Tag Archives: Chelsea

Rootstein Mannequins Presents The Blonds: A Retrospective

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New York Fashion Week kicked off with a bang at the Rootstein Mannequin launch party of The Blonds’ most iconic celebrity ensembles. The Blonds are known best for dressing starlets in gem-encrusted bodysuits, crystal corsets, and mini-dresses lavishly embellished with stars, chains, spikes, and sequins. You can catch celebrities like Britney Spears, Rihanna, and Miley Cyrus donning the brand at red carpet events.

The sky is the limit for this designer—as long as fun and rock and roll are incorporated in the extravagant details. At the event, each corner had mannequins scattered in various poses. Some of them looked so lifelike it was a bit eerie! The fashion crowd that attended arrived dressing every bit chic and sipped on “The Blondini” cocktails all night surrounded by the mannequins.

Tim Richardson: Spiritual Machine Gallery Opening

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Photos by Blaire Brown

A fusion of classical and futurist motifs filtered through technology adorned the walls of the Milk Gallery NYC last week at the private opening for Tim Richardson’s Spiritual Machine. Richardson’s images move far beyond the camera, exploring the figure and fashion through motion capture, scanning, and 3D imaging which became apparent each corner we turned throughout the show. The gallery is showing pieces that were editorial gems from magazines like Vogue Hommes Japan, V magazine, and Dazed and Confused– just to name a few. Julie and I mixed and mingled through the artsy crowd which was an exhibit and scene in itself. My favorite part about attending these events is the people watching: the clothing is amazing and such characters are so interesting to meet! Check out my photos to see our adventure unravel. The exhibit will be held at Milk Gallery until May 31st— grab some coffee at the Chelsea Market and go pop in and see the art in person before it’s gone!

Rooftop Views and Handbags Galore

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Atop the Hotel Americano rooftop on Tuesday was the launch of the LeSportsac handbag collaboration with luxury jewelry designer Erickson Beamon. In stores this fall, the designer’s collection is composed of ballet shoe pink clutches with diamond-like stitching details, jeweled ring zipper closures, and gemstone prints enlarged to create a pixelated effect that all tie into Erickson’s
passion for jewelry design. All shapes and sizes of bags (including handy garment bags) were well thought out and created for the woman on the go.

Erickson Beamon started out in the 80’s at a runway show, stringing a few crystals onto suede for an earring piece. Next thing she knew, her chandelier earring was featured in Vogue. From that moment on she has had a following that consists of an extensive list of celebrity clients such as Drew Barrymore, Daphne Guinness, Julia Stiles just to name a few, and has additionally partnered with numerous fashion houses like Zac Posen, Anna Sui, and Marc Jacobs.

This year marks LeSportsac’s 40th anniversary in which they chose to partner with American designers to create special collections that represent their all-American aesthetic as an iconic handbag company. After viewing the precisely placed details and intricate designs this line has, I cannot wait to see what is next on the brand’s collaboration list.

 

Detectives from London at SAUNDER

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Upon arrival to the SAUNDER fashion show, it was clear this was going to be interesting. A detective-like character sat at a desk in the middle of the runway—smoking cigarettes, shuffling through papers, looking at rolls of film, kicked his feet back to rest on the desk, etc.—making no acknowledgement of the people taking photos around him. It all tied together once the models started the actual show.

SAUNDER held her Fall/Winter 2014 fashion show at the gorgeous Highline Hotel during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Inspired by the 1980’s miniseries on BBC, “The Singing Detective,” the designer incorporated an overlap of film noir style with a 1980’s London aesthetic. Both the color palette and geometric details reference this decade. Some of the cardigans and cigarette details give a nod to legendary designer, Elsa Schiaparelli. The line was unique and fresh, with a vintage twist. Loved it!

The Art of Picking and Choo-sing: A Love Story

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There are some encounters in a person’s life that are so memorable and close to the heart that it feels like it had occurred just yesterday, when in fact it was years ago. An encounter that makes the heart skip a beat and takes the breath away. A moment that causes a person to act quickly on major decisions. Meeting Jimmy was one of those special moments.

It was a normal day for me. I had just left the Fashion Institute of Technology after a long day of back-to-back classes. The winds switched directions and briskly pulled me towards West 26th Street into my beloved store, Buffalo Exchange. As I carefully browsed the sweater racks, and flipped through skirts of past seasons’ styles, my gaze landed upon a shelf of significance. The lights dimmed, and a spotlight-effect zeroed in on an item. Or so I imagined. Lo and behold, at eye-level and within reach sat a lovely, sophisticated pair of pointy-toed beige Jimmy Choo heels, size 6. I felt like I was reuniting with John Cusack in Serendipity.

Jimmy

I couldn’t believe it—these shoes were just too good to be true! I walked around the store, testing hypothetical paces and different speeds of walking. A quick pace to make sure I’d get to the train on time. A slow, meandering pace in the occasion I am at a museum or cocktail party. Tapped my toes with my hands on my waist to test them in the occasion someone cuts ahead of me in line. Dance moves in the event that I go clubbing. Perfect fit, and perfect stride. All in one pair. Clearly, this was a match made in heaven—sent to me from God for a small price of $42.

I snatched Jimmy and held him close to my heart. We would never part again.

The Jimmy Choo London label signifies many pivotal moments to me. Jimmy sat with me throughout important interviews. He escorted me to exclusive parties in which I met new friends that are now near and dear to me. He celebrated victories of new opportunities in my life. The brand embodies the prestige and success that I aspire to achieve. Jimmy gave me the boost of confidence that I am now a real adult. A lady taking on New York City with each stride in the fine, Italian crafted leather heels.

LOFT and Choos 085

Heels are my weakness. Being a passionate shoe-shopper, I find it one of the most important pieces a person can wear to portray their image. I would rather walk in uncomfortable heels for hours to feel sexy and confident rather than wear comfortable flats or sneakers to a party. I love the height it gives my 5’ 3” self, and the way my calves are poised when I am standing tall. To me, highly respected, powerful women are seen wearing classic heels on a regular basis.

Today, Jimmy and I remain in a steady relationship and are moving forward one step at a time in conquering the New York fashion world.

Let’s Shop Vintage Manhattan– Throwback Thursday

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In all “Throwback Thursday” spirit, I figured my love for vintage stores could come in handy. A haven for both shoppers with big wallets and thrifty budgets—Manhattan is a treasure hunt for vintage fashionistas at many locations. Whether you’re looking for more commercial, mainstream looks or a hipster vibe, each shop creates its own atmosphere and draws different customers to search the serendipitous depths of the stocked shelves. I took the liberty to hunt through these stores for you and report my findings so you can get a head start on your quest for vintage finds.

New York Vintage

New York Vintage

Walk into a dimly lit, small space filled to the brim with designer goods and you know you’re at New York Vintage. You’ll feel like a little girl playing dress up when looking at these pieces—the options are endless and some museum-worthy. Fabulous names from the past and present—think Chanel, Balenciaga, Norman Norell, and Dolce and Gabana—filled the clothing racks. Big brimmed hats, dazzling jewels, and tiny shoes stood out amongst the clothes. The associates were super friendly and knowledgeable about the clothing. For a vintage-seeker, this store is a dream-come true! Nothing is mainstream or bottom line. Every piece is hand-selected and stored with care to browse.  Featured in many magazine photo shoots, prestigious store windows at flagship stores in NYC—New York Vintage is the ultimate high-end store to discover hard-to-find pieces from names of the past. This store is for big budgets—not the thrifty shopper. Rachel Zoe’s version of heaven.

Neighborhood: Chelsea

Location:  117 West 25th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues

Online: www.NewYorkVintage.com

Street Style: Chelsea Blues

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Effortless Chic

I ran into this girl in Chelsea and loved her effortless look. The blue velvet heels. The blueberry tights. The over-sized scarf, and of course a fur to top it all off. As if this whole look isn’t cute enough, her puppy was the perfect accessory for this chilly day in Chelsea.

Love!