion Life]
To keep from losing their shirts figuratively, Abercrombie & Fitch is determined to lose more shirts -- literally. A few sales assistants at the chain's new store in London will be dressed in skimpy swimwear while working the floor. This wouldn't seem so cruel in say, the Bahamas, but in foggy ol' London? Let's hope they get combat pay.
A new web site, Top Tips for Girls, unleashes all kinds of advice for the ladies, including Donatella Versace's advice to never leave the house without wearing heels. Other tips range from the emotional -- how to be happy and how to stop calling him -- to the practical -- how to keep uncomfortable shoes from rubbing and how to get rid of tan streaks. If you've got a problem too large to solve by yourself, you may submit a question, and if you don't like what you see, you can submit advice of your own.
From the runways and magazines, one might think that sky-high platforms are the most popular shoes in America. Think again. I mean, let's be real -- who doesn't tire of tottering around so high in the sky. America's top-selling shoe is far more humble -- the Easy Spirit slip-on walking shoe Traveltime outsold all other women's shoes, according to department store data. Talk about what women really want.
If any television producers out there need an idea of a new reality show, I've got a great one for you. In its most recent style issue, the New Yorker tailed Harvey Lewin, a former lawyer for Ozzy Osbourne and Judas Preist who now makes his living tracking down counterfeit bag makers all over the world. "Counterfeiting is more profitable than narcotics," Lewin told reporter Larissa McFarquhar, "and your partners won't kill you." The stories of busting into knockoff Hermes bagmakers in the bowels of Chinatown will have you on the edge of your seat. It's like "Dog the Bounty Hunter" meets "Project Runway." [photo via Fashion Tribes]
The standard white canvas shoes Keds usually brings to mind are on the wane, and designer collaborations are on the rise. First up, Nanette Lepore dresses up the old standard sneaker with these super cute leopard-print flats. Just the thing to dress down some of the cute ladylike looks from her spring 2007 collection. [via Off The Rack]
It's rare that a fashion resource comes for men before the ladies, but in the case of the SartoriaList -- a list of local recommendations from those snapped on the Sartorialist's blog -- the ladies will have to wait until April. Learn where to cut your hair, tailor your clothes, or get your dry cleaning done in New York, and eventually Paris and Milan. Thanks to this resource, you know where to stalk the Sartorialist (that's him, pictured), dress your snappiest and try to get on his blog.
Related Links: Or perhaps you already know where to go.
Don't miss checking out Candy Pratts Price's picks from the fall collections over at Style.com. We were struck by this beautiful Dior ring, a detail so tiny we never would have noticed it on the runway. That Galliano sure knows his details.
Ever feel like you're going a little nuts? Then we have just the thing for you -- the reinterpreted straightjacket from Swedish label Macabre. You'll be lookin' good in the looney bin. Thanks to Cool Hunting for the heads up.
Prada tool kits, Escada phones, Sonia Rykiel teddy bears are all part of the "Pointless Designer Accessories" forum over at The Fashion Spot. Any designer seeking new ways to expand his or her collection should visit the site for new branding ideas from sarcastic members, including a Louis Vuitton rice cooker, Gucci tampons, Chanel Q-tips and a Balenciaga energy drink -- to be mixed with (real) Cavalli vodka.
I know we had the H&M/Stella McCartney collaboration here in the US, but that won't stop certain fashion geeks from drooling over the designers new collection for Target in Australia. The line features cheap versions of the best from her regular collection at a nice low price. All the stuff can be seen (but not bought, sadly) on Target Australia's website. Isn't it time for a trip down under? If not, a few Australians have offered to be your personal shopper. [via The Fashion Spot]
Very few people can pull off sunglasses indoors. The last time I tried, I tripped over a keg hose and inadvertently shampooed the basement rug. On the cover of her latest album, "Yes, I'm a Witch," Yoko Ono sports a pair of satanic shades that look like they both obliterate daylight and vaporize poseurs (Cheers, Anna! Tschuss, Karl!) I reached out to Yoko's people in an effort to connect with the maker of these diabolical spex. When no one got back to me, I knew it was because they were unspeakably cool.
A Swiss man conned a local weekly into publishing a fake two-page Gucci perfume ad that featured him alongside an expensive bottle of cologne. He managed to bill Gucci for the $50,000 full-color ad, so the cops are after him, claiming they're having a hard time finding the prankster. First of all, how hard is it to ID the guy if he's the one in the photo? If they can't find him they should just hunt down his lookalike, David Blaine. [via the Associated Press. image from Ad Freak]
Karl Lagerfeld's neon fingerless driving gloves are so wretched I actually love them. Even better paired with those fishnet undergloves and pink Lee Press On claws. It's a look ripped straight out of some 1980s girl band video like Vanity 6 or Klymaxx. [via The Fashion Spot]
Anyone skeptical of stylist Patricia Field's shoe line for Payless better wake up and get her name on a waiting list. They are actually pretty darn cute, and, of course, dirt cheap. Who knows how they fit or feel, but most high heels feel pretty lousy at the end of the day, so what the hell. In typical stylist fashion, she wore them at the Oscars -- practically a full year before anyone else can get them.
Viktor & Rolf's self-contained-fashion-show ensembles, including a skirt outfitted with speakers, left, are just the thing to go with these stereo shoes, spied on Manolo the Shoe Blogger. Throw in this handbag, right, and make yourself some noise.
A song for us? Really? Well, not really, but a girl can pretend. Check out the song FlyPaper by K-OS from the Canadian musician's new album "Atlantis Hymns for Disco." We love the lyrics:
"Feeling stuck?
Self-loathing?
Shoe gazing?
Pesky flies getting you down?
Try new supersonic FylPaper
It's catchy, and it's pop
...
Who's that girl? She's FlyPaper
She don't care, she don't care."
You'd think it was a foolproof formula: Levis+Warhol=Superstar. But instead of sprinkling some glitter on vintage-cut jeans, the folks behind Warhol Factory X Levi's (launched in spring 2006) took the classic look of the 501's Andy himself wore and killed it with inspiration from some obscure silk screens. At a recent fashion show that New York's Gershwin Hotel hosted as part of a week long tribute to Warhol, the red plaid and vinyl ensembles paired with nerdy specs and suspenders looked far more Pee-Wee than Edie. The problem -- too much art, not enough substance. Would someone please send a memo to Chrome Hearts X Mapplethorpe?
Related Links: some blank canvases a.k.a. black jeans for ya.
It's hard not to admire the high-wattage collaborations between designer and art-world luminaries such as Stella McCartney and Jeff Koons or Issey Miyake and Yoshitomo Nara found in the pages of Another magazine. But the creation made by designer Rifat Ozbek and artist Manfredi Beninati, gets a special lift as it was modeled by Julian Schnabel's daughter. [via Fashionologie, thanks to glosoli for the scans]
In an effort to branch out from its soft-core roots, the Girls Gone Wild franchise is now creating a line of sportswear. "There's a little 'Girls Gone Wild' in every girl," said founder Joe Francis, who has made more than a buck off of drunk, half-naked co-eds. With an apparently straight face, he also told WWD, "That's what I want to bring out, but without being cheesy." Folks over at The Fashion Spot wonder if the line will include breakaway tops and skirts for easier access.
Maybe it's the cold weather, maybe I'm just coat obsessed, but here's a few more gorgeous coats and jackets from the fall collections, a metallic number from alice + olivia, gigantic hoodie to hide in from Zero Maria Cornejo, elegant minimalism from Calvin Klein, and slick looks from Richard Chai and Elie Tahari.
Hussein Chalayan's mechanical dress is specially featured on the latest cover of Wallpaper, a limited-edition lenticular that actually moves and morphs as you tilt the magazine. This one's a keeper.
Designers everywhere want to be your valentine. Karen Walker, Benjamin Cho, and Jean Paul Gaultier all used heart motifs to great effect, and shows like the fundraising Heart Truth and labels like Vena Cava refer to matters of the heart in different ways. If your view of love is a little more jaundiced, check out Radar's worst Valentine's Day gifts for some horrendous heart-emblazoned sweaters.
The folks who brought you horizontal corduroy are now getting into camouflage with a green hairy coat called the "Ghillie." They say, "Hipsters clad in these moss-heap overcoats will soon blend in wherever they go," including cafes, clubs, and bars. What truly disguises the hipster pictured, however, is the so-very-uncool cup of corporate Starbucks coffee.
Want to try out a cropped jacket without buying one? Easy. One New York lady, caught by fashion snapper Bill Cunningham, created a cropped jacket by wearing it upside down, gathering the waist about her neck and letting the collar fall to her waist. At the very least, looking a little crazy will keep the nuts away from you on the subway. [via New York Times]
The usual array of butts and boobs were on full display at the first day of the Barneys warehouse sale in Los Angeles. What's great about the sale? Insane markdowns on everything from Dries Van Noten to Balenciaga. Here's what sucks about the sale -- people throw thousands of dollars worth of incredible garments on the floor, treating the joint like a discount Kmart. One person working the sale said she found a gorgeous Prada cashmere sweater on the ground. So please, treat the merch with the respect it deserves. You just might want to buy it when it's 90% off.
Cropped layers, high-rise belts and patent leather are everywhere on the fall 2007 runways (left to right, BCBG, Richard Chai, Malandrino). Sound familiar? Not to sound like a jerk, but haven't we seen some of these trends before? Maybe it's because they sell. It may not be the cutting edge, but at least it means your wardrobe will last longer.
All the fabulous outerwear on the runways almost makes one wish for more cold. From left to right, we've got a giant zippered puffer from Naum, a distressed leather coat by Philosophy, a deconstructionist/reconstructionist number by Derek Lam and Adam + Eve's dip-dyed high-waisted coat. If anybody feels like sending me a sample of any of these coats, I would be really happy.
One of the final dresses in Benjamin Cho's show -- perhaps an homage to a designer's work never being done? -- gives new meaning to a "work-in-progress." Let's hope these disembodied hands can be friends with Thing from "The Addams Family."
If you're looking for a forgiving garment to cover up post-holiday bloat, keep your eyes out for smocks at some of those great post-holiday sales, says the My Fashion Life blog. Not only are they cheap, but they're great for layering and will take you through to spring.
Ultra-hip concept store Colette is releasing their dog mascots after the crocodile when they start selling Lacoste-and-Colette branded polos in their Paris store. They'll release a new polo a day for 14 days, in celebration of the shop's 10th anniversary. [via Fashion Week Daily]
News that Levi's has been suing jeans companies for copying their back-pocket stitching makes many wonder if Levi's is angry they missed the expensive-jeans boat. Are they suing to recoup losses for charging $30 instead of $300 for jeans? Hmm, any company that can still command thousands for vintage product (read: old jeans) in Japan can't be accused of not understanding premium denim.
Provocative art shows often ask visitors to discuss the issues the work presents, but one artist has found a new way for visitors to weigh in -- literally. The Chelsea Art Museum presents "Dangerous Beauty," a show that dissects issues of fashion, beauty and image-making -- and makes you walk across a floor paved with bathroom scales just to get in.
Stella McCartney's universe of collaborations just got a little bigger, with a deal to create handbags and luggage for LeSportsac. I guess Le Sportsac figured out what H&M and Adidas quickly learned -- put her name on it and it will sell.
The Gap would do well to take a page from Diesel's marketing team, who pretended to hijack the Diesel website and turn it into a collection of blogs, live streaming webcams of nubile underwear-clad models in hotel rooms, and other MySpace-esque elements. Check it out before they take it down tomorrow. [via Fashion Week Daily]
There's little doubt that fitting rooms need some serious retrofitting, and some retailers are doing just that. Replacing bad lighting and broken doors with high-tech interactive mirrors and streaming video has become a priority for everyone from Barneys to J.C. Penney. But all this technology has its drawbacks, as Prada's fancy dressing rooms -- made from clear glass that turn opaque at the press of a button -- prove true. "Customers have been known to forget to press the button and to start undressing."
More fashion will hit the internet starting next week, when the New York Times launches its fashion blog and Italian Vogue detaches itself from Vanity Fair and gives us Style.it, which its most recent cover celebrates. We imagine they'll both be ready for the haute couture shows next week, but in the meantime, create a lookbook on Style.com from the best from recent collections, or just vote on your favorite.
New York mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to eliminate taxes on clothes and shoes within city limits has set fashion junkies' hearts aflutter. The only folks who don't like this? New Jersey retailers, who have been tax-free for a while now.
While reading this post about the ultra-haute Louis Vuitton Miroir bag yesterday, I thought, what's the big deal? It's just another metallic bag, right? Wrong. While cruising by a Louis Vuitton window last night, I spied the Santa Barbara sandals, made from the same gorgeous silver leather, and I have to say, the material is truly beautiful -- it looked like it was cast from actual silver. Just another superficial obsession, but a pretty one.
Related Links: Shoes to satisfy your inner magpie.
For the second year in a row, Britney Spears has topped Mr. Blackwell's annual worst dressed list, althought this year she has to share the top honor with BFF Paris Hilton, who must be held partially responsible for Britney's overexposure. Britney's stylist, however, just gave up. "I make her up and she just takes everything off and does her own thing." Well, good for her. [via People]
Related Links: Ladies, it's not like you don't have the money. Buy some decent clothes.
We've got a preview of cheap chic spring to come over at H&M and the looks are cute and retro. The photo at the far right brings to mind the burning question -- are we ready for the super-high waistline yet? I just can't tell.
Even with our weak currency making one pound worth about two dollars, one of the best times to hit Europe is now, when the deals are off the hook. Visiting London last week, I found: silver Prada sneakers for $180; T-shirts by Dolce & Gabbana for $35; bias-cut drawstring slacks by All Saints for $80 and an Adidas tracksuit for $80. The pair of Helmut Lang (yes, now-defunct Helmut Lang) high-top black leather sneakers I copped for just 35 pounds, or roughly $70. It's a tough call: do I wear them, eBay them, or store as a collector's item? Hmmm.
Related Links: One thing the Brits don't have much of is Marc Jacobs.
The new year brings new inventions, and this year is no different. The most notable among them? Self-cleaning clothes filled with grime-eating nanobots and toasty shoes that flip open, allowing your local pedicurist access to your toes. Also perfect for people who can't seem to remove those Ugg boots from their feet.
Related Links: No bells and whistles, but they are cute boots.
If the shopaholic in you hasn't already hit the post-holiday sales, beware of one major sale-shopping pitfall -- a new study shows that 40% of women buy clothes that are too small for them, hoping to fit into them later, and that 70% of those clothes end up in the closet unworn. Buyer beware and buyer be real. [via Just-Style]
Burberry's Christopher Bailey is so smitten with the sense and sensibility of British photog Cecil Beaton that he anointed the next "it" bag The Beaton. A preview, above, hot-off-the-presses from Burberry's fall 2006-07 ad campaign.
Among many hazards of gigantic handbags, you can now also add getting your expensive Chanel Cabas tote stuck in the door of a subway train, as happened to US Weekly's fashion director recently. We have an idea: spray paint the Chanel logo on a Hefty, add a chain-link strap and voila -- a Garbage Cabas you won't need to lose sleep over ruining.
A couple of new books -- "The Look" and "The Science of Sexy" -- profess to tell us how to dress, with advice from the two former designers at Halston. "The Science of Sexy" involves a lot of math and, as the New York Times puts it, "a pitiless dissection of one's peculiar body failings." Ugh. Should we trust a book that tells us to determine our body type by placing a bag over our heads (as "The Look" does)?
The Houston Chronicle recently laid down a few ground rules on socks for local Joes with directives like "never wear sports socks with a suit." The Chronicle style guru also advised his readers, "There's nothing tackier than when a man crosses his ankle over his knee and you see a patch of hair leg." And for the truely clueless: "When undressing for an amorous adventure, remove your socks right after your shoes and before everything else."
The best stockings of all have been fashioned by a handful of generous designers at the request of WWD, who will auction off the stockings to benefit Citymeals on Wheels. The stockings were designed and filled by, from left to right, Marc Jacobs, Rodarte, Vera Wang, Alexander McQueen, Tuleh and Heatherette. Flypaper will be taking a short break and we'll see you in 2007. Enjoy the holidays!
Clutch bags fashioned from woven gum and energy bar wrappers (special editions are made from discarded Luna bar packaging) are both eco-friendly and pop arty, turning trash into a treasure. Off the Rack says Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan are fans of the bags, but we have yet to see them carrying one. The bags are cheap and come with a tree planting. [Ecoist via Off the Rack]
Related Links: The only kind of woven bag you'll see on those girls is Bottega Veneta.
As the busiest shopping season of the year comes to a close, we offer some advice to all the procrastinators out there -- breathe deeply, stay calm, and try not to think about people like this woman: "I started in October and finished by Thanksgiving, for the most part." Grrrr.
When a fur-trim Baby Phat coat was mistakenly advertised as having faux fur by the Burlington Coat Factory, an uproar ensued and fashionable animal lovers were stuck with coyote or raccoons around their necks. It was an easy mistake to make -- most Baby Phat trim is faux, after all. It's nice to know that fake fur has become so popular that when given the real thing, people protest. Except for Madonna.
Designer Linda Loudermilk is poised to launch a luxury eco-certification campaign similar to USDA organic food certification to help trendy tree-huggers recognize eco-friendly clothing. The Los Angeles-via-Paris-via-Colorado couturier, who creates garments with fabrics derived from recycled plastics and self-sustaining plants announced plans to unveil the campaign this month. Conscientious clotheshorses take note: Loudermilk's own glammy green designs smoke the homely hemp jumpers of yore. [via Grist]
The death of metallics has been predicted many times over the past few years, but the shiny look has yet to complete its run, especially for the holiday party season. Suzy Mekes at the International Herald Tribune calls metallics a "challenge to the little black dress," from silver to gold to bronze, the fabric brightens up winter nights.
The Clash and Dolly Parton don't share too many fans, but they both share space on a list of tunes about shopping. Classics like the Pet Shop Boy's "Shopping" and Jonathan Richman's "Rockin' Shopping Center" round out the perfect playlist.
Between designer Hussein Chalayan's chandeliers made from airplane wings to an art installation made from 750 pairs of Pumas, the Art Basel exhibition in Miami, which starts today, creeps ever closer to fashion. Jimmy Choo, and Harper's Bazaar and Swarovski are also working the art world, after all, those $500 shoes seem cheap when compared to a $5,000 painting.
Talk about markup -- the Givenchy dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" fetched ten times the price expected, clocking in at $922,000. All the money will go to charity, but some say the dress will go to Posh -- how apropos -- aka Victoria Beckham, who just might be the only celebrity tiny enough to fit into a dress with a 24-inch waist.
Dressing to kill is not as easy as it looks, even when you're a Bond girl. Inspired by the new "Casino Royale" movie, the Fashion IQ blog describes how to dress like a Bond girl -- outfits must be flexible enough to "mingle with the rich and ruthless" but flexible enough to go undercover and catch all the bad guys. It seems that Calvin Klein heels are just the thing for hanging around the casino, while Chinese Laundry shoes are just the thing to help disarm that nuclear device.
All the attention being paid to Britney's new look brings the distinction between vampy and skanky to mind: If you look like you just got some, it's sexy. If you're dressed like you're out to get some, it's cheap. While shopping for the office holiday party, decide which side of the tracks you're walking along and ask yourself: 1) Is there camel toe without an inseam? 2) Does it show cleavage in the front and back? 3) Does the side-slit expose your hip bone? Remember, if you've ever worried that you're dressed like a hussy, you've probably never even come close.
Unseasonally frigid weather in the Northwest has renewed a discussion on the state of the hat and how Portland, OR, may just be custom-lid central. Just blocks from each other downtown, two haberdashers, John Helmer and Pinkham Millinery, are keeping the classic, functional and downright fabulous art of hat-making alive and well. So bring it on, Jack Frost, bring it on.
Related Links: Keep warm in an adorable knit skullie.
Think you're crazy for labels? Think again. In the central African nation of Congo, a select group of men live for Gucci loafers and Versace shirts, popularized by musicians like Papa Wemba, pictured. Some have even gone so far as the call fashion their religion. What do they think of American hip-hoppers who they feel have been biting their blinged-out style? "They don't really know how to dress," one young man told the Los Angeles Times.
Jet-setting DJ Donna D'Cruz's signature Swarovski crystal headphones (reportedly designed for her by Dolce & Gabbana) will soon be available through Cruz's Rasa Music label and at select retailers. Celebrated soundmen like Diddy are queuing up to snag the flashy $2,500 fones while stylish spinderellas can match their blinged-out heads with their Louis Vuitton headphone bags.
Is there a special dreamy handbag you'll do just about anything for? Take heart. Here's a few tips from Pursed Lips on how to scrimp and save for your fantasy handbag. Warning: it's not going to be easy (tip #6: Make your own coffee and skip Starbucks and Dunkies. Tip #10 Start a blog on handbags and get ads to supplement your fund!). [via Coutorture]
Got a hankering to make a dress in yellow? Well, Bacardi Limon and Fashion Week Daily want you to send in sketches and creative concept for a chance to win $5,000 and an internship with Hollywould. For visions in yellow, check out Badgley Mischka's spring 2007 collection. Just don't pull a Keith.
Paper magazine and Levi's hosted a Stylist vs. Stylist battle in Los Angeles last weekend, and it sounds like the competition was serious. Check out pics and more from the event at Paper.
Some new vocab for the fashion addicted: Vogue Warped is when your face has been so deeply buried in the style glossies that a $1,000 Fendi handbag (pictured) seems like a steal. Or when "you start thinking that four-hundred pounds of layered chunky cardigans would be totally flattering," wrote Winona of the blog Daddy Likey, "or that $700 is a perfectly reasonable price for shoes when you usually think twice about a $70 pair from Nine West." [Daddy Likey via Coutorture]
An Australian "wearable instrument shirt" transforms an air guitarist into the real deal by picking up arm motions and turning them into sound. They really need to sell these at the Air Guitar Championships.
News that Alexander McQueen will design Kate Moss' wedding dress brings our attention to the lovely his-and-hers luggage, also by McQueen, that would be perfect for Kate's honeymoon with Pete Doherty. The white suitcase appears to have a ribcage bursting forth, a reminder of Kate's prime heroin-chic days, and the black suitcase, imprinted with giant crocodile scales, will maintain Pete's bad-boy image and keep the airport cops out of his luggage. [via the Fashion Spot]
Louis Vuitton will display art rather than delicious handbags this holiday season, putting Olafur Ericsson's giant sun-like eye in the windows of its New York flagship. "The products that Louis Vuitton offers to some degree promise to put the consumer in the spotlight," the Icelandic artist told LVMH magazine. We'll see how well this subtle marketing works, in the meantime, LV has got its eye on you.
Fashion Tribes thinks ahead to the ever-important holiday party season and finds that avoiding lots of black is a sure way to stand out. They recommend instead accessorizing with black, as in this Elie Saab runway creation, pictured. More holiday trends at InStyle.com.
Is that a loaf of bread in your bra, or are you just happy to see me? A baggy brassiere is not something that any woman wants on her body, but if it's a bra that turns into a bag, well, that's another thing. Japan's "No More Plastics Bags Bra," allows the wearer to avoid bothersome plastic bags by converting the bra into a satchel for carrying more than just melons. How you remove it and hand it over to the cashier remains a mystery.
Related Links: It may only serve as a lowly bra, but it's still cute.
It seems that former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos, a notorious shoe hound, has a bit of a do-it-yourself streak. Her new jewelry line, to launch later this month, includes pieces she made from her own collection of baubles mixed with flea market finds that she crafts together. In what sounds like a mixed compliment, her grandson told her, "You are creating beautiful things like jewels from practically garbage." [via AP, photo from Radar]
Scrutinize some of the best shoes and handbags (which, a recent poll says, are the top two designer items we can't stay away from) from the spring 2007 collection at Style.com, where you can take a good look at next season's favorites, like this gem from Marc Jacobs. Bring a sponge -- you just might drool.
Related Links: So we like our shoes and handbags. So sure us.
A photo spread in Ten magazine showcases some of the most coveted items from Louis Vuitton's fall collection. I still want that headphone purse. Damn. [via Fashion Addict Diary]
Body-building snake-handlers and Siouxsie-obsessed fire-breathers generally have little trouble whipping up a cool Halloween outfit. But normal people can get completely stuck when it comes to the big night. That's why MAC Cosmetics is paying a staff of high-strung cosmetologists to work overtime and transform the well-adjusted masses into Cirque du Soleil understudies.
Get your Gucci without the guilt with holly berry-themed accessories by Gucci that will raise money for UNICEF, benefiting children in Mozambique, between November 21st and December 31st.
In honor of the American Society of Magazine Editors best magazine covers gallery, Gawker presents the worst magazine covers from the past 40 years. The fashion world was not spared and some recent covers -- Harper's Bazaar's naked and pregnant Britney and W's Janet Jackson in "Let's Get Physical" drag -- were recognized as truly wrong. It's been long enough for that 1984 British Vogue cover to start looking good again.
Radar magazine reporter Andrew Goldman ignores the see-through thongs and mesh bikinis from the softcore International Male catalog and instead rocks its capes, ruffled shirts and pimp-ish suits to a Wall Street interview and a Yankees game. Ironically, the only place he's mocked is at a gay bar. The real shock, however, is discovering that some International Male pieces could actually work.
Related Links: Nothing says "I'm an International Male!" more than these.
Wedding dresses are often described as confections of lace and satin, but one Ukrainian pastry chef took things literally, dressing his bride in a gown fashioned from 1,500 cream puffs. Let's hope they served cake at the reception so the bride could remain dressed. [Thanks to Stacey and Yahoo! News]
We'd have to say the most genius halloween getup award goes to this costume, which celebrates Tara Reid's infamous wardrobe malfunction. Lots more fun than the overdone oversexy fare, and you still get to wear a gown and show some skin (just not yours). [via Perez Hilton]
As usual, Yves Saint Laurent has the shoes dream are made of. Fashionologie's prayer's were answered when YSL's nude heels came trotting down the runway. Makes for a nice long line -- that is if your skin tone happens to match the pasty beige.
What appears to be models stuffed into natural history dioramas (one model lounges among the moose in Monique Lhuillier while another wards off a lion attack in Nicole Miller) is actually an impressive act of Photoshop. [MKE via Boing Boing]
The real purpose of these hot new sunglasses seen on Chanel's spring 2007 runway? To cover up the weird eyeliner, which looked like it was hastily applied by a novice 12-year-old.
It's kinda heard to tell, but this dress, by artist and designer Kat Chow, is fashioned entirely out of measuring tape. She's also made a dress called "Not For Sale" from a thousand crisp dollar bills and a kimono from Power Rangers trading cards. She's also in a punk band named -- what else? -- Fashion Show. All this and more from our fave new rag Fashion Project. [Props to Tsia via Supernaturale]
The Gotham Girls Roller Derby team barreled through Soho last week modeling Replay’s spring 2007 collection to the sweet sounds of AC/DC and Def Leppard. The punk derby brought a delightful twist to the romantic print dresses, hippie blouses, short 1920’s-style jackets and mini trenchcoats -- it all sounds pretty schizo until you concede that a real tough cookie needs a little sugar to make it sweet. [photo courtesy elle.com)
Not since "Napoleon Dynamite" have we wanted moon boots this badly. These insane knitted booties were created by German design team Bless, who will release a book, "BLESS: Celebrating 10 Years of Themelessness, No00 - No29" next month." [via Hint magazine]
It's a little old-school, but if this handbag were free, you'd tote it around, or give it to your mom, or sell it on eBay, right? Try and win this Coach Hamptons handbag over at StyleDash. All you have to do is leave a comment and you're in the running, and so far only 27 folks have entered to win. The contest is almost over, so go now. And if you don't like it, there'll be a new contest tomorrow.
In a heated discussion of trends that must die (minivests, small animals as accessories, Uggs), Styledash decribes the ultimate outfit: "And if Hammer pants do come back, I think I might go to dinner with my teacup Yorkie wearing oversized sunglasses, a tiny vest over a bubble skirt with leggings underneath. But no, I will never wear Uggs."
If you still haven't made up your mind about your favorite things from fashion week, check out the best of New York lists from Refinery 29, Paper magazine and the JC Report, plus extensive London coverage from I am Fashion. I hate to say it, but London's fashion week is kicking New York's booty. We'll see if Milan -- which begins next week -- outdoes them both. [left to right, Thakoon, Christopher Kane, Preen, DDC Lab]
Don't miss Radar's fashion week wrapup , where a reporter runs around a la Sacha Baron Cohen's fashion obsessed Austrian Bruno, quizzing fashion geeks about the alleged collections of Kofi Annan, the secretary general of the United Nations, and John Mark Karr, the man who claims to have killed JonBenet Ramsey. Catch it before Radar disappears again.
Taking the magazine's best feature and turning it into an entire catalogue of fashion misfortunes, "Glamour's Big Book of Dos and Don'ts," released last week, describes itself as both a style guide and a guilty pleasure. People who need this book include anyone who has committed the following faux-pas: "Worn pantyhose with open-toed shoes?" (Hey, we all make mistakes.) "Unintentionally flashed your boss with a too-low-cut dress?" (Because intentionally would be okay?)
Some of the loveliest dresses on the runways so far have been shades of pale charcoal. Left to right, Myself, Carolina Herrera, Max Azria and Luca Luca. Am I crazy to like that disk-like Luca Luca necklace on the right? It's kind of good. Photos via Style.com.
A song and music video for the shoe-obsessed. You've gotta love someone who screams "Shut up!" to anyone who says, "I think you have too many shoes." [via YouTube]
One of the creepiest clothing lines to emerge from the MAGIC trade show is the Fungina line of underwear and intimates, which embraces the "FG Girl" who apparently spends lots of time in clubs or on the web. First of all, Fungina is the scientific name of a sea slug, among other things, which I'll let you Google yourself. And if you want to be proud of your womanhood, there are funnier ways to express yourself.
Simply changing the laces on sneakers isn't enough for some people. That's why diamond-studded shoe piercings are super hot in Japan right now, and making their way to America. If shoe jewels have hit Crocs and Nikes, when does an upmarket version hit the Louboutins? [Nice Kicks via Hypebeast]
Featured on the last page of Anna Wintour's "Fashion Rocks" supplement for Conde Nast is Louis Vuitton's patent leather handbag with gold DJ headphones as handles. As Style.com put it, "Never mind the clothes, that's the one they'll be beating down the Louis Vuitton doors for the minute the first delivery drops."
Related Links: That Marc always has the good ideas.
Try this one at home: grab some old scarves from your local thrift store and tie 'em up to make a knotted scarf necklace. "It's definitely not for the mild-mannered," jewelry designer Brian Crumley told Harper's Bazaar on his beautiful creations.
Got any really wrong, ill-fitting, or just plain strange clothes kicking around the back of your closet? Don't fret. Send them away and get them personalized with the Garment Remake Exchange, a sort of pen-pal-style project for reworking unloved clothes between two selected cities. They are currently looking for someone to co-lead an international exchange this winter, so just think of the fun foreign stuff you might get in the mail. [via Bust]
Leave it to Chloe to take some super-geriatric thing like Velcro shoe straps and turn it into something covetable like these silver platforms. [via Fashionologie]
The number of small, independent designers burned by Urban Outfitters grows ever larger, and with anger comes revenge, this time in the form of Urban Counterfeiters, which details tees "inspired" by other tees. The Urban version of a plane dropping cupcakes, right, followed the Johnny Cupcakes version, which came first. More biters here. [via Black Book]
The thunder of thighs will drown out phat dance floor beats this fall unless we get more Slim Fit 20 Caffeine Tights re-stocks pronto -- they sold out of their cellulite-busting stockings again. The Austrian manufacturer claims the pricey leggings ($50 for a pack of three) will whittle down thighs by nearly an inch (2 cm) with daily wear but offers no long-term guarantee, so streetwise strutters will wanna be stocking up.
Related Links: Wear some Kashmere with your caffeine.
The ladies over at Kitchegifts.com are more than a little shoe-crazy. Believe it or not, every kind of shoe imaginable -- from 1950s slingbacks to 1970s platforms to last season's wedge heels -- can be made into cookies. Thanks to Bust magazine for pointing these out.
If you're a crafty sort of gal, you won't want to miss out on "Sew U: The Built by Wendy Guide to Making Your Own Wardrobe," so you can create all those clothes you've been dreaming of (or drooling over in stores). Wendy Mullin may give up a few do-it-yourself wardrobe secrets, but we're confident her rocking line won't go out of business. From Bust and WWD.
If you missed the Prada sample sale in New York, be sure to read Fashion Week Daily's blow-by-blow account of the "five-day frenzy where the good (a creamy Miu Miu trench coat lined in star-spangled lavender), the bad (leftover robot key chains still priced above $100), and the totally bizarre (Prada pruning shears) were all available for 20 percent below wholesale price."
White-hot Portland, Ore., clothier Foundation Garments has all the key pieces a girl could need in the Pacific Northwest. Since opening last March, owner Heidi Carlson has assembled a killer roster that includes Greenbaum Clothing Company, pictured, and Cvalda, both purveyors of the season's smartest staples and fun vintage accents. Good for you, bad for your Visa bill.
A woman boarding a plane in Hong Kong refused to place her Gucci handbag underneath the seat before departure, delaying the flight for an hour while she argued with the flight attendants. They finally threw her, and her untarnished Gucci bag, off the plane. Customs officers note: great way to test whether or not a handbag is real.
Related Links: Well, hell, if you paid thousands for it, we understand.
Remember those cheesy Easy Spirit ads, with lady basketball players rocking the court in overpadded secretary pumps? "Looks like a pump, feels like a sneaker"? Cole Haan has teamed up with Nike to produce comfy heels for fall that you might wear off-court. As the ladies over at Want Need Have blog say, "It's Cole Haan. It's science. So it's not cheap." Would have been useful for this race.
The thick, gigantic, style-heavy September issue of Vogue hits the newsstands tomorrow, and will be snapped up and pored over by eagerly awaiting fashion addicts. The mavens at Fashist Forum and the Fashion Spot have given us a taste of what's inside: a red-haired Natalia Vodianova photographed by Mario Testino; Lily Donaldson, Gemma Ward and Hilary Rhoda on a white background; and cover model Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette shot by Annie Leibovitz. Ready or not, here fall comes.
There's a new John Varvatos Converse slip-on in town, and it's crazy. Well, at least the laces are crazy -- it's got more than triple the usual eyelets and elastic laces so you can slip 'em on and off. If these don't sell out when they drop, I will be surprised. Check out the full Chuck Taylor at CoolHunting.com
Every fashionista has a thrift store find of the century, and here's mine: a pair of Porsche design aviator sunglasses, circa 1980, found in a Brooklyn Salvation Army for $1.50. Later, I discovered the discontinued specs are now worth nearly $300. Fans include Outkast's Big Boi [above], the gentleman from Philly further down this page, and the countless people who try to buy the specs off my face. You, too, can find a pair if you really hunt.
Related Links: Porsche still does make plenty of other types of shades, and Bluefly's got em'.
Just about the best necklace ever, the "Chanel McDonalds" pendant recently worn by Janet Jackson was created by Irish-born jewelry designer Tom Binns. The dueling C's and golden arches perch atop a small skull to represent how "logos are taking over the world," his rep Cristina Viera-Newton told People.com's new style blog Off the Rack.
Related Links: Love 'em or hate 'em, Chanel is hard to ignore.
Putting the joy back into underwear are quirky companies like Pistol Panties, Funderwear and Panti-Christ, which will be crashing Berlin nighclubs clad in their special brand of underwear and bikinis.
Related Links: Super cute "cocoa" undies from Cosabella.
The Royal College of Art show in London had some useful fashion, including this inflatable canoe dress by Yael Mer, which takes the bubble skirt to new levels. The dress was inspired by Hurricane Katrina, and let's hope she produces more soon, as hurricane season has already begun. [via the Cool Hunter]
Hollywood may seem phony and shallow to some, but when it comes to cheap chic, Angelenos take things very seriously. Target's pop-up store on Melrose in L.A., featuring the new Go International collection by Paul & Joe, carries genuine cheap-o versions of the line's good stuff, such as jersey kimono dresses and baby doll tops. "We are not lying to people," the line's designer Sophie Albou to the Los Angeles Times. "It's the real Paul & Joe."
Could acne become something you'd actually want to have on your face? If it's Acne Jeans eyewear, then zits could become the next big thing. [via Hint Magazine]
Dorothy could only wish her ruby slippers looked this good! Devi Kroell, a 2006 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist and recent winner of the Swarovski Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent in accessory design, works magic with skins like python, reindeer, and ostrich.
Yep, here it comes -- the next it bag. This "Lockit" purse (circa 1958) has been resurrected from the Louis Vuitton style vault. Ladies who just can't wait to get their grubby hands on the supple Nomade Leather have to keep it together until Tuesday, August 1, when the bags will be available for purchase. [via Stylephile]
Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck takes the big sleeve trend to a new level with his "Relics from the Future" collection, which includes these giant round sleeves decorated with folksy embroidery. They're so enormous someone might accuse you of smuggling vinyl records. [via Coutorture]
If you've got piles of glossy couture shopping bags kicking around your closet, take note of New York artist Tom Sachs's solution to retail leftovers. He transformed shopping bags and boxes into art, making a Chanel chainsaw and Prada toilet out of store packaging, scissors and glue. And we know just the toilet paper for that fancy commode. [via Cool Hunter]
Whatever happened to the missing five on these numerically-inspired Camper shoes? A few folks over at Manolo's Shoe Blog have some ideas. "The five was so traumatized by being part of that ghastly concoction that it ran away," one commenter wrote. "The five is on the pair of hideous pink tennis shoes my father bought for me around 1982," wrote someone else. "They were so ugly I changed out of them as soon as I got to school." [via Manolo's Shoe Blog]
This may involve one of those endless questionnaires where you have to sign up for a crappy magazine subscription or join the Columbia CD club, or basically sell your name to the world of telemarketing, but the fact remains that you may be able to win a free pair of 7 For All Mankind jeans.
Next time you hit baggage claim at the airport, think long and hard about how badly you really want this suitcase by Jeremy Scott for Longchamp. It is a traveler's dream. Thanks to Hint magazine for pointing it out.
Take a cue from the ladies of Norway with this brand-new street fashion blog Oslostil. There's just a few pics, but all of them are great. [via Coutorture]
The fellows behind United Nude shoes are a bunch of smartypants. The shoes are conceptual, unusual and cute to boot. Mobius-strip shoes, the "Porn" shoe (pictured), and heel-less high heels all make for sculpture-quality kicks. Check out an interview with United Nude designer on Coutorture.
Wendy Mullin of Built By Wendy has deconstructed her indie-prep blouses, jeans and skirts into a line of Built by You sewing patterns for Simplicity. "What percentage of girls can go buy the textiles they want for a pair of jeans, cut them out according to the pattern and then just bang them out, pockets and all?" ask the boys at Vice magazine as if they've never seen a mini-skirt fashioned from an old pair of jeans. The real question is what percentage will hike up that skirt and get down to the business of hammering together a pair of matching shoes, hmm?
Related Links: Maybe some things are better left to the pros.
After months of wedges, we're ready to see something different from the ol' espadrille, and String Republic has brought us the goods, with bright, graphic canvas flats. Designed by 11 different artists, theses kicks have hot graphics with fun names like "Infected Beach" and "Valley of Jell-O." Luchadores, Jesus and strange bunny rabbits all make appearances. [via the New York Times]
Wrapping a shoe around one's waist is not something most of us would think to do, but that's why we love designers who look at a pair of sneakers and think "belt." British-based and Turkish-born designer Bora Aksu has taken Converse sneakers and turned them into made-to-order cinches for his dresses. "We have had people ringing up and begging for them," Aksu told Vogue.com.
If a pair of Manolos mated with a medieval suit of armor, these metal shoes would be their love child. I'm not sure how the spurs figure into that, but oh well. [via Boing Boing]
This model is so overwhelmed by her fuzzy Louis Vuitton bag that she appears to have passed out. Those yellow latex stockings should help clean up any drool. From W magazine via Fashion Addict Diary.
Related Links: This furry bag might also make you faint.
Minidresses so short as to be "safe until you drop your lipstick," are everywhere this summer in New York, to the delight of girlwatchers and perverts in the city. "Dresses -- we can't make them short enough," Karin Bereson, a stylist and designer of the No. 6 line, told the New York Times. [photo by NYT photographer Hiroko Masuike]
Sometimes I look at what Kate Moss, style icon, is wearing, shrug my shoulders, and wonder what the fuss is about. But this diagonal stripey sweater is undeniably hot. We will surely see copycats as soon as the temperature dips. [via Closet Therapy]
In the wake of the BIBA brand re-launch, the proprietress of the swinging London boutique where many a Bond girl bought her go-go boots has been hired to revamp Goldeneye, the Jamaican hideaway where Ian Fleming wrote many a Bond novel -- including the soon-to-be remade Casino Royale. Designer Barbara Hulanicki will work her shag-a-delic magic as part of a $50-million-dollar make-over meant to transform the island refuge into a BIBAlicious resort fit for 007 and Pussy Galore.
The streets of New York and Los Angeles are crowded with American Apparel's sexy v-neck tee. The JC Report calls the extra deep-cut v-neck an "instant classic," and "a hot topic among early adopters who know a good item when they see it."
Gearing up for the July 4th holiday puts us in the mood for color -- red, white and blue, that is. Get high on cartoons in these "Betty & Veronica" comic book wedges by British-based designer Angeline Tournier. What could be more American than Archie Comics? [via The Cool Hunter]
You haven't seen the last of white, at least not for the gents. Several designers ended their spring 2007 shows in Milan with a crisp white suit. From left to right, Gucci, Alessandro Dell'Acqua and Bottega Veneta, which also started out with a flurry of men in white. I feel for the guys. First, all they get are pants, suits and ties. Then no color on top of that? I love being a girl.
Related Links: Labor day hasn't hit yet. Get it now.
This sky blue handbag, left, by Pollini was highlighted in Vogue Italia for its candy-coated appeal and abillity to carry everything and the kitchen sink. But we also love their slouchy number, right.
Artist Phillip Toledano wants to dress you in dolls. Okay, maybe not, but the photographer's provocative outfits, cobbled together with everything from dolls to guns to breasts, are definitely eye-catching. [via The Cool Hunter]
Related Links: If the babies are too gross for you, try a baby doll dress.
"Brokeback Mountain" got Jenny Chafe of Brooklyn so good, she designed a T-shirt line consisting exclusively of sly nods to the gay cowboy film. "What happened in the movie is still happening today and I'd like to change that," said Chafe, 25, from her booth at last weekend's NYC Gay Pride fest. That's why she arranged for all profits from the sale of the tees to go directly to the Matthew Shepard Foundation, which works to eradicate homophobia and hate crimes.
Related Links: What would Jack do? Complete the look with a nice pair of dungarees.
Last night's BET Awards were a vision in white, with Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige and Vivica Fox all striking poses on the red carpet in summer's favorite color. And the ladies weren't alone. Sean Combs, Kanye West, and Busta Rhymes appeared in all-white ensembles as well. But what works for the ladies isn't always right for the gents. "White can be tricky to pull off without looking like the Good Humor man," noted Philly.com's Jenice Armstrong.
This spread in Numero features a model who seems determined to show off her underwear... and her fluffy boleros, like this pink Valentino number. More on Fashion Addict Diary's MySpace webpage. Go on and be their buddy.
Ever wanted to put words into the mouths of models? A new book, "Talk Back: The Bubble Project," shows us how. The book is based on a guerrilla art project in New York that placed speech bubbles over ads and let graffiti do the rest. The section on fashion and media is particularly good. [via JoshSpear.com]
Eureka! As a girl who adds salt to just about everything, the "Spiced Lady Ring" is a dream come true. No more nasty looks from waiters who think the chef seasons everything to perfection. But $345? For now, I'll stick to keeping salt packs in my purse. [via Luxist]
Related Links:Sugar and spice and everything nice.
Now here's a custom suit worth paying for -- one that recreates all your tattoos in embroidery. British tailor shop Social Suicide swaps one kind of needle for another in creating these beautiful suits. It won't come cheap, though. First, you have to fly to London to take measurements, select fabrics -- and have all your body art photographed.
Related Links: The same look, this time needle-free.
Fashion geeks disappointed with Prada (two left) and Miu Miu's (two right) lackluster clothes for resort 2006 can take solace in the two things Prada and Miu Miu always do right -- shoes and handbags. Photos by Stephane Feugere for WWD, via The Fashion Spot.
Spend your teenage years as a joystick-wielding, Rush-loving nerd? Excellent! That old "Why Be Normal?" T-shirt of yours is this year's trucker hat. If you ditched all that stuff when you finally got a girlfriend, there are dozens of vendors out there ready to return your rightful dorkdom to you.
Related Links: For my money the perfect T-shirt can usually be found around a well-defined male torso.
Just when I thought I couldn't bear another skull-emblazoned anything, I saw this amazing off-the-shoulder sweatshirt designed by Swiss design collective Happy Pets for Fataim.
Even if you're not a World Cup nut, you may enjoy these custom-made soccer balls, on view at one of Paris' coolest shops, Colette. Each of the 32 balls represents a qualifying country, and the US, pictured, is clad in -- what else? -- jeans. [Big Perk via Josh Spear]
We'd all like to know how to get ahold of next season's goods before they go mass. Here's how: be famous, or be lucky. Madonna's already got a hot new fall 2006 Prada tote (pictured), even though it's June. And one woman bought a bag from a street vendor in New York and ended up the envy of Paris, France. "Strangers kept coming up to her, saying, 'You are such a b----. Did Nicolas [Ghesquiere] give you that bag?'" reports the New York Post. Only then did she realize she had next season's Balenciaga in her hands.
If I could sleep in these shoes, I most certainly would. How divine are these Versace peep toe pumps? In metallic gold leather, no less! I'm just saying.........
Tracy Reese has a pretty fly, fully lined raffia dress and coat in her pre-fall collection. But raffia's just for bags and beach hats, you say? Nah-uh. We've got some raffia shoes that would be killer with either piece.
Not that I have too many red carpet events on my social calendar. But if I did, I'd be selling my next-born child for this party dress by Bill Blass. Sparkly? Check. Sequins? Check. Strapless? Check. What more could a girl ask for?
[Image courtesy of Style.com]
There's kind of a big problem with artist Damien Hirst's new skull-and-crystal jeans for Levi's, $4,000 price tag aside. We love Hirst's work, even his insane $100 million diamond skull, but skulls and crystals on jeans? That's so two years ago. Enough already.
What could be cuter than these multi-colored totes by Susan Bijl? Super-stylish, vibrant and less pretentious than that other grocery tote, these fold up small enough to leave in your handbag for last-minute grocery shopping. [via Cool Hunting]
Fall minimalism is just around the corner. We can't wait, and neither can T, the New York Times Style Magazine. Check out their sleek spread featuring some of the season's best, from Maison Martin Margiela (pictured) along with kings of simplicity Jil Sander and Calvin Klein.
The September issue of Harper's is full of surprises, including Chloe Sevigny posing as a rehab-bound starlet and a mostly-naked, post-rehab, and definitely post-punk Courtney Love declaring her love for Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld (who, in fact, makes a surprise admission of his own in an upcoming documentary). Wanna get the fresh-from-rehab look? Strap on your ankle bracelet and dark sunglasses and get the look from the Los Angeles Times. [via New York Post, photo via Perez Hilton]
Three hours for the brown ones and about eight hours for the striped ones." 
I am definitely 'Hung-Up' on these black python 
It's been raining, snowing and downright disgusting in Portland for the last 10 days straight, making the mere act of getting dressed in the morning nearly impossible. I mean, what do you wear when the calendar says spring and the scene outside your windows say mid-December? Thankfully, I can be casual-hip at work (bless the magazine world!) but I'm also glad I had the foresight to purchase last fall in NYC the most useful piece of clothing I've ever owned: The basic, durable 
I love when January rolls around: The holidays are over, the Golden Globes are days away and I can ask for my birthday what I didn't get at Christmas. It's also a month when everyone not living in L.A. or Miami struggles to look good (is there ever really a way to look hot in the freezing cold?), which is why I like InStyle's approach to staying pretty amidst the winter blahs. Just in time for Hollywood's convergence on Park City for Sundance in a couple weeks, the mag says it's ok to rock 
Would you enslave yourself for a Fendi fur coat? 
Did someone over at Christian Lacroix go temporarily insane when designing these 
Pics from 
It's not quite ass-less chaps, but we've all gotta start somewhere: Fashion Week Daily reports that 
British rock star couturier Keanan Duffy launched his Bowie-branded fashion line for Target last week. The limited-edition men’s collection, available October 14 through December 24, 2007, consists of skinny pants, dress shirts, ties, blazers, and a line of “rocker” tees that are so sweet,sad and cheap it makes me want to smile-cry. Where was Target when we mullet-headed Bowie wannabes had to make do with stencils and silver spray paint? 
Could there be a designer handbag bubble? Some seem to think so. "Designers are just testing the laws of economics by pricing handbags higher and higher until people stop buying them," Lauren Goodman, fashion director of Domino magazine told the New York Times in an article on the waning appeal of having each season's overpriced "must-have" handbag. But the appeal hasn't gone away completely -- the article reports that a special edition of 25 Chanel bags, sold for $25,000 each, sold out at Neiman Marcus in an instant.
Trace the rise, fall and resurrection of Lanvin in a 
Museums aren't the kind of place you'd normally find yourself a must-have handbag, but starting Monday, all that will change. Another collaboration between 
People may fetishize Christian Louboutin's red-soled heels, but his designs haven't been known for being particularly subversive -- until now. Maybe it's because he 
We all have our weaknesses, and for one woman, that weakness is unreasonably unwearable shoes, of which there are many this season. Take, for example, these 
Attention Harlem shoppers: pack a black Amex card for your next buying spree. In addition to populist megastores like Old Navy and H&M, a spate of 
How fast can you get naked? We bet it's 
Danny Sullivan, the quirky British shoe designer whose fashion week love affair with Heatherette spawned the 
Bold colors? Interesting textures? 
Don't keep your valuables in this Chanel anklet purse, seen on the 
Skootch over Sports Illustrated, America's premier queer femme swimsuit calendar is about to hit the shelves and it's gonna land hard. Twelve foxy Brooklyn femmes with frightening physiques vamp on the beach at Coney Island in hot swimsuits by local designers in this year's edition of the 
Thanks to 
See New York Fashion Week from the eyes of Oded Balilty, a Pulitzer prize-winning photographer for the Associated Press. He's usually known for his work covering the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, but of course fashion week features its own kind of combat -- getting into shows, enduring days without eating and walking miles in stilettos. Don't miss checking out these 
A dozen disco-era mannequins sculpted by Halston's window-dressing protege and boyfriend, Victor Hugo, and painted by Andy Warhol for an event that never happened, would seem an odd tribute to three legendary fashion insiders, but it works. "We wanted to show them during Fashion Week," Mazdack Rassi, owner of Manhattan's 
Don't get me wrong. I love my summer minis and the short shorts that make the hottest months of the year bearable in New York, but when you want instant glam without much work the floor-length dress is the way to go. Yesterday, young designer Terexov showed stunning casual and formal versions.
Get some classic 80s style advice from Mr. T, whose feel-good flick "
It takes brass balls for a knockoff artist to freely admit to taking fresh-from-the-runway goods and getting them made overseas 
A woman on the prowl should dress with an edge, says designer Frieda Iordanous, of Frieda's boutique, a haven for Toronto-area cougars like 
Has the turbanista trail gone cold? While 
Word out to all the homeroom playas who rock their Timbs with a dookie rope: The Dookie Boot, a "40-Below" boot designed by Darryl McDaniels of old school rap trio Run-DMC will hit the streets in time for third period (October 8th). Picking up where Timberland's 
The subscription genius at Conde Nast who decided to send Glamour to former Jane readers as a 
Fashionista tells us "The Devil Wears Prada" 
Anxious for New York Fashion Week to hurry up and start already? Then hop on over to 
The UK's label 
It's time to get naked for Barneys. Not only is it cheap-o 
I like free things, and you probably do, too. Especially when the freebie in question is a haute handbag for fall 2007. Subscribe to Who Wear What Daily and enter to win a 
It seems eBay is not the only way to get ahold of Anya Hindmarch's 
We hope the U.S. Topshop opens in time to let us Yankees get ahold of some of their 
Ashley Paige’s new 
Someone was asleep on the job or this would have been the official ladies tee of Pride 2007. Here at last is a shirt that says, "I've ditched my disposable razor so that I can devote all of my energies to undermining the patriarchy." And yes, it comes from Germany. While it may look like Springsteen in a headlock, Hamburg design team Olga Bielawska and Astrid Schildkopf call it "Natural Fur." In case you still think Germans have no sense of humor, check out the matching "
We love the 
A "white elephant sale" usually means a collection of bric-a-brac no one else wants, in the hopes that one person's 
Kelly picked up her Plume at the Garden Party, hoping to write a letter to Evelyne before hopping on her Vespa to see the Michelle Yeoh film festival. With a Silky Pop, she turned on to the road, hoping she wouldn't end up in the Paddock.
Rainbow Sandals, the discriminating dude's flip-flop of choice owing to its imperviousness to salt water and guarantee of durability (if the rubber sole wears down as a result of a manufacturing flaw the company will stick a new one on free of charge), opened its first U.S. retail store in NYC's Nolita this week. Established in 1974 by surfer Jay Langley in his San Clemente garage, 
German artist Thomas Demand has caught the eye of Miuccia Prada, who is hosting a gallery of his works at the Venice Biennale at 
I guess the 
Yep, it's that time of year again -- time for the cliched articles on the quest for the perfect bathing suit, replete with references to 
Manolo the Shoeblogger will soon have some blogging competition -- from Manolo Blahnik himself. Mr. Blahnik -- or should we call him Blognik? -- will 
Help! I've been run over by the 
Young denim upstarts such as Seven for All Mankind may get lots of attention for being on celebrity behinds, but when it comes to brand loyalty, Levi's is still on top, according to a denim survey on WWD of the 
Hint magazine alerts us to the opening of 
Gawker is getting into the fashion game with a new fashion media blog for the ladies called Jezebel. Jossip says it will 
This summer Tiffany and Chanel will be fighting for pavement space alongside Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana on NYC's boulevard of hard bargains. Baubles emblazoned with the must-have logos of the rich and famous are already selling like hot pretzels on the mean streets of the not-so-rich and covetous. The current batch of silver cuff bracelets, toggle necklaces and dog tags has hit the streets elegantly ensconced in Tiffany & Co.'s powder blue boxes. If you're the true-blue type who'd rather spend the summer gazing through 5th Avenue windows than settle for less than the real deal, enjoy the view. There will be thousands of women haggling over heart link lariats along Canal.
Topshop must have been pleased with the American response to the Kate Moss collection, because they are finally going to 
Elle says 
Not that any of our readers would need it, but maybe you know someone who would -- People magazine is having a 
Oh, Forever 21 –- you ain't fooling anyone. The way the New York Times puts it, the Forever 21 "merchants are clever enough to emulate a handful of retail competitors, reproducing the styles scouted on the runways and at upscale boutiques." Translation: it's a 
Some sad news on the independent fashion blog front -- the fun and inventive 
You have a few more hours to 
Designers love to throw a wedding dress down the runway at the end of a show, especially at the close of a couture collection (a Lacroix bride, pictured). We don't really know who can afford these confections, but we know we can't. But between Isaac Mizrahi's 
Uniqlo has teamed up with designers such as Gareth Pugh and 
The W Hotel is 
Who wouldn't risk "vertigo and personal injury for the sake of high fashion" and the chance to totter around in a pair of the season's best shoes -- 
Not only does this Playtex bra 
Style is all about choice. We can wear whatever we want (
With trends like skinny jeans and obscure high top sneakers already so passé to legions of hipsters, trendsters can now breathe easy because a new obsession is here: 
Who could forget the hideous corsages, uncomfortable shoes, and embarrassing photos? Maybe it's less about forgetting and more about not wanting to remember, but who doesn't have a 
The lack of fabulous kicks for ladies with large feet has a new solution, thanks to publicist Nadine Johnson. Simon Doonan cornered her about where she managed to find 
This is probably the most 
Maybe you already knew this, but apparently the Pope had to give up his beloved Prada shoes when "The Devil Wears Prada" came out. He is not so brand-loyal that he'd be caught in satan's shoes. Now 
What do Versace, quantum theory and Anna Piaggi all have in common? They are all bound within the pages of the first issue of the 
As far as must-haves go, there are really only a few essentials, and a bra is one of them. Although the bra has been around for thousands of years, it wasn't called a "
I didn't think I could love any Converse more than I love my 
Mostly an excuse to showcase a hundred tight-fitting, ultra-short, stripper-friendly dresses, Beyoncé's new video "
How short is too short? This must have been a major debate behind the scenes at 
One woman's story of 
With the approach of spring, ballet flats are sprouting up on 
Atlanta fashion magazine 
Fashionista has made a parlor game from New York Times street style photographer Bill Cunningham's 
Perfect for describing the bandwagon-hopping types who've adopted the turban as their headcover of choice, a "
We couldn't be happier that the glory of the world's largest diamond pendant went to Lil Jon and his $500,000, five-pound 
Since the upcoming 
Target's latest entry into the world of capsule collections is from 
Who knew it was so tough to find a good catsuit? Stylephile tells us to 
In my ongoing search for killer tees I've done dorky, slack and 
It's not just an "It" -- it's also eco-chic. The new 
To keep from losing their shirts figuratively, Abercrombie & Fitch is determined to lose more shirts -- literally. A few sales assistants at the chain's new store in London will be 
A new web site,
From the runways and magazines, one might think that sky-high platforms are the most popular shoes in America. Think again. I mean, let's be real -- who doesn't tire of tottering around so high in the sky. America's top-selling shoe is far more humble -- the Easy Spirit slip-on walking shoe Traveltime outsold all other women's shoes, according to department store data. Talk about what women really want.
If any television producers out there need an idea of a new reality show, I've got a great one for you. In its most recent style issue, the New Yorker tailed Harvey Lewin, a former lawyer for Ozzy Osbourne and Judas Preist who now makes his living 
The standard white canvas shoes Keds usually brings to mind are on the wane, and designer collaborations are on the rise. First up, Nanette Lepore dresses up the old standard sneaker with these 
It's rare that a fashion resource comes for men before the ladies, but in the case of the 
Don't miss checking out Candy Pratts Price's 
Ever feel like you're going a little nuts? Then we have just the thing for you -- the ![chanelij8[1].jpg](http://flypaper.bluefly.com/images/chanelij8[1].jpg)
Prada tool kits, Escada phones, Sonia Rykiel teddy bears are all part of the "
I know we had the H&M/Stella McCartney collaboration here in the US, but that won't stop certain fashion geeks from drooling over the designers new collection for Target in Australia. The line features cheap versions of the 
Shoes fit for a gladiatress were seen all over the runways, from Louis Vuitton's 
Very few people can pull off sunglasses indoors. The last time I tried, I tripped over a keg hose and inadvertently shampooed the basement rug. On the cover of her latest album, "
A Swiss man conned a local weekly into publishing a 
Karl Lagerfeld's 
Anyone skeptical of stylist 
A song for us? Really? Well, not really, but a girl can pretend. Check out the song 
You'd think it was a foolproof formula: Levis+Warhol=Superstar. But instead of sprinkling some glitter on vintage-cut jeans, the folks behind 
In an effort to branch out from its soft-core roots, the Girls Gone Wild franchise is now 
Hussein Chalayan's mechanical dress is specially featured on the 
Designers everywhere want to be your valentine. 
The folks who brought you 
Want to try out a cropped jacket without buying one? Easy. One New York lady, caught by fashion snapper Bill Cunningham, created a cropped jacket by 
The usual array of butts and boobs were on full display at the first day of the Barneys warehouse sale in Los Angeles. What's great about the sale? Insane markdowns on everything from Dries Van Noten to Balenciaga. Here's what sucks about the sale -- people throw thousands of dollars worth of incredible garments on the floor, treating the joint like a discount Kmart. One person working the sale said she found a gorgeous Prada cashmere sweater on the ground. So please, treat the merch with the respect it deserves. You just might want to buy it when it's 90% off.
One of the final dresses in 
Clothesmakers have put 
If you're looking for a forgiving garment to cover up post-holiday bloat, 
Ultra-hip concept store Colette is releasing their dog mascots after the crocodile when they start selling 
News that Levi's has been suing jeans companies for copying their back-pocket stitching makes many wonder if Levi's is angry they 
Provocative art shows often ask visitors to discuss the issues the work presents, but one artist has found a new way for visitors to weigh in -- literally. The Chelsea Art Museum presents "
Stella McCartney's universe of collaborations just got a little bigger, with a deal to create 
The Gap would do well to take a page from Diesel's marketing team, who pretended to 
There's little doubt that fitting rooms need some serious retrofitting, and some retailers are doing just that. Replacing bad lighting and broken doors with 
More fashion will hit the internet starting next week, when the New York Times launches its 
New York mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to 
For the second year in a row, Britney Spears has topped 
The Marc Jacobs Stam bag was the 
Even with our weak currency making one pound worth about two dollars, one of the best times to hit Europe is now, when the deals are off the hook. Visiting London last week, I found: silver 
The new year brings new inventions, and this year is no different. The most notable among them? 
If the shopaholic in you hasn't already hit the post-holiday sales, beware of one major sale-shopping pitfall -- a new study shows that 40% of women buy clothes that are 
Burberry's 
Among many 
The Houston Chronicle recently laid down 
Clutch bags fashioned from 
As the busiest shopping season of the year 
When a fur-trim Baby Phat coat was mistakenly advertised as having faux fur by the Burlington Coat Factory, an 
Designer Linda Loudermilk is poised to launch a luxury eco-certification campaign similar to USDA organic food certification to help trendy tree-huggers 
The death of metallics has been predicted many times over the past few years, but the 
The Clash and Dolly Parton don't share too many fans, but they both share space on a list of 
Between designer Hussein Chalayan's 
Talk about markup -- the Givenchy dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" fetched ten times the price expected, 
Dressing to kill is not as easy as it looks, even when you're a Bond girl. Inspired by the new "Casino Royale" movie, the Fashion IQ blog describes 
All the attention being paid to Britney's new look brings the distinction between vampy and skanky to mind: If you look like you just got some, 
Unseasonally frigid weather in the Northwest has renewed a discussion on 
Think you're crazy for labels? Think again. In the central African nation of Congo, a select group of men live for 
Jet-setting DJ Donna D'Cruz's signature Swarovski crystal headphones (reportedly designed for her by Dolce & Gabbana) will soon be available through Cruz's 
Is there a special dreamy handbag you'll do just about anything for? Take heart. Here's 
Don't miss this beautiful video of store mannequins 
Got a hankering to make a dress in yellow? Well, Bacardi Limon and Fashion Week Daily want you to 
Paper magazine and Levi's hosted a 
Some new vocab for the fashion addicted: 
An Australian "wearable instrument shirt" transforms an air guitarist into the real deal by picking up arm motions and 
Louis Vuitton will display art rather than delicious handbags this holiday season, putting Olafur Ericsson's 
Vibrant Rioja wants to 
Got a favorite fashion story you're dying to share? 
Now here's a 
Fashion Tribes thinks ahead to the ever-important holiday party season and finds that avoiding lots of black is a sure way to stand out. They recommend instead 
Is that a loaf of bread in your bra, or are you just happy to see me? A baggy brassiere is not something that any woman wants on her body, but if it's a bra that turns into a bag, well, that's another thing. Japan's "
It seems that former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos, a 
Scrutinize some of the best shoes and handbags (which, a recent poll says, are the top two designer items 
Like the shoes musician 
A photo spread in Ten magazine showcases some of the most 
Body-building snake-handlers and Siouxsie-obsessed fire-breathers generally have little trouble whipping up a cool Halloween outfit. But normal people can get completely stuck when it comes to the big night. That's why MAC Cosmetics is paying a staff of high-strung cosmetologists to work overtime and transform the well-adjusted masses into 
Get your Gucci without the guilt with holly berry-themed accessories by Gucci that will 
Don't miss 
Radar magazine reporter Andrew Goldman ignores the see-through 
We'd have to say the most genius halloween getup award goes to 
Radar tells you how to get a knockoff Vera Wang, Chloe bag and Chanel No. 5 in a handy 
And for the fashion-forward DJ, imitation Louis Vuitton and Burberry 
As usual, Yves Saint Laurent has the shoes dream are made of. Fashionologie's prayer's were answered when 
What appears to be 
Love this Miu Miu neckline, from 
The real purpose of these 
It's kinda heard to tell, but this dress, by artist and designer Kat Chow, is fashioned 
The Gotham Girls Roller Derby team barreled through Soho last week modeling Replay’s spring 2007 collection to the sweet sounds of AC/DC and Def Leppard. The punk derby brought a delightful twist to the romantic print dresses, hippie blouses, short 1920’s-style jackets and mini trenchcoats -- it all sounds pretty schizo until you concede that a real tough cookie needs a little sugar to make it sweet. [photo courtesy 
Not since "
It's a little old-school, but if this handbag were free, you'd tote it around, or give it to your mom, or sell it on eBay, right? Try and win this 
Violet hues are getting everyone ga-ga this fall. This 
In a heated discussion of 
Leave it to 
Don't miss Radar's 
Taking the magazine's best feature and turning it into an entire catalogue of fashion misfortunes, "
A song and 
Be sure to play the 
How much do we love this handpainted 
One of the creepiest clothing lines to emerge from the MAGIC trade show is the 
Simply changing the laces on sneakers isn't enough for some people. That's why 
Featured on the last page of Anna Wintour's "Fashion Rocks" supplement for Conde Nast is Louis Vuitton's patent leather handbag with 
For your inner drag queen, we have 
Try this one at home: grab some old scarves from your local thrift store and tie 'em up to make a 
Got any really wrong, ill-fitting, or just plain strange clothes kicking around the back of your closet? Don't fret. Send them away and get them personalized with the 
You know those 
Leave it to Chloe to take some super-geriatric thing like Velcro shoe straps and turn it into something covetable like 
The number of small, independent designers burned by Urban Outfitters grows ever larger, and with anger comes revenge, this time in the form of 
The thunder of thighs will drown out phat dance floor beats this fall unless we get more 
If you're a crafty sort of gal, you won't want to miss out on "
If you missed the Prada sample sale in New York, be sure to read Fashion Week Daily's 
White-hot Portland, Ore., clothier 
A woman boarding a plane in Hong Kong 
Remember those cheesy Easy Spirit ads, with lady basketball players rocking the court in overpadded secretary pumps? "Looks like a pump, feels like a sneaker"? Cole Haan has teamed up with Nike to 
The thick, gigantic, style-heavy September issue of Vogue hits the newsstands tomorrow, and will be snapped up and pored over by eagerly awaiting fashion addicts. The mavens at 
There's a new John Varvatos Converse slip-on in town, and it's crazy. Well, at least the laces are crazy -- it's got 
Every fashionista has a thrift store find of the century, and here's mine: a pair of 
It's not yet fall, but big cat prints are already out to play in the world of accessories. Feline-influenced offerings include these 
Just about the best necklace ever, the "
New "chic-lit" titles on the shelves should satisfy any fashion-addict looking for a summer read. "
Putting the joy back into underwear are quirky companies like 
Hollywood may seem phony and shallow to some, but when it comes to cheap chic, Angelenos take things very seriously. Target's pop-up store on Melrose in L.A., featuring the new Go International collection by Paul & Joe, carries genuine 
Could acne become something you'd actually want to have on your face? If it's 
Dorothy could only wish her ruby slippers looked this good! 
Yep, here it comes -- the next it bag. This "Lockit" purse (circa 1958) has been resurrected from the 
Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck takes the big sleeve trend to a new level with his "
If you've got piles of glossy couture shopping bags kicking around your closet, take note of New York artist Tom Sachs's solution to retail leftovers. He transformed shopping bags and boxes into art, making a 
Whatever happened to the 
This may involve one of those endless questionnaires where you have to sign up for a crappy magazine subscription or join the Columbia CD club, or basically sell your name to the world of telemarketing, but the fact remains that you may be able to win a 
Next time you hit baggage claim at the airport, think long and hard about how badly you 
Take a cue from the ladies of Norway with this brand-new 
The fellows behind United Nude shoes are a bunch of smartypants. The shoes are conceptual, unusual and cute to boot. Mobius-strip shoes, the "Porn" shoe (pictured), and heel-less high heels all make for sculpture-quality kicks. Check out an 
Wendy Mullin of Built By Wendy has deconstructed her indie-prep blouses, jeans and skirts into a line of 
After months of wedges, we're ready to see something different from the ol' espadrille, and String Republic has brought us the goods, with 
Wrapping a shoe around one's waist is not something most of us would think to do, but that's why we love designers who 
If a pair of Manolos mated with a medieval suit of armor, 
This model is so overwhelmed by her fuzzy Louis Vuitton bag that she 
Minidresses so short as to be "safe until you drop your lipstick," 
Sometimes I look at what Kate Moss, style icon, is wearing, shrug my shoulders, and wonder what the fuss is about. But this 
In the wake of the 
Gearing up for the July 4th holiday puts us in the mood for color -- red, white and blue, that is. Get high on cartoons in these "Betty & Veronica"
You haven't seen the last of white, at least not for the gents. Several designers ended their spring 2007 shows in Milan with a crisp white suit. From left to right, 
This sky blue handbag, left, by Pollini was highlighted in Vogue Italia for its 
Artist Phillip Toledano wants to 
"Brokeback Mountain" got Jenny Chafe of Brooklyn so good, she designed 
Don't try to get in the pants of 
Last night's BET Awards were a vision in white, with Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige and Vivica Fox all striking poses on the red carpet in summer's favorite color. And the ladies weren't alone. Sean Combs, Kanye West, and Busta Rhymes appeared in 
This spread in Numero features a model who seems determined to show off her underwear... and her fluffy boleros, like this pink Valentino number. More on 
Eureka! As a girl who adds salt to just about everything, the "
In a review of 
Now here's a custom suit worth paying for -- one that 
Spend your teenage years as a joystick-wielding, Rush-loving nerd? Excellent! That old "Why Be Normal?" T-shirt of yours is 
Just when I thought I couldn't bear another skull-emblazoned anything, I saw this 
Even if you're not a World Cup nut, you may enjoy these custom-made soccer balls, on view at one of Paris' coolest shops, 
We'd all like to know how to get ahold of next season's goods before they go mass. Here's how: be famous, or be lucky. Madonna's already got a hot new 
PETA figured 