The Future of Fashion hosted by Robert Verdi’s Luxe Laboratory: the ultimate New York Fashion Week retreat

Believe it or not, fashion week can be uber-stressful so any and all opportunities to take relaxing breaks are very much-welcomed. So I was thrilled to be invited to the exclusive New York Fashion Week retreat: The Future of Fashion hosted by Robert Verdi’s Luxe Laboratory. Verdi organizes these fashion Week retreats with a specially curated group of partner brands in fashion, beauty and lifestylen to offer ‘exclusive services, little indulgences and innovative ideas that are shaping the future of fashion & the way we live’.

The Luxe Laboratory is set up in an intimate, studio-style setting, and if I could live in the cozy space, I absolutely would! I visited the lounge on Valentine’s Day, and upon entering, was greeted with a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere of food, drink, fashion, beauty, artwork (from Jen Bekman gallery), and fellow fashion bloggers milling about. I was served yummy Absolut Berri Açai champagne cocktails (sadly I just missed the healthy brunch from BluePrint Cleanse!) and gnoshed on my favorite kettle corn popcorn from Popcorn Indiana. On one end of the Luxe Laboratory was a Rock & Republic denim bar so we could take a peek at the hottest new styles from the brand, alongside custom fittings from Maidenform and ShāToBu™ shapewear, Carrera sunglasses and a furnishings by Modern Dose.

On the other side of the main room was a spa-like lounge area where we could get all dolled up! Ginger + Liz, two ladies who started their own line of fab nail colors, were there providing manicures using their haute collection. My fave was ‘Swagger’. Makeup was provided by Neil for Jouer Cosmetics. He did such a fab job on my face that I sorta hired him to duplicate the look for my upcoming wedding! A professional hair stylist from PHYTO was also there to provide blow-outs. Yes, I felt spoiled for the day!

The Robert Verdi Luxe Laboratory event was amazing! It was such a great space to relax, mingle with other fashion bloggers and editors and get up close and personal with the brands I already write about.

Thanks Robert Verdi! Hope to pay another visit to the Luxe Laboratory very soon!

Win it! One of 5 copies of House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival

He was one of the most prolific designers of our time, known for his incredibly opulent and flashy collections, and his strong, loyal celebrity following. Equally loved and criticized, Gianni Versace, the Versace label, and the man behind it, stayed on the fashion radar. But behind all of the glitz and glam was a lot more. House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival, by Deborah Ball, delves into the storied life of the designer, his family, and his rise to fame. Ball, a former Milan correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, conducted interviews with Versace’s family members, lovers, business rivals, fashion models and industry icons.

Want the book? We’re giving away five copies! To enter to win, leave a comment below telling us your favorite Versace memory. And for more entries, Join our Facebook group, become a fan, or follow us on Twitter. Contest ends February 28, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST.

Versace. The very name conjures up images of outrageous glamour and bold sexuality, opulence and daring. All of course true, but only half the story. Versace is also the legacy of a great creative genius from a poor, backward part of southern Italy who transformed the fashion world through his intuitive understanding of both women and how a changing culture influenced the way they wanted to dress. The first book in English about the legendary designer, House of Versace shows how Gianni Versace, with his flamboyant sister Donatella at his side, combined his virtuosic talent and extraordinary ambition to almost single-handedly create the celebrity culture we take for granted today.

Gianni Versace was at the height of his creative powers when he was murdered in Miami Beach. The story was front page news around the world and the manhunt for his killer a media obsession. His beloved sister Donatella demanded no less than a funeral befitting an assassinated head-of-state to be held in Milan’s magnificent cathedral. In what was the ultimate fashion show, the world’s rich and beautiful – Princess Dianna, Elton John, Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Anna Wintour and others – gathered to mourn a man already considered one of fashion’s great pioneers.

Deborah Ball vividly recounts the behind-the scenes struggles – both creative and business – of Donatella as she stepped out of her brother’s long shadow and took control of the House of Versace. The book offers the first inside look at the enormous challenges Donatella faced in living up to Gianni’s genius, her struggle with a drug habit, her battles with her brother Santo and the mystery of why Gianni left control of his house to Donatella’s young daughter, Allegra.

House of Versace is a compelling, highly readable tale of rise from obscurity, a painful fall and ultimate redemption as the Versace empire returned to health – for now.

Special thanks to Crown Publishing Group (a division of Random House) for hosting this giveaway!

Sponsored post: How to plan the perfect Valentine’s Day (brought to you by K-Y)

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

First look at the Sex and the City 2 movie poster and trailer

 
Get your Cosmos ready - the first look at the Sex and the City 2 movie poster and trailer are here! The poster features the series beloved central character, Carrie Bradshaw in one of her looks from the movie. She’s wearing a white Halston Heritage Dress, Mykita & Bernhard Willhelm Franz Limited-Edition Aviator Sunglasses (you can buy them for $525 at Patricia Field), a painted gold necklace by Solange Azagury-Partridge and Gold Sequinned Christian Louboutin Pigalle Pumps with a gold Chanel clutch. The movie is set to hit theaters on May 28, 2010. We’re getting Carrie-d away with excitement!

Image via Daily Mail

Check out the movie preview below:

Celebrating the holiday’s with Jaclyn Smith and Kmart

If someone told me I’d be spending a morning chatting with one of the original Charlie’s Angels and eating a meal cooked by Oprah’s own former personal chef, I’d say they were lying. But that’s exactly what happened several weeks ago. I was invited to attend Sears’ Home For The Holidays event hosted by celebrity Chef Art Smith and actress/designer Jaclyn Smith at Tribeca Skyline Studios. The morning started off with a cooking presentation by Art and Jaclyn - spicy chicken and shrimp gumbo for breakfast is better than you might think!

Then we had a chance to meet Jaclyn Smith and speak with her about her namesake brand. Her partnership with the store spans almost 25 years and she recently celebrated the launch of her home line in Kmart. She showed off her holiday display which looked incredibly more expensive than you would imagine. Everything from the furniture (tables and chairs) to the decorations (Christmas tree, ornaments, table runners ) looked incredibly rich and lush, and luxurious. All of this at Kmart? Who knew? Admittedly, I haven’t shopped at a Kmart store in years, but after seeing this beautiful home collection, it made me want to hop on over to Kmart ASAP and begin decorating my apartment.

The beautiful designs in the Jaclyn Smith brand are thanks to chief home design officer, Theresa A. Strickland, and Smith herself. Whether you love the home goods or the fashions (Jaclyn wore a luuxurious low-priced cashmere sweater from her own collection!), check out the Jaclyn Smith collection at Kmart for all your holiday needs!

Exclusive photos: First look at Google’s new Android 2.1 phone

We just got our hands on the new Google phone and we’ve got the photos to prove it! It’s a huge step up from the first Google Android phone that we reviewed a year ago when it first launched. The new phone, tentativley called the Nexus One (according to Engadget) is smoother, sleeker and much sexier than the first iteration! The new phone is quite iPhone-like, with it’s slim casing, touch-screen and on-screen keyboard. (There is no actual keyboard like on the current G1 phone). The applications are launched with a swipe of the finger over the on-screen grid. It’s totally cool, and exclusive to T-Mobile. Check it out and let us know what you think!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

First look: The Carrie Diaries - Meet Carrie before Sex and the City

We’re clicking our Louboutin heels anxiously awaiting the the Sex and the City movie sequel. Will Carrie and Mr. Big have a kid? What becomes of Steve and Miranda? Do Charlotte and Harry remain ridiculously happy? Will Samantha ever get married? We’ll soon find out the answers to those questions and more. But in case you were wondering what Carrie and the girls were like before Sex (we can only imagine), get ready because The Carrie Diaries (Hardcover) hits bookshelves this Spring! The book is set to be released on April 27, 2010, a month before “Sex and the City 2” comes out in theaters (on May 28, 2010), so you can get a peek into Carrie’s life as a teen fashionista and high school It girl. Basically she was Blair Waldorf, without the bitchery.

Publisher HarperCollins, which is releasing the prequel (the first of two books by author Candace Bushnell), stated that the book “takes readers back to Carrie Bradshaw’s formative years in high school, giving an inside look at Carrie’s friendships, romances and how she realized her dream of becoming a writer.” We can’t wait!

Pre-order from Amazon.com now!

My Most Uncomfortable Experience

Do you ever wish you could leave your house barefoot? We do. That’s because when it comes to uncomfortable experiences, it typically involves our feet and some painful footwear. Stilettos, of course, but other shoes, boots, even sneakers are included. The most uncomfortable moment? It happened during this past New York fashion week. Picture this: standing in line at Christian Siriano for an hour wearing my brand new Vince Camuto Della Peep-Toe Booties. Oh, the agony! But it’s one of the sacrifices we must make for fashion, right? After that grueling hour with my feet perched like a Barbie doll, I gave up the fight and put on my backups, my Tory Burch Leather Logo Reva Flats. After the show, I ran into Kelly Rowland who complimented me on my shoes. Now if a music superstar could appreciate some great flats, why couldn’t I?

Tell us about your most uncomfortable experience, footwear-related or otherwise!

Haute read - Follow the Model: Miss J’s Guide to Unleashing Presence, Poise, and Power

Can’t get enough of Miss Jay? Neither can we. The Top Model judge/runway model trainer is launching his book “Follow the Model: Miss J’s Guide to Unleashing Presence, Poise, and Power“, tonight at Barnes and Noble. Here are the details for models, model-wannabe’s and all of us in-between:

WHO: J. Alexander, aka Miss J, has traveled around the world casting and coaching models for countless top designers. Now he is a television personality well-known for his work as a runway coach and judge on America’s Next Top Model.

WHAT: “Follow the Model, Miss J’s Guide to Unleashing Presence, Poise and Power” book launch

WHEN: November 10, 2009

WHERE: Barnes and Noble, 97 Warren Street, New York City, 7PM.

WHY: Not everyone is born to be a supermodel, but every woman can acquire confidence, self-esteem, and the determination to realize her dreams. From being comfortable in your own body to the decisive power of one’s attitude to how to walk proud in the highest heel shoes, Follow the Model offers tough love with a lot of heart from a truly one-of-a-kind mentor. Miss J has written an inspiring guide that shows women not how to walk but how to live the Miss J way- fully and fabulously.

Can’t make it? Click here to buy the book online.

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