Hair color news: Get ‘Ombre’ at Mizu New York Salon

What is the latest and greatest in hair color? A great highlighting technique that actually works in your favor if you have some root re-growth! It’s called Ombre and it’s been gaining popularity among celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Lauren Conrad, Gisele Bundchen, and Camila Alves.

Ombre is hair painting and literally means ’shaded or graduated in tone’. When hair is painted in Ombre, it is a gradual dark-to-light, or light-to-dark effect that emphasizes the root area, as well as the tips. Long-lasting, from 3-6 months, Ombre is best achieved when it captures a natural sun-kissed look.

Luckily for those of us in the NY area, Mizu New York Salon has a number of colorists that specialize in color techniques such as Ombre. A client visiting Mizu for Ombre will have a customized consult that will result in a hair color that flatters both their skin and hairstyle.

Ready to get your summer hair in fall shape? Visit Mizu New York online at www.mizunewyork.com and get more information on Ombre as well as other services offered at this full-service salon.

Isabel Toledo for Payless - available online now

Isabel Toledo for Payless High Ghillie

Isabel Toledo became a household name when she dressed Michelle Obama on Inauguration Day. And now, fresh off of her collaboration with Target with husband Ruben, she just launched her Fall footwear line with Payless ShoeSource©. Payless first joined the ranks of mass market retailers who collaborate with popular designers, several years ago with brands like Abaete, Lela Rose, Christian Siriano and now Toledo.

The Isabel Toledo for Payless collection is currently available in stores and online with three handbag styles soon to follow. The shoes consist of seven styles and were inspired by the designer’s life in New York. She thought of what shoes she would need and stuck to chose black, red and silver as the color palette. Prices range from $35 to $60.

The styles range from lug sole booties, laced-up flats, a satin peep toe pump and a furry stiletto boot. We’re loving the ‘Sliver’ bootie and ‘Toreador’ pump – perfect for holiday parties.

Toledo says: “This is heaven-sent because all of a sudden I am going to create work that is going to get out there on a mass level,” Toledo said. “As a designer that is your goal, to communicate to the public and having someone wear my work, to see my work on someone else is very exciting. It’s what you work for.”

Which ones catch your eye? Will you be buying?
Isabel Toledo for Payless Front Fold Bootie
Isabel Toledo for Payless Pom Pom Flat

Isabel Toledo for Payless Metallic Ghillie Flat

Isabel Toledo for Payless Sliver Bootie

Isabel Toledo for Payless Toreador Pump

Isabel Toledo for Payless Poodle Boot

Sponsored Post: The Trendsetters - Five Style Icons Who Influence and Innovate

In fashion, it’s easy to follow the trends but we admire those who set them. We’ve picked our top five favorite style icons who we always watch to see what they’re going to do and wear next. Check it out:

1. Vivienne Tam
Vivienne Tam was already a renowned fashion designer when she decided to take her innovative genius to the next level. She partnered with Hewlett Packard to develop special range of designer computers, computer accessories and packaging. Her first special-edition notebook debuted on the runway at New York Fashion Week, with models clutching the designer notebook like a small purse. Tam’s “digital clutch” is the first of its kind, and the first time a computer company has partnered with a fashion house to create an innovative new laptop and have it debut on the runway. She was one of the first designers to embrace the marriage of fashion and technology and for that reason, we love her.

2. Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama has many roles as the First Lady but we love that she maintains her polished look while taking on everything she does. Before even entering the White House, many women clamored for Michelle Obama’s everyday style. We love that she mixes it up – J. Crew and H&M one day, Narciso Rodriguez the next. She embraces high and low fashion, is loyal to her hometown designers (she’s a longtime client of Chicago fashion designer Maria Pinto), and let us breathe a sigh of relief when she ushered the low, kitten heel shoe and flats back into popularity.

3. Tory Burch
Tory Burch redefined ‘classic’ and gave it a fresh new appeal. In just a short period, she has been hailed “The Next Big Designer” by Oprah and we have to agree. Her fashion influence reigns, as evidenced by the many, many women spotted wearing her signature Reva logo flat. Tory Burch’s personal style is felt throughout everything from her collections to her chic boutiques. Every piece feels as if it has been carefully curated by her, just for you.

4. Kenneth Cole
When Kenneth Cole made forty-thousand pairs of shoes, rented a trailer to sell them out of, and staged his own production – “The Birth of a Shoe Company,” he was destined for success. This innovative thinking led the way to almost 30 years of trendsetting footwear, followed by apparel and accessories, as well as trendsetting in the way of socially conscious advertisements. We love that every ad has a message, so you’re not only getting a trendy new purchase, but a thought-provoking urge to act as well.

5. Sarah Jessica Parker
There are arguably few style icons that are as trendsetting as Sarah Jessica Parker. With her influential role as Carrie Bradshaw on HBO’s Sex and the City, SJP wowed us with her pithy takes on love and relationships, and even more so with her wardrobe (styled by Patricia Field). Even off-screen, SJP’s fashion touch is gold – anything she wears is coveted and bought by fashionistas worldwide. We’re guilty.

America’s first 4G phone is also the first to deliver download speeds up to 10x faster than 3G and be a mobile hotspot for up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices. Not to mention front and rear-facing cameras and the ability to stream live video to the Web. And you get access to over 65,000 apps you’ve come to expect from an Android. So the only question is, what will you do first with EVO? http://sprint.com/firsts

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Sprint via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Sprint.

Weekly Shopping & Goodies

A Few Goody Gumdrops is giving away a Tie-Dye-For Lauren Nevada Dress! Enter to Win!

Couture In The City back to school with William Rast Denim and Sunday Rocks giveaway! Enter to Win!

Fashion Cents wants you to win designer swimwear of your choice (up to $100) from swimspot.com. Enter now!

Fashion Hippo is having Giveaway Bonanza: Win Cream De La Mer Moisturizer, Tory Burch Wristlet

Handbag du Jour is in love with Rebecca Minkoff’s Main Squeeze Clutch.

Ladybrillemag.com says Win Tickets to Watch the Academy of Art Show at NYFW!

RedPoppy Fashion wants to show you these gorgeous heeled boots that will get you all bootied up for Fall…

Simply Sample Sales Shares Edward Bess Beauty Exclusives, Special Offers & An Extra 10% Off at Zuneta!

Style Eyes discusses her ideas on How to jump right out of a style rut

StyleMaven scouts out a roundup of Boho Fabric Handbags including Rising Tide’s hobo handbag worn by Julia Roberts in the new film Eat, Pray, Love.

The Well-Heeled Society is holding a “virtual” seat for you to attend the online launch of Brazilian Shoe Designer Carmen Steffens’ FW 2010 Collection! Click here for your chance to win a $500 US shopping spree!

TheFind is giving away a Fall Preview outfit from French Connection valued at more than $500.

What’s Haute Magazine features a haute Fall splurge - the Nanette Lepore Hush Hush Leather Jacket!

Shopping and Info loves the shirt dress Leighton Meester wore on the set of Gossip Girl this week.

Fab Fashion + Beauty Link Roundup

Check out the Material Girl by Madonna official lookbook featuring Taylor Momsen (Hot Beauty Health)

A little tutorial on how to do boho without going overboard … (Already Pretty)

10 Questions You May Have About “Montenegro Style.” (Crushable)

Plus Blogger Gabi Gregg Wins MTV’s Twitter Jockey Contest. (Fa(s)t Fashion)

There is a Sex Pistols fragrance (The Gloss)

How to get Ashley Greene’s look at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards. (Beauty Blogging Junkie)

Check out the 90’s Bracket – second round and help decide between the Rachel Green haircut and the Babysitter’s Club series. (College Candy)

Thursday haute links

Nikki Blonsky talks “Huge.” (The Frisky)

The worst photoshoots. Ever (The Gloss)

A real run-in with John Mayer (Crushable)

American Apparel’s weirdest fashion (College Candy)

24 Things Single Women Wish We Could Tell Men to Make Dating Easier for Everyone (Glamour)

Haute handbag of the week: Diane von Furstenberg Lytton Minaudiere Clutch (Handbag du Jour)

How to make sure that your hairstyle fits with your personal style (Already Pretty)

Runway for Under $25: Erin Fetherston Resort 2011(College Fashion)

Ramona Singer jewelry for HSN at Mizu Salon NYC

I’ve been so impressed with Ramona Singer’s jewelry line for HSN. With each collection she offers, I find new and exciting pieces I want to add to my jewelry box. While her latest line isn’t available just yet, she did offer a sneak preview at the impressive Mizu Salon NYC on April 27th. Amid the luxurious Park Avenue salon, guests viewed the gorgeous jewelry, as they mixed and mingled with Ramona, her daughter Avery and the salon’s owners, Vaughn Acord and Damian Santiago. In addition, attendees were treated to complimentary blowouts by Mizu’s artistic team. While you wait for Ramona’s new collection to debut, visit HSN.com to shop her current collection. For all of you New York readers, stay tuned for a great offer from Mizu Salon in NYC exclusively for What’s Haute readers!

EXCLUSIVE: An evening with Bluefly and the winner of Project Runway season 7

Sadly, another season of Project Runway comes to an end, but I got the incredible opportunity to spend the evening watching the finale at a party hosted by Bluefly and this season’s contestant Anthony Williams and season three contestant Laura Bennett. Can you say amazing? The party was held at Bennett’s fabulous two-story loft and her husband and kids mingled with the crowd. The environment was intimate, yet fun and fab – with an assortment of chic fashionistas, sushi, cocktails and cupcakes and Project Runway fan favorites! I spotted Anthony and Laura, of course, Seth Aaron Henderson, Maya Luz, Kevin Christiana, Kelly Cutrone(!), Epperson, and Althea Gibson, along with some of my favorite bloggers – Kristin from Fashion.Style.Beauty. and Dina from Eye 4 Style.

Throughout the show the crowd was treated to Anthony’s entertaining sidebar comments and the fabulous garments coming down the runway. If that wasn’t enough to satisfy your fashion fix, pieces from Laura’s final collection were also on display in her loft and if you thought they were amazing on TV, they were even more incredible in person. Project Runway has discovered some truly talented designers. But back to the show – we were on the edge of our seats waiting for them to announce the winner – even Seth Aaron had to get a glass of wine! But when it was revealed, he and his wife and children shared a moment and the crowd cheered! His looks were definitely the crowd favorite!

I chatted with Seth Aaron right after his win was shown on TV. We spoke about what he’s doing now – currently a mix of media and press tours to talk about winning the show, and between the time the show ended until now, he was sewing original pieces and doing trunk shows throughout Portland, Oregon, which sold out every time! And I’m not surprised – who wouldn’t want a Seth Aaron original?

What’s next for Seth Aaron? Well, he said that he’s currently looking for a manufacturer in Los Angeles, hired a sales rep, and is already planning shows at both New York Fashion Week AND London Fashion Week! When I asked him about his inspirations, he said that he doesn’t go out seeking inspirations – rather, it just comes to him. And I asked him about his Tim Burton-style pieces. He said he’s a huge fan of both Burton and Rob Zombie films as well, and loves his own ’dark’ aesthetic that he injects into his clothes. I love it too – it’s fun and fanciful and stunning - on the runway and off. I definitely can’t wait to see what happens next for Seth Aaron. I’ll be watching. And wearing, hopefully very soon.

Editor’s note: I chatted with Anthony Williams who is designing a handbag line (check out his gorgeous gold jeweled bag below) and Kelly Cutrone about her new YouTube TV channel with BFF Justine Bateman. Both were absolute sweethearts!

RACHEL Rachel Roy ushers in Spring 2010 collection with a performance by Estelle

Last week I was invited to attend a preview of the Rachel Roy Spring 2010 collection at Macy’s - Herald Square. The opportunity to meet Rachel was enough for me to be excited about, but on top of that, her friend, singer and jewelry collection co-designer Estelle was scheduled to perform as well. The two gorgeous and talented ladies came on stage and Rachel introduced Estelle, who then performed a set of several songs, including her new hit song ’Freak‘ and my personal fave – ‘American Boy‘. Then Rachel met with fans, posing for pictures and signing autographs while models posed in her latest collection.

I chatted with Rachel – who was an absolute sweetheart, by the way – about her fashion line, women entrepreneurs, and accessories. She complimented me on my necklace; I adored her Skull Two Finger Ring, which unfortunately is now sold out! I wore my RACHEL Rachel Roy 24hr Dress for the occasion, and spotted a new version of it for spring – the Mini Painted 24hr Leopard Dress. This has to be one of the most fabulous dresses I’ve ever owned because the fit is simply amazing. This modal dress hangs and drapes in all the right places, and you can dress it up with heels and jewels, or dress it down with flats. It’s extremely comfortable and flattering for any figure, and the leopard print adds a nice touch for the season.

Buy for $99 at RACHEL Rachel Roy online, or at Macy’s.

J. McCarthy/Wireimage

Nicole Richie to launch House of Harlow 1960 handbag collection for Spring 2011

Of all the celeb-designed lines, one we actually like is Nicole Richie’s House of Harlow 1960. The jewelry line, which debuted first, was full of art-deco style, vintage, boho-chic pieces that were both pretty and reasonably priced. Recently, House of Harlow launched its footwear line – another hit with everything from chunky heels to comfy mocassins, alongside sunglasses. Next on the plate are House of Harlow handbags. It’s the logical next step for Richie’s successful brand. Reportedly, the House of Harlow 1960 handbag collection will consist of 40-50 handbag styles with a range of prices between $295 and $595, and will launch in spring 2011. There are no images yet, but Rick Cytrynbaum, co-founder of Majestic Mills (which produces House of Harlow 1960 accessories and Richie’s clothing line Winter Kate), told Women’s Wear Daily: “If you look at the clothing and you look at the footwear, you get an idea of what the bags are going to be!” I can tell you one thing - I will be waiting “with breath that is bated”!

Photo by Donato Sardella via WWD

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