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

Sponsored post: the RACHEL Rachel Roy spring lookbook is here!

Love RACHEL Rachel Roy as much as we do? Click the image below to check out her Spring lookbook and shop to your heart’s content!

Jeffrey Sebelia named new head designer of Fluxus

Project Runway’s favorite bad boy Jeffrey Sebelia was recently named head designer of Fluxus. His collection is everything you’d expect from his rock’n'roll aesthetic - edgy and everyday cool, tons of black and gray, but all-around haute. Sebelia for Fluxus is the synthesis of his three inspirations: the backstage of a ballet rehearsal, the dance floor of an 80’s disco night club, and the front row of a rock concert. You’ll see everything from a mix of knit garments from special wax-treated, leather-look pieces, to sheer modal and black stripe burnout garments. Sebelia’s fashions come in various cuts, shapes and silhouettes in easy-to-wear fabrics and priced as low as $60-$200. Check out images from his spring collection.
Fluxus fans include Rachel Bilson, Megan Fox, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Lauren Conrad and Leighton Meester.

Barbie Basics LBD Collection - event recap

Yesterday I told you about the Barbie Basics LBD collection of dolls. Well, I had the chance to preview the one-of-a-kind designer dolls last night at Openhouse Gallery. The Kir Royale cocktails were flowing, the hors d’oeuvres were being passed and I got a chance to catch up with some of my favorite fashion bloggers. Then came the unveiling. Oh boy! If only I could have Barbie’s one-of-a-kind outfits for myself! The looks were everything you’d expect – and more! All of the dolls were styled amazingly, but my faves had to be the Betsey Johnson Barbie with the wide sheer skirt, the Devi Kroell Barbie with mirrored pants and an ‘exotic’ handbag, the Lorraine Schwartz Barbie with $10,000 of real diamonds on it, and the Subversive Barbie with a chunky, layered pearl necklace! Icing on the cake – designer Justin Giunta (Subversive) was there and told me about his inspiration for accessorizing Barbie, his jewelry line and his upcoming jewelry collaboration with Tory Burch!

Overall, all of the dolls were nothing short of fabulous! And as promised, bidding has begun on the dolls so if you want to get your hands on these one-of-a-kind designer dolls, whip out your credit cards and snap up one – or a few! Proceeds will benefit CFDA education and scholarship programs.

Make sure to follow Barbie on Twitter (@BarbieStyle) and check out her blog, where CFDA designer Justin Giunta has a guest blog about his designer doll.

Special thanks to Attention PR, Steven Kolb - Executive Director, CFDA, and Stephanie Cota - SVP, Barbie for hosting this event!

Photos via Racked and TrendHunter

Barbie Basics black label collection of little black dresses

Barbie is the luckiest girl in the world. Who else can say that they have a closet full of little black dresses (LBDs), designed just for them by 12 of the world’s top designers?

To celebrate the launch of Mattel’s new Barbie Basics doll, featuring twelve customized Barbies with varying hairstyles, skin tones and a basic LBD and accessories, the company also invited Council of Fashion Designers America (CFDA) designers to customize twelve one-of-a-kind dresses for Barbie. Designers include Deborah Lloyd (Kate Spade), Isaac Mizrahi, Rachel Roy, Tory Burch, Alexis Bittar, Betsey Johnson, Devi Kroell, Justin Giunta (Subversive), and Monica Botkier. Wouldn’t you just love to have a closet full of their stuff?

Each designer is auctioning their doll on eBay until February 7. Starting bid is $100 and net proceeds will go to the CFDA’s education program and scholarships.

And tonight, I’ll be tweeting live from the first-ever Barbie tweet-up, where we’ll get to take a peek at these one-of-a-kind dolls. Follow us on Twitter: we’re @WhatsHaute!

And follow @BarbieStyle for more updates on the dolls!

Shop now with your $50 gift card at Kimberly Taylor

You may have heard about Kimberly Taylor, the 24 year-old designer who recently opened her own flagship store in New York’s Meatpacking District. Taylor, who has no formal design training, created a womenswear collection that is completely covetable and droolworthy. Full of colorblock separates, the designer’s looks have the devil-may-care attitude and feel of Alexander Wang, but at prices that you don’t have to be famous to afford. And for a limited time, to promote the debut of her e-commerce website– KimberlyTaylor.com, she’s offering all of you a special $50 gift card towards all new Cruise and Spring 2010 styles. You can claim the gift card at checkout by entering “Launch” in the promo code box from now through Fri., Dec. 18. Check it out!

What’s on your favorite designer’s holiday wish lists

Want to know what your favorite contemporary womenswear designers want for the holidays? WWD spoke to a few of them to find out what they want, what they have planned for the holidays, and of course who and what they’ll be wearing. Check out what’s haute on their holiday gift lists:

AMY SMILOVIC, Tibi: “A crocodile bag from Bottega Veneta. It’s my obsession right now.”

BETSEY JOHNSON: “A new hot lover.”

CATHERINE MALANDRINO: “An autographed basketball by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Tony Parker and Allen Iverson to gift to my son.”

CYNTHIA ROWLEY: “Another memorable adventure.”

GELA NASH-TAYLOR, Juicy Couture: “I want snow.”

JOYCE AZRIA, BCBGeneration: “I don’t need anything, but if anyone’s taking notes I want…a camera, a MacBook, Chanel booties, new makeup, Brian Atwood over-the-knee suede boots, a new house, a navy blue vintage Porsche — you know, nothing fancy.”

MICHELLE SMITH, Milly: “More time with my babies.”

NANETTE LEPORE: “A 15-minute meeting with Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg so I can state my case about saving the Garment Center.”

REBECCA TAYLOR: “I’m angling for an Hermès scarf, but I’d be happy with just my whole family being together for the first time.”

SHOSHANNA GRUSS, Shoshanna: “As long as my family and friends are happy and healthy, I don’t need a thing.”

STACEY BENDET, Alice + Olivia: “I want [my one-year-old daughter] Eloise to say ‘mama’.”

TRACY REESE: “An Eames chair.”

Whats on your holiday gift wish list?

Zac Posen to design for the girl on the street: introducing Z Spoke

Don’t you just love when designers launch lines for the everyday woman? We do. We’ve long been fans of Zac Posen but stuck to shopping only his accessories since his evening dresses reached exorbitant price levels. We’re happy to learn that Zac, according to Women’s Wear Daily, is launching a new lower-priced collection for spring called Z Spoke. The contemporary sportswear line which includes separates such as knits, cotton shirts, blazers and pleated khaki shorts will be exclusively sold through Saks Fifth Avenue, in 17 stores and online at Saks.com.

Z Spoke is said to represent Zac’s “new minimalist and utilitarian mind-set with a strong sportswear sensibility”. While Zac Posen’s high-end collection ranges from $900 to $12,000, and custom pieces reaching upwards of $20,000, the Z Spoke range will retail from $78 to $675 and includes everything from a basic cotton T-shirt to Posen’s signature knit dresses.

What do you think of the collection? Will you be buying Z Spoke?

Photos by Kyle Ericksen via WWD

Tory Burch - Spring/Summer 2010 Presentation #NYFW

During fashion week, where would you find yourself in the same room as Anna Wintour and Toni Braxton? Tory Burch of course! The favorite designer of mine held a presentation near the end of fashion week and even at 9 in the morning, it was a zoo of fashionistas (myself included) clamoring to see what’s haute for Spring. Burch revealed her new logo color (purple) along with the new collection which as always, included a ton of pieces I wanted to snap up immediately.

The collection was an interesting mix of retro, prep, modern frontierswoman with a dash of glitz and glam. The pieces ranged from sequin party dresses to floral-print retro style day dresses; chic tweed skirt suits and gingham pant suits; tie dye to traditional trenches. The footwear was interesting as well - strappy leather sandals stood alongside flat and heeled moccasins.

Accessories included a wide range of covetable handbags, jewelry and belts. Every piece covered the gamut of traditional to trendy. Tory Burch knows how to serve up fashion for any woman, any where at any time.

Photos: Ehmonie Hainey/What’s Haute and NY Post

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