not fat, the blog
December 29, 2006
Danica's All-Purpose Blog
I'm moving!
I'm going to be archiving the How Not to Look Fat blog and rolling it all into my personal blog -- Danica's All-Purpose Blog -- so I can blog mobile-ly from my travels through Europe this January!
You should be redirected automatically in five seconds, so please bookmark the new page! If you're not redirected automatically, please click here: Danica's All-Purpose Blog.
Thanks! ¶ 21:19 2 comments
I'm moving!
I'm going to be archiving the How Not to Look Fat blog and rolling it all into my personal blog -- Danica's All-Purpose Blog -- so I can blog mobile-ly from my travels through Europe this January!
You should be redirected automatically in five seconds, so please bookmark the new page! If you're not redirected automatically, please click here: Danica's All-Purpose Blog.
Thanks! ¶ 21:19 2 comments
December 28, 2006
Concealer you can wear all night! And more...
HAUTE LIST
By DANICA LO and RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI
December 28, 2006 --
Tips for the Eve:
1. Back away from the glitter - tourists should not confuse your face with the ball drop in Times Square. Somehow, on New Year's Eve, perfectly sensible women abandon common sense and smear their faces with as much of the sparkly stuff as they can find. Instead, pick one part of your face you'd like to highlight, and focus on that. If you're a die-hard sparkle seeker, opt for a shimmer lip gloss.
2. Get your face put on and your hair blown out by a professional. Both the Rita Hazan Salon (720 Fifth Ave.; [212] 734-4757) and Warren Tricomi (16 W. 57th St,; [212] 262-8899) are staffed Sunday to cater to New Year's Eve party people. Both salons are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
3. It's all about your brows. "The biggest thing is to make sure they're really groomed," says Rae Dawn Johnson, makeup artist at Rita Hazan, the salon that touts Jessica Simpson, Carmen Electra and J.Lo as clients. "Groomed brows, lip gloss and mascara go a long way. You don't need all that glitz, glimmer and shimmer."
Johnson also says to skip foundation and opt for a tinted moisturizer and bronzer, instead.
For the aftermath:
1. Best deal of the new year: Borba's Hangover Recovery System ($25 at borba.net) includes the brand's innovative fiber-knit concentrate, emulsion, skin-replenishing drink mix, vitamin-infused "Gummi Boosters," and eye cream.
2. Freeze 24-7's anti-aging eye serum and anti-wrinkle cream ($105 and $115 at freeze247.com) uses gamma-aminobutyric acid, the body's own muscle-relaxing agent, to minimize the appearance of wrinkles, puffiness and sagging - and deliver a refreshing tingly cooling sensation at the same time.
3. The Balm's "Time Balm" concealer (above, $16 at thebalm.com) is "the best concealer I've ever used," swears one beauty junkie we know. Its trick? Wear it overnight to treat under-eye circles and wake up already made up! Also perfect for sleepovers, when you don't want to be barefaced in the a.m. (if you know what I mean).
4. Amore Pacific's Vitalizing Masque ($50 at Amore Pacific, 114 Spring St.; [212] 966-0400) is amazing. Put it on, and it instantly improves your face - de-puffs, soothes, freshens, hydrates and protects. You'll wind up looking like you never went out at all.
Obsessions of the week
* Vanity, thy name is ... (your name here): Monogramming, blinging, personalizing and customizing - there's nothing our narcissistic little hearts crave more than our names artfully emblazoned on each and every one of our girly possessions. Through January, Estée Lauder rolls out free engraving on lip glosses and compacts (from $20) at Bloomingdale's (1000 Third Ave.; [212] 705-2000) and Saks Fifth Avenue (611 Fifth Ave.; [212] 753-4000). Just make your purchase, submit the names you want engraved and have a jaunt around the shop. Engraved while-u-wait! Now your little sister can't steal your shimmer.
* Jeanius: Dedicated denim lovers have been stalking Habitual's sold-out $198 Skinny Glory jeans in dark blue/black (what they call "Satellite"). Search no more, the coveted pairs are being restocked at Barneys tomorrow.
* Pin your gloss on your sleeve: Or, on your purse. Too Faced's Beauty Brooch ($28.50 at sephora.com), the part punk, part glam, part Goth cameo pin, combines function and fashion. Once you clasp it in place, you'll never have to search around at the bottom of your bag for your lip gloss again.
Supersize scents
SMELL like royalty - if your medicine cabinet is big enough. Roger & Gallet are celebrating their 200-year anniversary with a 1,000-milliliter bottle of their classic Jean Marie Farina Eau de Cologne, complete with floating flecks of 22-karat gold, all for $145. It's the size of a bottle of vodka (compare it to the lipstick). And though England's Queen Victoria and France's Napoleon III and Empress Josephine all used it, you might be sick of the scent by 2040, when you'll finally run out. For slightly smaller necks and wrists, Comme des Garçons has introduced 500-milliliter bottles of their Anbar, Citrico and Vettiveru fragrances, $80 each at Jeffrey New York. ¶ 10:08 0 comments
HAUTE LISTBy DANICA LO and RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI
December 28, 2006 --
Tips for the Eve:
1. Back away from the glitter - tourists should not confuse your face with the ball drop in Times Square. Somehow, on New Year's Eve, perfectly sensible women abandon common sense and smear their faces with as much of the sparkly stuff as they can find. Instead, pick one part of your face you'd like to highlight, and focus on that. If you're a die-hard sparkle seeker, opt for a shimmer lip gloss.
2. Get your face put on and your hair blown out by a professional. Both the Rita Hazan Salon (720 Fifth Ave.; [212] 734-4757) and Warren Tricomi (16 W. 57th St,; [212] 262-8899) are staffed Sunday to cater to New Year's Eve party people. Both salons are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
3. It's all about your brows. "The biggest thing is to make sure they're really groomed," says Rae Dawn Johnson, makeup artist at Rita Hazan, the salon that touts Jessica Simpson, Carmen Electra and J.Lo as clients. "Groomed brows, lip gloss and mascara go a long way. You don't need all that glitz, glimmer and shimmer."
Johnson also says to skip foundation and opt for a tinted moisturizer and bronzer, instead.
For the aftermath:
1. Best deal of the new year: Borba's Hangover Recovery System ($25 at borba.net) includes the brand's innovative fiber-knit concentrate, emulsion, skin-replenishing drink mix, vitamin-infused "Gummi Boosters," and eye cream.
2. Freeze 24-7's anti-aging eye serum and anti-wrinkle cream ($105 and $115 at freeze247.com) uses gamma-aminobutyric acid, the body's own muscle-relaxing agent, to minimize the appearance of wrinkles, puffiness and sagging - and deliver a refreshing tingly cooling sensation at the same time.
3. The Balm's "Time Balm" concealer (above, $16 at thebalm.com) is "the best concealer I've ever used," swears one beauty junkie we know. Its trick? Wear it overnight to treat under-eye circles and wake up already made up! Also perfect for sleepovers, when you don't want to be barefaced in the a.m. (if you know what I mean).
4. Amore Pacific's Vitalizing Masque ($50 at Amore Pacific, 114 Spring St.; [212] 966-0400) is amazing. Put it on, and it instantly improves your face - de-puffs, soothes, freshens, hydrates and protects. You'll wind up looking like you never went out at all.
Obsessions of the week
* Vanity, thy name is ... (your name here): Monogramming, blinging, personalizing and customizing - there's nothing our narcissistic little hearts crave more than our names artfully emblazoned on each and every one of our girly possessions. Through January, Estée Lauder rolls out free engraving on lip glosses and compacts (from $20) at Bloomingdale's (1000 Third Ave.; [212] 705-2000) and Saks Fifth Avenue (611 Fifth Ave.; [212] 753-4000). Just make your purchase, submit the names you want engraved and have a jaunt around the shop. Engraved while-u-wait! Now your little sister can't steal your shimmer.
* Jeanius: Dedicated denim lovers have been stalking Habitual's sold-out $198 Skinny Glory jeans in dark blue/black (what they call "Satellite"). Search no more, the coveted pairs are being restocked at Barneys tomorrow.
* Pin your gloss on your sleeve: Or, on your purse. Too Faced's Beauty Brooch ($28.50 at sephora.com), the part punk, part glam, part Goth cameo pin, combines function and fashion. Once you clasp it in place, you'll never have to search around at the bottom of your bag for your lip gloss again.
Supersize scents
SMELL like royalty - if your medicine cabinet is big enough. Roger & Gallet are celebrating their 200-year anniversary with a 1,000-milliliter bottle of their classic Jean Marie Farina Eau de Cologne, complete with floating flecks of 22-karat gold, all for $145. It's the size of a bottle of vodka (compare it to the lipstick). And though England's Queen Victoria and France's Napoleon III and Empress Josephine all used it, you might be sick of the scent by 2040, when you'll finally run out. For slightly smaller necks and wrists, Comme des Garçons has introduced 500-milliliter bottles of their Anbar, Citrico and Vettiveru fragrances, $80 each at Jeffrey New York. ¶ 10:08 0 comments
December 21, 2006
More Deal or No Deal
This is fun!
One of these shoes costs $110, the other costs $690.
But when they're on your feet and you're looking down from five feet up, can you really tell?
Guess which one is which and then click on the pictures to see if you're right. ¶ 21:37 1 comments
One of these shoes costs $110, the other costs $690.
But when they're on your feet and you're looking down from five feet up, can you really tell?
Guess which one is which and then click on the pictures to see if you're right. ¶ 21:37 1 comments
Deal or No Deal
One of these shoes costs $495 a pair. The other $99.
While the photography is disparate, in real life they look shockingly similar...
Which one is which? Guess. And then click on the photos to see if you're right... ¶ 21:27 0 comments
One of these shoes costs $495 a pair. The other $99.
While the photography is disparate, in real life they look shockingly similar...
Which one is which? Guess. And then click on the photos to see if you're right... ¶ 21:27 0 comments
Haute List
HAUTE LIST
By DANICA LO and RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI
December 21, 2006 --
Mary Kay corrals
WHILE Mary Kay's always been popular with the suburban mom set - its well-priced products, which barely even graze the radar of urban fashionistas, are the best-selling skin-care and color cosmetics in the country - the company's only now seeping into Hollywood and show biz's collective consciousness.
Backstage at Z100's Jingle Ball, there was a frenzy around the table Mary Kay set up to court the young celebrity audience. Nick Lachey picked up a collection of MK Signature products to gift his mother for Christmas; Evanescence's Amy Lee applied the company's new scent, Affection, before going onstage; and the Pussycat Dolls ooh-ed and aah-ed over the Velvet Shimmer line. What's next: Snoop Dogg in a low-riding pink Cadillac? Even boys got in on the fun - Mario Vasquez picked up a bronzing powder for stage-use and the Killers' Ronnie Vanucci Jr., along with the fellows from the Fray, spent time pawing the Velocity for Men collection.
Some standouts? "I really like to wear red," says Pussycat Doll Jessica Sutta. "A lot of the time I do my own makeup when we're on the road, so this color [Velvet Lip Color in Crystal Berry] will be perfect."
Her bandmates Kimberly Wyatt and Melody Thornton loved the Affection fragrance. And Ashley Roberts loved the eye shadow, "It's so shimmery!"
Available at marykay.com
- Danica Lo
Dry skin? Be a pod person
BABY, it's cold outside. And, since nobody wants to cuddle up to dry, scaly skin, try out the Hydration Station, a new full-body moisturizing machine much like a tanning bed.
First, you lie down in the spaceship style pod, pull the top down and adjust the air vent above your face. I suggest turning it way up, as the pod heats up to 118 degrees.
Basically, the machine works like a combination between a personal sauna and massage bed - it vibrates while the jets shoot out steam and mineral fragrances that drench your skin. Meanwhile, the pod changes colors to relax you.
Verdict: It works. The experience is pretty relaxing and also a relative bargain - $25 for 20 minutes.
To locate a Hydration Station, log on to planetbeach.com.
- Raakhee Mirchandani
Obsessions of the week
* Get the J. Lo glow: Check out the new, multitasking mineral makeup - it helps prevent wrinkles, breakouts and still covers up whatever you don't want people to see. Susan Ciminelli, beauty and skin-care expert to J.Lo, Ashanti and Naomi Campbell, has a new 59-piece beauty line that is made with SPF 26, doesn't clog your pores, helps prevent blackheads, and even includes healing ingredients such as jasmine, green tea, jojoba oil and lavender. Susan Ciminelli Day Spa, ninth floor at Bergdorf Goodman.
* House of Holland: Ex-journalist Henry Holland started making T-shirts as a joke - creating funny rhyming slogans for his friend, London It-designer Gareth Pugh ("Uhu Gareth Pugh"). After Pugh showed up on the runway wearing one, House of Holland hit the big time, securing accolades from British Vogue and a fan-base that includes Lindsay Lohan, Gwen Stefani, Lady Sovereign and the Olsen twins.
This week, the cult tees ($95) hit downtown fashion destination Seven New York (110 Mercer St., [646] 654-0156). We especially like "Cause me pain Hedi Slimane" and "Get yer freak on Giles Deacon." Check back soon for others to come, including "Do me daily Christopher Bailey" and "Do me in the park Marc."
* Naturally Beautiful: Green is chic. Going green that is. We especially love the hemp Nature v. Future OBI shirtdress ($225) and the Hoodlamb jacket ($235) made out synethic vegan lambswool at Organic Avenue, the eco-conscious LES boutique. Plus, the store stocks awesome organic beauty products such as the Rich Hippie/Dirty Rock Star organic perfume and the Your Right to Be Beautiful face cream. Organic Avenue, 101 Stanton St.; (212) 334-4593 ¶ 09:26 0 comments
HAUTE LISTBy DANICA LO and RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI
December 21, 2006 --
Mary Kay corrals
WHILE Mary Kay's always been popular with the suburban mom set - its well-priced products, which barely even graze the radar of urban fashionistas, are the best-selling skin-care and color cosmetics in the country - the company's only now seeping into Hollywood and show biz's collective consciousness.
Backstage at Z100's Jingle Ball, there was a frenzy around the table Mary Kay set up to court the young celebrity audience. Nick Lachey picked up a collection of MK Signature products to gift his mother for Christmas; Evanescence's Amy Lee applied the company's new scent, Affection, before going onstage; and the Pussycat Dolls ooh-ed and aah-ed over the Velvet Shimmer line. What's next: Snoop Dogg in a low-riding pink Cadillac? Even boys got in on the fun - Mario Vasquez picked up a bronzing powder for stage-use and the Killers' Ronnie Vanucci Jr., along with the fellows from the Fray, spent time pawing the Velocity for Men collection.
Some standouts? "I really like to wear red," says Pussycat Doll Jessica Sutta. "A lot of the time I do my own makeup when we're on the road, so this color [Velvet Lip Color in Crystal Berry] will be perfect."
Her bandmates Kimberly Wyatt and Melody Thornton loved the Affection fragrance. And Ashley Roberts loved the eye shadow, "It's so shimmery!"
Available at marykay.com
- Danica Lo
Dry skin? Be a pod person
BABY, it's cold outside. And, since nobody wants to cuddle up to dry, scaly skin, try out the Hydration Station, a new full-body moisturizing machine much like a tanning bed.
First, you lie down in the spaceship style pod, pull the top down and adjust the air vent above your face. I suggest turning it way up, as the pod heats up to 118 degrees.
Basically, the machine works like a combination between a personal sauna and massage bed - it vibrates while the jets shoot out steam and mineral fragrances that drench your skin. Meanwhile, the pod changes colors to relax you.
Verdict: It works. The experience is pretty relaxing and also a relative bargain - $25 for 20 minutes.
To locate a Hydration Station, log on to planetbeach.com.
- Raakhee Mirchandani
Obsessions of the week
* Get the J. Lo glow: Check out the new, multitasking mineral makeup - it helps prevent wrinkles, breakouts and still covers up whatever you don't want people to see. Susan Ciminelli, beauty and skin-care expert to J.Lo, Ashanti and Naomi Campbell, has a new 59-piece beauty line that is made with SPF 26, doesn't clog your pores, helps prevent blackheads, and even includes healing ingredients such as jasmine, green tea, jojoba oil and lavender. Susan Ciminelli Day Spa, ninth floor at Bergdorf Goodman.
* House of Holland: Ex-journalist Henry Holland started making T-shirts as a joke - creating funny rhyming slogans for his friend, London It-designer Gareth Pugh ("Uhu Gareth Pugh"). After Pugh showed up on the runway wearing one, House of Holland hit the big time, securing accolades from British Vogue and a fan-base that includes Lindsay Lohan, Gwen Stefani, Lady Sovereign and the Olsen twins.
This week, the cult tees ($95) hit downtown fashion destination Seven New York (110 Mercer St., [646] 654-0156). We especially like "Cause me pain Hedi Slimane" and "Get yer freak on Giles Deacon." Check back soon for others to come, including "Do me daily Christopher Bailey" and "Do me in the park Marc."
* Naturally Beautiful: Green is chic. Going green that is. We especially love the hemp Nature v. Future OBI shirtdress ($225) and the Hoodlamb jacket ($235) made out synethic vegan lambswool at Organic Avenue, the eco-conscious LES boutique. Plus, the store stocks awesome organic beauty products such as the Rich Hippie/Dirty Rock Star organic perfume and the Your Right to Be Beautiful face cream. Organic Avenue, 101 Stanton St.; (212) 334-4593 ¶ 09:26 0 comments
December 16, 2006
I follow my own advice! Proof here.
Structured, medium-sized tote bags with handles that are long enough to allow for both hand-carrying and shoulder-toting, are the most flattering size. They avoid looking slouchy and sloppy and neither underwhelm nor overwhelm most sizes and shapes (of people). So you won't look like a huge person carrying a tiny bag -- but at the same time you won't look like you're shlepping your life around with you.
So, Happy Birthday To Me yesterday, I bought myself a brand new structured top-handle medium-size bag. Shiny with gold hardware. Can be worn on the shoulder or carried in hand. Last night I went to a party and paired it with my crazy Miu Miu boots (seen here in the latest issue of Self Service Magazine)
and my new fitted and paneled knee-length Margiela black wool coat.
Welcome to the Black Parade. ¶ 08:57 0 comments
Structured, medium-sized tote bags with handles that are long enough to allow for both hand-carrying and shoulder-toting, are the most flattering size. They avoid looking slouchy and sloppy and neither underwhelm nor overwhelm most sizes and shapes (of people). So you won't look like a huge person carrying a tiny bag -- but at the same time you won't look like you're shlepping your life around with you.So, Happy Birthday To Me yesterday, I bought myself a brand new structured top-handle medium-size bag. Shiny with gold hardware. Can be worn on the shoulder or carried in hand. Last night I went to a party and paired it with my crazy Miu Miu boots (seen here in the latest issue of Self Service Magazine)
and my new fitted and paneled knee-length Margiela black wool coat.
Welcome to the Black Parade. ¶ 08:57 0 comments
Could you love a Monster Man?
A round-up of some of today's biggest 'Monster Bands'. I mean, just in case you were wondering...
MONSTER MASHERS
By DANICA LO
December 14, 2006 -- LORDI
Sound: Balls-out rock straight from the '80s
Looks: They're from hell
Shtick: Lots of pyro, and Mr. Lordi wears animatronic wings.
MUSHROOMHEAD
Sound: Melodic industrial metal
Looks like: Dead alien dolls with fangs
Shtick: Most critically acclaimed, tend not to decapitate anyone.
SLIPKNOT
Sound: Platinum-selling heavy rap-metal
Looks like: Horror-movie rejects
Shtick: They call their fans maggots.
INSANE CLOWN POSSE
Sound: Rap-metal rage
Looks like: Psycho carnies
Shtick: High-drama live shows featuring chain saws and free-flying soda. ¶ 08:49 0 comments
A round-up of some of today's biggest 'Monster Bands'. I mean, just in case you were wondering...MONSTER MASHERS
By DANICA LO
December 14, 2006 -- LORDI
Sound: Balls-out rock straight from the '80s
Looks: They're from hell
Shtick: Lots of pyro, and Mr. Lordi wears animatronic wings.
MUSHROOMHEAD
Sound: Melodic industrial metal
Looks like: Dead alien dolls with fangs
Shtick: Most critically acclaimed, tend not to decapitate anyone.
SLIPKNOT
Sound: Platinum-selling heavy rap-metal
Looks like: Horror-movie rejects
Shtick: They call their fans maggots.
INSANE CLOWN POSSE
Sound: Rap-metal rage
Looks like: Psycho carnies
Shtick: High-drama live shows featuring chain saws and free-flying soda. ¶ 08:49 0 comments
Haute List
HAUTE LIST
By RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI and DANICA LO
December 14, 2006 --
Click here for Haute List Blog
Ugg! They won't die
THEY'RE the Ugg-ly trend that's hung around, amazingly, for four years - the giant fur boots women insist on wearing with everything, from jeans to skirts.
"Uggs are unbearable and need to leave town with the big glasses," says publicist and Kritik designer Jonathan Cheban. "Girls look like beasts walking down the street wearing them."
And yet ... they just won't GO AWAY.
Bloomingdale's? Sold out - and "we're not taking names because we don't know when they'll come in again," says a spokeswoman. Online? Bloomingdales.com projects an 89-day wait and zappos.com aren't shipping any more classic Uggs until Feb. 19, 2007.
The only way to wrangle a pair is to bid on eBay - where prices are currently around $150, or 25 percent higher than manufacturer's suggested retail - or overseas boutiques.
"We feel that this season particularly proves the permanence of these boots as a footwear staple," says brand spokeswoman Mary Slevin. "They're a trend that's managed to became a classic."
Ironic, since Uggs are practically the Spice Girls of the footwear world - platinum-selling, but no one you know will admit to actually liking them. The closest we could get to a testimonial? "Um, they're really practical," one wearer says. Function over form trumps all in the urban tundra.
- Danica Lo
Obsessions of the week
MORE FLASH THAN CASH: Save money and be good to the Earth this season by wrapping gifts in reusable or recyclable materials. Or "give a service any New Yorker would love: a free housekeeping visit from zenhomecleaning .com," says eco-stylist Danny Seo. "They use nontoxic products and even turn down the bed." Try this and other top Earth-friendly holiday tips from Seo's book "Simply Green Giving."
* PEACE OFFERINGS: Alex and Ani, famous for those expandable charm bracelets, has a new, genius design - a necklace that expands from 15 inches all the way to 30 inches. The dainty 18-karat gold charm necklace features a peace sign, fleur-de-lis and horn pendants, $175 exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue.
* PORTABLE LUXURY: Juicy Couture's Leather Ballerina Flats, $150 at eluxury.com, is a pair of supersoft foldable shoes that come packaged in a small, leather purse - perfect for packing on long plane trips and holiday vacations.
* SNOT-FREE: Graceful Services has the perfect way to help you kick that cold - an 80-minute decongestion massage that helps work the toxins out of your body by focusing on the right meridians. But be warned - no pain, no gain. The treatment hurts a little but actually cleared out our sinuses and head. $100, Graceful Service, 1097 Second Ave. (212) 593-9904.
* DIRTY GIRL: Jonathan Product's texturing Dirt was a runaway beauty best seller last year - now the long-locked can get in on the action with light-as-air Silky Dirt, $28 at sephora.com
* WINO SKIN: Carlo Mondavi, grandson of Napa winemaker Robert Mondavi, is using Grandpa's grapes to make face cream. Davi - the line of skin care - is available at Bergdorf Goodman and includes Le Grand Cru face cream, $175; Vine Fresh Lotion, $48.50; Moscato Purifying Cleanser, $38.50; and Harvest Mist Tone, $38.50. ¶ 08:48 0 comments
HAUTE LISTBy RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI and DANICA LO
December 14, 2006 --
Click here for Haute List Blog
Ugg! They won't die
THEY'RE the Ugg-ly trend that's hung around, amazingly, for four years - the giant fur boots women insist on wearing with everything, from jeans to skirts.
"Uggs are unbearable and need to leave town with the big glasses," says publicist and Kritik designer Jonathan Cheban. "Girls look like beasts walking down the street wearing them."
And yet ... they just won't GO AWAY.
Bloomingdale's? Sold out - and "we're not taking names because we don't know when they'll come in again," says a spokeswoman. Online? Bloomingdales.com projects an 89-day wait and zappos.com aren't shipping any more classic Uggs until Feb. 19, 2007.
The only way to wrangle a pair is to bid on eBay - where prices are currently around $150, or 25 percent higher than manufacturer's suggested retail - or overseas boutiques.
"We feel that this season particularly proves the permanence of these boots as a footwear staple," says brand spokeswoman Mary Slevin. "They're a trend that's managed to became a classic."
Ironic, since Uggs are practically the Spice Girls of the footwear world - platinum-selling, but no one you know will admit to actually liking them. The closest we could get to a testimonial? "Um, they're really practical," one wearer says. Function over form trumps all in the urban tundra.
- Danica Lo
Obsessions of the week
MORE FLASH THAN CASH: Save money and be good to the Earth this season by wrapping gifts in reusable or recyclable materials. Or "give a service any New Yorker would love: a free housekeeping visit from zenhomecleaning .com," says eco-stylist Danny Seo. "They use nontoxic products and even turn down the bed." Try this and other top Earth-friendly holiday tips from Seo's book "Simply Green Giving."
* PEACE OFFERINGS: Alex and Ani, famous for those expandable charm bracelets, has a new, genius design - a necklace that expands from 15 inches all the way to 30 inches. The dainty 18-karat gold charm necklace features a peace sign, fleur-de-lis and horn pendants, $175 exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue.
* PORTABLE LUXURY: Juicy Couture's Leather Ballerina Flats, $150 at eluxury.com, is a pair of supersoft foldable shoes that come packaged in a small, leather purse - perfect for packing on long plane trips and holiday vacations.
* SNOT-FREE: Graceful Services has the perfect way to help you kick that cold - an 80-minute decongestion massage that helps work the toxins out of your body by focusing on the right meridians. But be warned - no pain, no gain. The treatment hurts a little but actually cleared out our sinuses and head. $100, Graceful Service, 1097 Second Ave. (212) 593-9904.
* DIRTY GIRL: Jonathan Product's texturing Dirt was a runaway beauty best seller last year - now the long-locked can get in on the action with light-as-air Silky Dirt, $28 at sephora.com
* WINO SKIN: Carlo Mondavi, grandson of Napa winemaker Robert Mondavi, is using Grandpa's grapes to make face cream. Davi - the line of skin care - is available at Bergdorf Goodman and includes Le Grand Cru face cream, $175; Vine Fresh Lotion, $48.50; Moscato Purifying Cleanser, $38.50; and Harvest Mist Tone, $38.50. ¶ 08:48 0 comments
December 11, 2006
Five hot tips for the holiday season
Check out Fitsugar, where I provided five tips on how to look svelter this holiday season!
Also, check out my new work-blogging project, for general fashion interest: NY Post Fashion Blog. ¶ 19:48 1 comments
Check out Fitsugar, where I provided five tips on how to look svelter this holiday season!Also, check out my new work-blogging project, for general fashion interest: NY Post Fashion Blog. ¶ 19:48 1 comments
December 07, 2006
Butt pads plus!
HAUTE LIST
By SERENA FRENCH, RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI, and DANICA LO
December 7, 2006 -- The body bag
WHAT nature has neglected, now a $235 bag can correct.
The Premiere Line is a kit of silicone covers, pads and tape that will give you a new butt or boobs without costing an arm and a leg. Frederick's of Hollywood developed the product along with Cristina Ehrlich and Estee Stanley, stylists for Nicole Richie, Penelope Cruz and Jessica Biel, to get the perfection-challenged ready for the red carpet.
The white nylon packs come in two parts: The upper body kit contains double-sided fashion tape, two pairs of nipple-concealing silicone covers and a flex bra for backless or deep-plunge looks. The flex bra consists of two silicone strips, one for lifting and one for coverage.
The lower body kit has a few innovations: There's a low-rise short that holds everything in like a vacuum pack but doesn't feel thick like a wetsuit. The Pick Me Up Derriere bands look like stockings but push each cheek up from the bottom. But the Booty Pads take the tush over the top: a pair of silicone cheeks that pass the slap test.
"Just remember if you're going home after the hot date, take 'em out first," Ehrlich says.
Upper body kit, $125; lower body kit, $110, at Frederick's of Hollywood, King's Plaza mall, Brooklyn
- Serena French
Obsessions of the week
Hollaback bag: Forget the new album, and instead spend your money on Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. collection's new gorgeous black leather Venezia Bag, $725 at Henri Bendel.
*
Uggly boots: Thought Ugg boots were a passing trend? Think again.
Despite the fact that they may very well be the least attractive pair of shoes you have in your closet, there's no arguing about how soft and comfy they are.
And today the company opens their first U.S. retail store in SoHo at 79 Mercer St. between Broome and Prince, stocked with boots, slippers and the brand's first line of outerwear, including tailored trench coats and denim.
*
Wearing your gloss on your sleeve: This season's cutest compacts are lipglosses that double as charm bracelets. There's the KLS Lucky Charm Bracelet, $37, at Macy's; Dior Pretty Charms, $70, at eluxury.com; and Lancome Glossy Charms Bracelet, $40, at Lancome.
What a pear: A humble pear tree, originally planted on Peter Stuyvesant's farm, stood on the northeast corner of on 13th Street and Third Avenue for 220 years - "The Oldest living thing in New York City," declared Harper's Monthly in 1862 - gracing the front steps of Kiehl's apothecary until it was run over by a wagon in 1867. In 2003, Kiehl's replanted the tree - and this season, they've created a limited-edition Pear Tree Corner body cleanser and lotion ($15-$19.50 at kiehls.com) in its honor.
*
Ro, ro, ro: Italian xylography (um, that's woodcarving) artist Mariaelisa Leboroni has designed a nine-piece collection with ro handbags (robags.com) that will be auctioned off for cancer charity Team Continuum Monday at Nolita's Public.
- Raakhee Mirchandani and Danica Lo
TOP POPS
Anglo-fashion-philes, break out your plastic, because this week, for the first time, Topshop.com began shipping to the USA. For about $20 in shipping, you can don the togs of celebs such as Kate Bosworth, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss - who is in cahoots to design a line with the British megastore. ¶ 20:30 3 comments
HAUTE LISTBy SERENA FRENCH, RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI, and DANICA LO
December 7, 2006 -- The body bag
WHAT nature has neglected, now a $235 bag can correct.
The Premiere Line is a kit of silicone covers, pads and tape that will give you a new butt or boobs without costing an arm and a leg. Frederick's of Hollywood developed the product along with Cristina Ehrlich and Estee Stanley, stylists for Nicole Richie, Penelope Cruz and Jessica Biel, to get the perfection-challenged ready for the red carpet.
The white nylon packs come in two parts: The upper body kit contains double-sided fashion tape, two pairs of nipple-concealing silicone covers and a flex bra for backless or deep-plunge looks. The flex bra consists of two silicone strips, one for lifting and one for coverage.
The lower body kit has a few innovations: There's a low-rise short that holds everything in like a vacuum pack but doesn't feel thick like a wetsuit. The Pick Me Up Derriere bands look like stockings but push each cheek up from the bottom. But the Booty Pads take the tush over the top: a pair of silicone cheeks that pass the slap test.
"Just remember if you're going home after the hot date, take 'em out first," Ehrlich says.
Upper body kit, $125; lower body kit, $110, at Frederick's of Hollywood, King's Plaza mall, Brooklyn
- Serena French
Obsessions of the week
Hollaback bag: Forget the new album, and instead spend your money on Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. collection's new gorgeous black leather Venezia Bag, $725 at Henri Bendel.
*
Uggly boots: Thought Ugg boots were a passing trend? Think again.
Despite the fact that they may very well be the least attractive pair of shoes you have in your closet, there's no arguing about how soft and comfy they are.
And today the company opens their first U.S. retail store in SoHo at 79 Mercer St. between Broome and Prince, stocked with boots, slippers and the brand's first line of outerwear, including tailored trench coats and denim.
*
Wearing your gloss on your sleeve: This season's cutest compacts are lipglosses that double as charm bracelets. There's the KLS Lucky Charm Bracelet, $37, at Macy's; Dior Pretty Charms, $70, at eluxury.com; and Lancome Glossy Charms Bracelet, $40, at Lancome.
What a pear: A humble pear tree, originally planted on Peter Stuyvesant's farm, stood on the northeast corner of on 13th Street and Third Avenue for 220 years - "The Oldest living thing in New York City," declared Harper's Monthly in 1862 - gracing the front steps of Kiehl's apothecary until it was run over by a wagon in 1867. In 2003, Kiehl's replanted the tree - and this season, they've created a limited-edition Pear Tree Corner body cleanser and lotion ($15-$19.50 at kiehls.com) in its honor.
*
Ro, ro, ro: Italian xylography (um, that's woodcarving) artist Mariaelisa Leboroni has designed a nine-piece collection with ro handbags (robags.com) that will be auctioned off for cancer charity Team Continuum Monday at Nolita's Public.
- Raakhee Mirchandani and Danica Lo
TOP POPS
Anglo-fashion-philes, break out your plastic, because this week, for the first time, Topshop.com began shipping to the USA. For about $20 in shipping, you can don the togs of celebs such as Kate Bosworth, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss - who is in cahoots to design a line with the British megastore. ¶ 20:30 3 comments
My Stylebook
Here's the link to My ShopStyle Stylebook, where I'll be putting together new outfits every day!
Sign up for free and be my "friend" -- check out new updates and request outfits for special occasions! ¶ 00:15 1 comments
Sign up for free and be my "friend" -- check out new updates and request outfits for special occasions! ¶ 00:15 1 comments
December 05, 2006
ShopStyle!
Check out my newest project -- creating "stylebooks" on ShopStyle.com, the brand-new Google for clothes!
They're literally a search engine of shopping sites -- no more visiting a bunch of different sites looking for the particular item you want. Now you can just go to one place.
So far ShopStyle's added 13 online retailers. By the end of January there will be 25, and they'll be adding 5-10 retailers every month until they get up to about 300 quality retailers!
You can join and create stylebooks -- saved outfits and categories of things you like! You can also be friends with other people with stylebooks -- be my friend! -- and look at what they've chosen. It's like MySpace for fashion fiends, you know?
Best of all? It's free.
Check it out! And find me -- and be my friend on ShopStyle.
If you have any suggestions on what kind of outfits you'd like to see me put together, don't hesitate to email me or leave me a comment! xx ¶ 22:16 0 comments
Check out my newest project -- creating "stylebooks" on ShopStyle.com, the brand-new Google for clothes!
They're literally a search engine of shopping sites -- no more visiting a bunch of different sites looking for the particular item you want. Now you can just go to one place.
So far ShopStyle's added 13 online retailers. By the end of January there will be 25, and they'll be adding 5-10 retailers every month until they get up to about 300 quality retailers!
You can join and create stylebooks -- saved outfits and categories of things you like! You can also be friends with other people with stylebooks -- be my friend! -- and look at what they've chosen. It's like MySpace for fashion fiends, you know?
Best of all? It's free.
Check it out! And find me -- and be my friend on ShopStyle.
If you have any suggestions on what kind of outfits you'd like to see me put together, don't hesitate to email me or leave me a comment! xx ¶ 22:16 0 comments
December 01, 2006
Weekend Today, Saturday 2 December
If you're up tomorrow morning around 8:30 a.m., tune in to NBC's The Today Show, weekend edition, where I'll be discussing How Not to Look Fat this holiday season! ¶ 19:15 4 comments
If you're up tomorrow morning around 8:30 a.m., tune in to NBC's The Today Show, weekend edition, where I'll be discussing How Not to Look Fat this holiday season! ¶ 19:15 4 comments
November 30, 2006
Musing
Sometimes I think I should rename my blog.
How about: How Not to Look Stupid?
¶ 09:24 0 comments
Sometimes I think I should rename my blog.
How about: How Not to Look Stupid?
¶ 09:24 0 comments
How Not to Flash
IT'S AN OPEN AND SHUT CASE
November 30, 2006 -- DEDICATED to Britney, Paris and Lindz - a list of how-to's for our favorite feeble-minded flashers everywhere.
How to get out of a car: If your car is low- like Paris Hilton's Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren - try the swing and tuck. Keep your knees and thighs together, and swing your legs from the car to the pavement. Then, tuck your skirt tightly against your body and get out, flashing only your smile to the waiting paparazzi.
How to wear underwear: What's a panty-hater to do? "Oh honey, that's easy," says Linda Becker, owner of lingerie mecca Linda's. "You want to go 'Commando' all the way - they make thongs and girl shorts that are 'better than nothing.' If you hate wearing thongs, On Gossamer panties are the best - I call them invisible panties because they don't show panty lines and they're the most comfortable panties out there."
How to go commando: The Anti-Panti (five for $10 at antipanti.com) is a 4-inch diameter cotton pad that adheres to the inside of your trousers, altogether replacing the need to fuss around in your panty drawer for the perfect pair.
How to use tit tape: Any skin-friendly double-sided tape will do. Cut into small squares and place tape along the seam of the fabric - avoid using one long strip for a more natural look. This way, nipples and other vital bits are well-covered. Sticky stuff difficult to remove? Try dabbing on a bit of nail-polish remover. ¶ 09:20 0 comments
IT'S AN OPEN AND SHUT CASENovember 30, 2006 -- DEDICATED to Britney, Paris and Lindz - a list of how-to's for our favorite feeble-minded flashers everywhere.
How to get out of a car: If your car is low- like Paris Hilton's Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren - try the swing and tuck. Keep your knees and thighs together, and swing your legs from the car to the pavement. Then, tuck your skirt tightly against your body and get out, flashing only your smile to the waiting paparazzi.
How to wear underwear: What's a panty-hater to do? "Oh honey, that's easy," says Linda Becker, owner of lingerie mecca Linda's. "You want to go 'Commando' all the way - they make thongs and girl shorts that are 'better than nothing.' If you hate wearing thongs, On Gossamer panties are the best - I call them invisible panties because they don't show panty lines and they're the most comfortable panties out there."
How to go commando: The Anti-Panti (five for $10 at antipanti.com) is a 4-inch diameter cotton pad that adheres to the inside of your trousers, altogether replacing the need to fuss around in your panty drawer for the perfect pair.
How to use tit tape: Any skin-friendly double-sided tape will do. Cut into small squares and place tape along the seam of the fabric - avoid using one long strip for a more natural look. This way, nipples and other vital bits are well-covered. Sticky stuff difficult to remove? Try dabbing on a bit of nail-polish remover. ¶ 09:20 0 comments
Get the look: Clubland
TAKE STYLE TIPS FROM THESE INSPIRATIONS
November 30, 2006 -- TO the average Joe, the crowd at Room Service Tuesdays must look like an odd melange of Santa's elves, pretty waif Goths, and lollipop kids - with Glenda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West thrown in for good measure.
But while it may look like an oddball group, there is rhyme and reason behind these fashion choices. It's not merely enough to throw on a mermaid costume, a generous dose of glitter or a homemade toga. The best-dressed know that, just like fashion, the art of dressing up ought to be approached with a due sense of gravitas, with these inspirations and influences:
* Leigh Bowery (pictured), legendary designer and performance artist, has been, by far, the most influential aesthete on both the New York and London scenes in recent years. His outre top-to-toe hand-stitched costumes, facial piercings and out-of-this world use of color has inspired many modern takeoffs.
* Harlequin patterns, inherently colorful and flamboyant, make for standout tailored pieces, like capes, and go fantastically well with feathers, which are also wildly popular in all shapes and sizes.
* Vegas showgirls, their eye makeup, and their headpieces are a natural choice for exhibitionist clubgoers, both male and female.
* New Romantic Goth - think less scary versions of Marilyn Manson - was wildly popular in '80s London, and it making its comeback today in both clubs and on MTV.
* Victorian and Edwardian motifs in both clothing and grooming - like corsets and curls - have always influenced film noir, which, in turn, inspires clubgoers.
* The colorful and absurd - "The Cat in the Hat," large birds, religious motifs - are all fair game. ¶ 09:15 0 comments
TAKE STYLE TIPS FROM THESE INSPIRATIONSNovember 30, 2006 -- TO the average Joe, the crowd at Room Service Tuesdays must look like an odd melange of Santa's elves, pretty waif Goths, and lollipop kids - with Glenda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West thrown in for good measure.
But while it may look like an oddball group, there is rhyme and reason behind these fashion choices. It's not merely enough to throw on a mermaid costume, a generous dose of glitter or a homemade toga. The best-dressed know that, just like fashion, the art of dressing up ought to be approached with a due sense of gravitas, with these inspirations and influences:
* Leigh Bowery (pictured), legendary designer and performance artist, has been, by far, the most influential aesthete on both the New York and London scenes in recent years. His outre top-to-toe hand-stitched costumes, facial piercings and out-of-this world use of color has inspired many modern takeoffs.
* Harlequin patterns, inherently colorful and flamboyant, make for standout tailored pieces, like capes, and go fantastically well with feathers, which are also wildly popular in all shapes and sizes.
* Vegas showgirls, their eye makeup, and their headpieces are a natural choice for exhibitionist clubgoers, both male and female.
* New Romantic Goth - think less scary versions of Marilyn Manson - was wildly popular in '80s London, and it making its comeback today in both clubs and on MTV.
* Victorian and Edwardian motifs in both clothing and grooming - like corsets and curls - have always influenced film noir, which, in turn, inspires clubgoers.
* The colorful and absurd - "The Cat in the Hat," large birds, religious motifs - are all fair game. ¶ 09:15 0 comments
Celeb Look-a-locks
CELEBRITY LOOK-A-LOCKS
By Danica Lo
November 30, 2006 -- ANY die-hard grooming junkie likely spends hours each week parked in the salon chair having her tresses meticulously washed and blow-dried to smooth helmet-ic perfection. For novices, the prospect of shelling out big bucks for a professional blow-out can be daunting - one false move with the round-brush could yield grandma or, worse, anchorwoman hair.
Luckily, celebrity hairstylist Paul Labrecque - whose clients include luxe-locked Lisa Ling, John Galliano, and Reese Witherspoon - has developed three distinct party-worthy blow-outs - the "Penthouse Sleek," the "Loose and Loungey" and the "Velvet Rope Volume" - that clears up any chair-side confusion.
Gisele Bundchen "Loose and Loungey": "This is black-tie chic," Labrecque says. "This is the most requested look for holiday parties - the abstract line of sultry, loose culs is very sexy and very of the moment."
Mena Suvari "Penthouse Sleek": "This is the most commonly requested blow-out in both my salons," Labrecque says. "The New York woman is sophisticated and prefers a hassle-free look that will last a few days."
Faith Hill "Velvet Rope Volume": "It's a very uncontrived look," Labrecque says. "It's loved by clients who feel the beat and want to run their fingers through their hair - or let someone else's hands run through their hair - all night long."
Blow-outs from $70 at Paul Labrecque, (212) 988-7816, paullabrecque.com ¶ 08:16 0 comments
CELEBRITY LOOK-A-LOCKSBy Danica Lo
November 30, 2006 -- ANY die-hard grooming junkie likely spends hours each week parked in the salon chair having her tresses meticulously washed and blow-dried to smooth helmet-ic perfection. For novices, the prospect of shelling out big bucks for a professional blow-out can be daunting - one false move with the round-brush could yield grandma or, worse, anchorwoman hair.
Luckily, celebrity hairstylist Paul Labrecque - whose clients include luxe-locked Lisa Ling, John Galliano, and Reese Witherspoon - has developed three distinct party-worthy blow-outs - the "Penthouse Sleek," the "Loose and Loungey" and the "Velvet Rope Volume" - that clears up any chair-side confusion.
Gisele Bundchen "Loose and Loungey": "This is black-tie chic," Labrecque says. "This is the most requested look for holiday parties - the abstract line of sultry, loose culs is very sexy and very of the moment."
Mena Suvari "Penthouse Sleek": "This is the most commonly requested blow-out in both my salons," Labrecque says. "The New York woman is sophisticated and prefers a hassle-free look that will last a few days."
Faith Hill "Velvet Rope Volume": "It's a very uncontrived look," Labrecque says. "It's loved by clients who feel the beat and want to run their fingers through their hair - or let someone else's hands run through their hair - all night long."
Blow-outs from $70 at Paul Labrecque, (212) 988-7816, paullabrecque.com ¶ 08:16 0 comments
Where the Wild Things Are
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
By Danica Lo
November 30, 2006 -- ONCE upon a time, there was an '80s and '90s downtown New York culture where Limelight's promoter reigned supreme, Danceteria was the place to be, and St. Marks Place did not have a Chipotle.
It was a time and place where men could be men (in drag, that is) and women may or may not have been born that way.
But what happened when these clubkids - those crazy-looking young people who made the city's nightlife legendary post-punk and pre-Giuliani - got older? Answer: They grew up into clubadults - creative forces to be reckoned with in fashion, media, film, art and dance who still like nothing more than a good party.
And thanks to a revival in both maximalist clubwear and New Romantics on the catwalk, those who love to get their freak on (emphasis on freaky) are having a moment again.
The growing fame and influence of designers like Gareth Pugh, a favorite of Anna Wintour who constructs clothing from, among other things, enormous balls; emergence of more and more dress-up mainstream bands like the Scissor Sisters, AFI, and Panic! At the Disco; and growing interest in early-'80s fashion has created a great and unmet demand for nightlife excitement.
Enter Susanne Bartsch, a 25-year veteran of the downtown party scene, who co-hosts Tuesday nights at Flatiron club Room Service with Kenny Kenny, one of the most legendary club personalities in New York. The main room hosts performances - "That's old school," Bartsch says. "We have all sorts of shows - artists, whatever, showcasing their talent" - and the adjoining strip club entertains its regular suited clients in one section while Bartsch and Kenny Kenny's dancers gyrate on spare poles.
Bartsch, who created the legendary Love Balls of the late '80s and early '90s, returned to party planning after a long absence from the nightclub circuit. "I left the scene before it was worn out," Bartsch says. About a year ago, while producing events for other people, "It was becoming very hard to see everybody," she says. "I wanted people I liked to come over and hang out - I wanted to see all my friends in one go."
Crashing through the complacent lull of nightlife in recent years, Bartsch's Tuesdays, which recently relocated from now-defunct club Happy Valley, is one of the most successful nights in town - so successful, in fact, that watching choreographer Jonte perform in the main room this week was akin to rush hour on the IRT.
And, just like 20 years ago, going out is all about the look. "What I do is definitely in the spirit of those days," Bartsch says. "But it's not those days, you know? Things are very androgynous now. And what I like about my parties is that you can come that way or not - it's not that you have to be dressed up."
Still, a quick glance around the room proves the maximalism of years bygone hasn't vanished. After all, this caliber of preening has been around in New York since the 1970s. These days, the handcrafted individualism demonstrated by Bartsch's friends and patrons flies squarely in the face of current Hollywood-stylist-driven mumbo-jumbo and investment-banker-style bottle-service bars.
"It has to be real," Kenny Kenny says. "And the music has to be modern. We're not about re-creating the '80s - we're about having modern music, modern performance, modern looks. It's modern and mixed. New York is the only place in the world you can live like this." ¶ 08:14 0 comments
WHERE THE WILD THINGS AREBy Danica Lo
November 30, 2006 -- ONCE upon a time, there was an '80s and '90s downtown New York culture where Limelight's promoter reigned supreme, Danceteria was the place to be, and St. Marks Place did not have a Chipotle.
It was a time and place where men could be men (in drag, that is) and women may or may not have been born that way.
But what happened when these clubkids - those crazy-looking young people who made the city's nightlife legendary post-punk and pre-Giuliani - got older? Answer: They grew up into clubadults - creative forces to be reckoned with in fashion, media, film, art and dance who still like nothing more than a good party.
And thanks to a revival in both maximalist clubwear and New Romantics on the catwalk, those who love to get their freak on (emphasis on freaky) are having a moment again.
The growing fame and influence of designers like Gareth Pugh, a favorite of Anna Wintour who constructs clothing from, among other things, enormous balls; emergence of more and more dress-up mainstream bands like the Scissor Sisters, AFI, and Panic! At the Disco; and growing interest in early-'80s fashion has created a great and unmet demand for nightlife excitement.
Enter Susanne Bartsch, a 25-year veteran of the downtown party scene, who co-hosts Tuesday nights at Flatiron club Room Service with Kenny Kenny, one of the most legendary club personalities in New York. The main room hosts performances - "That's old school," Bartsch says. "We have all sorts of shows - artists, whatever, showcasing their talent" - and the adjoining strip club entertains its regular suited clients in one section while Bartsch and Kenny Kenny's dancers gyrate on spare poles.
Bartsch, who created the legendary Love Balls of the late '80s and early '90s, returned to party planning after a long absence from the nightclub circuit. "I left the scene before it was worn out," Bartsch says. About a year ago, while producing events for other people, "It was becoming very hard to see everybody," she says. "I wanted people I liked to come over and hang out - I wanted to see all my friends in one go."
Crashing through the complacent lull of nightlife in recent years, Bartsch's Tuesdays, which recently relocated from now-defunct club Happy Valley, is one of the most successful nights in town - so successful, in fact, that watching choreographer Jonte perform in the main room this week was akin to rush hour on the IRT.
And, just like 20 years ago, going out is all about the look. "What I do is definitely in the spirit of those days," Bartsch says. "But it's not those days, you know? Things are very androgynous now. And what I like about my parties is that you can come that way or not - it's not that you have to be dressed up."
Still, a quick glance around the room proves the maximalism of years bygone hasn't vanished. After all, this caliber of preening has been around in New York since the 1970s. These days, the handcrafted individualism demonstrated by Bartsch's friends and patrons flies squarely in the face of current Hollywood-stylist-driven mumbo-jumbo and investment-banker-style bottle-service bars.
"It has to be real," Kenny Kenny says. "And the music has to be modern. We're not about re-creating the '80s - we're about having modern music, modern performance, modern looks. It's modern and mixed. New York is the only place in the world you can live like this." ¶ 08:14 0 comments
November 24, 2006
I didn't lose any weight... but...
So I spent seven days last week doing a detox -- which included a three-day liquid fast.
You'd think that after not eating solid food for three days, I'd lose weight. No sir. But I do feel smaller. And I'm definitely less bloated. Bonus? After a few months of pretty intense stress and insomnia, I'm sleeping through the night for the first time in ages. And I'm definitely less stressed out at work -- which says a lot since I've been pretty high-strung for the last six months.
Here's the final result -- along with a few other detoxes my colleagues tried out.
SEASON'S CLEANING
By KATHERINE PUSHKAR, DANICA LO, MANDY STADTMILLER, RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI, and MARY HUHN
November 24, 2006 -- YESTERDAY'S caloric intake has probably already got you feeling a bit sluggish - and when the holi day parties kick in it'll only get worse. Now's the perfect time to sneak in a quick detox. Here are five cleansing courses for every budget and lifestyle. Get your mind, body and soul in shape for the hectic weeks to come - and better enjoy the retox.
YOGA WORKS' 7-DAY URBAN DETOX
138 Fifth Ave.; (646) 442-1478, yogaworks.com
What it is: Running from Dec. 3-9, the program starts with a holistic nutritionist consultation for personalized meal plan and life assessment, then continues with five yoga classes - three detox and two restorative.
Cost: $350
Reality check: The diet (no wheat, sugar, dairy, meat, gluten, caffeine) was easy enough - and the yoga was amazing. It was an actual workout, with sweat and sore muscles and everything. The best was the "in-class private," wherein a yoga instructor spots you for an entire class, adjusting your body into correct positions: For the first time I felt how yoga was supposed to feel.
Serenity high: The yoga made me feel taller, stronger, better and the candlelit restorative class was the most relaxing hour and a half of my life.
Detox low: Although the Yogi Detox tea they gave me was satisfying (I've even had it since), missing my daily large Lipton with milk caused afternoon headaches.
- Katherine Pushkar
EXHALE SPA 7-DAY CLEANSE
150 Central Park South; (212) 561-7400, exhalespa.com
What it is: Nutritionist-supervised three-day prep followed by a three-day liquid fast (including a toxin-absorbing fiber drink mix) and a final day of supervised fast-breaking. The diet is supplemented with five core fusion or yoga classes, an acupuncture detox treatment, and a fusion massage. Detox supervisors check in daily.
Cost: $600
Reality check: Top-notch cleanse where you see vivid results as they, ahem, exit your body. Liquid fasting may sound intimidating, but I never felt low-energy, just slightly loopy from chewing-withdrawal. In the end, it was much easier to stay on the straight and narrow knowing that all solid food was off-limits - there was no temptation to overeat or fudge measures.
Serenity high: Post-cleanse, for the first time in six months, I'm able to sleep through the night. I'm also much calmer, and have noticed a significant decrease in my day-to-day anxiety levels.
Detox low: Peeing a lot. A LOT.
- Danica Lo
"MEDITATIONS FOR MANIFESTING" BY WAYNE W. DYER
www.drwaynedyer.com
What it is: A CD to help you meditate even if you suck at meditating. Self-help guru Dr. Wayne Dyer (yes, the public TV guy) combines deep breathing, vocal exhalation and positive thinking to start and end your day in a fun little pseudo-trance.
Cost: $12
Reality check: Remember the first time you tried alcohol? Or sex? Or sex with alcohol? Pretty great, right? That's kind of what it's like to meditate for the first time. Even if you're clumsy and screw it up, it's still kind of awesome. When I finished with all the deep breathing and "ahhhhs," I had that glowy cheek thing I thought only came from a life of sin.
Serenity high: A literal buzz from all that inner peace and chakras and stuff.
Detox low: Friends annoyed that you won't stop talking about inner peace and chakras and stuff.
- Mandy Stadtmiller
CHOPRA CENTER & SPA AYURVEDIC BODY, MIND AND SOUL DETOX
Dream Hotel, 1710 Broadway; (212) 246-7600, chopracenterny.com
What it is: Ayurvedic doctor-supervised three-day massage, yoga and meditation plan that relaxes your body, quiets your mind and clears out the toxins from your body through special Indian oils, herbs and teas with a deep tissue massage, lymphatic drainage and diet of salads, fruits and soup.
Cost: $2,000; $1,500 if you don't stay at hotel.
Reality check: Three days, five blissful treatments and lots of snoring. The soothing, oily massages left me in a relaxation fog. And, while I didn't watch TV, talk on the phone or read a newspaper during my stay, I became increasingly fixated on food, lovingly staring at Ray's Pizza through my hotel-room window.
Serenity high: The hot Agni herbal wrap where the therapist coats you in Brahmi oil and delicious- smelling green herbs, wraps you burrito-style in steaming hot towels and a metallic silver top sheet and lets you cook. Icy-cold towels are placed on your head and face to keep you from overheating.
Detox low: Starvation. I "pigged out" and snuck an extra salad and soup the first night, two apples the second day.
- Raakhee Mirchandani
"THE CIMINELLI SOLUTION: A 7-DAY PLAN FOR RADIANT SKIN" BY SUSAN CIMINELLI
Susan Ciminelli Day Spa, the Penthouse at Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Ave.; (212) 872-2650, susanciminelli.com
What it is: A weeklong program with a diet of fresh vegetables, antioxidant fruits, low-fat protein, nuts and herbal teas. The daily routine includes skin care, yoga, deep breathing, aerobic exercise and abdominal massage.
Cost: $25 to sky's the limit. You can DIY with just the book, or add on a la carte treatments from the spa ($100 and up).
Reality check: I cleared my schedule for three days in order to shop, cook, do yoga, pay attention to the 10-minute twice-a-day beauty regime, and soak in baths. Breakfast with eggs and ground flaxseed scrambled in olive oil was better than I expected, but goat's milk yogurt and tart pomegranate seeds wasn't a good first meal. The treatments at the spa (lymphatic drainage massage, seaweed wrap) left me in a state of bliss, practically unable to form sentences.
Serenity high: When my co-worker, unprompted, asked if I had gotten a facial, because my skin looked great (I had a mini facial three days earlier). And I lost four pounds - an unexpected bonus.
Detox low: Not being able to have a glass of wine with a Sunday-night bowl of pasta was a drag.
- Mary Huhn ¶ 11:34 1 comments
So I spent seven days last week doing a detox -- which included a three-day liquid fast.You'd think that after not eating solid food for three days, I'd lose weight. No sir. But I do feel smaller. And I'm definitely less bloated. Bonus? After a few months of pretty intense stress and insomnia, I'm sleeping through the night for the first time in ages. And I'm definitely less stressed out at work -- which says a lot since I've been pretty high-strung for the last six months.
Here's the final result -- along with a few other detoxes my colleagues tried out.
SEASON'S CLEANING
By KATHERINE PUSHKAR, DANICA LO, MANDY STADTMILLER, RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI, and MARY HUHN
November 24, 2006 -- YESTERDAY'S caloric intake has probably already got you feeling a bit sluggish - and when the holi day parties kick in it'll only get worse. Now's the perfect time to sneak in a quick detox. Here are five cleansing courses for every budget and lifestyle. Get your mind, body and soul in shape for the hectic weeks to come - and better enjoy the retox.
YOGA WORKS' 7-DAY URBAN DETOX
138 Fifth Ave.; (646) 442-1478, yogaworks.com
What it is: Running from Dec. 3-9, the program starts with a holistic nutritionist consultation for personalized meal plan and life assessment, then continues with five yoga classes - three detox and two restorative.
Cost: $350
Reality check: The diet (no wheat, sugar, dairy, meat, gluten, caffeine) was easy enough - and the yoga was amazing. It was an actual workout, with sweat and sore muscles and everything. The best was the "in-class private," wherein a yoga instructor spots you for an entire class, adjusting your body into correct positions: For the first time I felt how yoga was supposed to feel.
Serenity high: The yoga made me feel taller, stronger, better and the candlelit restorative class was the most relaxing hour and a half of my life.
Detox low: Although the Yogi Detox tea they gave me was satisfying (I've even had it since), missing my daily large Lipton with milk caused afternoon headaches.
- Katherine Pushkar
EXHALE SPA 7-DAY CLEANSE
150 Central Park South; (212) 561-7400, exhalespa.com
What it is: Nutritionist-supervised three-day prep followed by a three-day liquid fast (including a toxin-absorbing fiber drink mix) and a final day of supervised fast-breaking. The diet is supplemented with five core fusion or yoga classes, an acupuncture detox treatment, and a fusion massage. Detox supervisors check in daily.
Cost: $600
Reality check: Top-notch cleanse where you see vivid results as they, ahem, exit your body. Liquid fasting may sound intimidating, but I never felt low-energy, just slightly loopy from chewing-withdrawal. In the end, it was much easier to stay on the straight and narrow knowing that all solid food was off-limits - there was no temptation to overeat or fudge measures.
Serenity high: Post-cleanse, for the first time in six months, I'm able to sleep through the night. I'm also much calmer, and have noticed a significant decrease in my day-to-day anxiety levels.
Detox low: Peeing a lot. A LOT.
- Danica Lo
"MEDITATIONS FOR MANIFESTING" BY WAYNE W. DYER
www.drwaynedyer.com
What it is: A CD to help you meditate even if you suck at meditating. Self-help guru Dr. Wayne Dyer (yes, the public TV guy) combines deep breathing, vocal exhalation and positive thinking to start and end your day in a fun little pseudo-trance.
Cost: $12
Reality check: Remember the first time you tried alcohol? Or sex? Or sex with alcohol? Pretty great, right? That's kind of what it's like to meditate for the first time. Even if you're clumsy and screw it up, it's still kind of awesome. When I finished with all the deep breathing and "ahhhhs," I had that glowy cheek thing I thought only came from a life of sin.
Serenity high: A literal buzz from all that inner peace and chakras and stuff.
Detox low: Friends annoyed that you won't stop talking about inner peace and chakras and stuff.
- Mandy Stadtmiller
CHOPRA CENTER & SPA AYURVEDIC BODY, MIND AND SOUL DETOX
Dream Hotel, 1710 Broadway; (212) 246-7600, chopracenterny.com
What it is: Ayurvedic doctor-supervised three-day massage, yoga and meditation plan that relaxes your body, quiets your mind and clears out the toxins from your body through special Indian oils, herbs and teas with a deep tissue massage, lymphatic drainage and diet of salads, fruits and soup.
Cost: $2,000; $1,500 if you don't stay at hotel.
Reality check: Three days, five blissful treatments and lots of snoring. The soothing, oily massages left me in a relaxation fog. And, while I didn't watch TV, talk on the phone or read a newspaper during my stay, I became increasingly fixated on food, lovingly staring at Ray's Pizza through my hotel-room window.
Serenity high: The hot Agni herbal wrap where the therapist coats you in Brahmi oil and delicious- smelling green herbs, wraps you burrito-style in steaming hot towels and a metallic silver top sheet and lets you cook. Icy-cold towels are placed on your head and face to keep you from overheating.
Detox low: Starvation. I "pigged out" and snuck an extra salad and soup the first night, two apples the second day.
- Raakhee Mirchandani
"THE CIMINELLI SOLUTION: A 7-DAY PLAN FOR RADIANT SKIN" BY SUSAN CIMINELLI
Susan Ciminelli Day Spa, the Penthouse at Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Ave.; (212) 872-2650, susanciminelli.com
What it is: A weeklong program with a diet of fresh vegetables, antioxidant fruits, low-fat protein, nuts and herbal teas. The daily routine includes skin care, yoga, deep breathing, aerobic exercise and abdominal massage.
Cost: $25 to sky's the limit. You can DIY with just the book, or add on a la carte treatments from the spa ($100 and up).
Reality check: I cleared my schedule for three days in order to shop, cook, do yoga, pay attention to the 10-minute twice-a-day beauty regime, and soak in baths. Breakfast with eggs and ground flaxseed scrambled in olive oil was better than I expected, but goat's milk yogurt and tart pomegranate seeds wasn't a good first meal. The treatments at the spa (lymphatic drainage massage, seaweed wrap) left me in a state of bliss, practically unable to form sentences.
Serenity high: When my co-worker, unprompted, asked if I had gotten a facial, because my skin looked great (I had a mini facial three days earlier). And I lost four pounds - an unexpected bonus.
Detox low: Not being able to have a glass of wine with a Sunday-night bowl of pasta was a drag.
- Mary Huhn ¶ 11:34 1 comments
Shop NYC's best sales today!
PLAN OF ATTACK!
By MARINA VATAJ, KIRSTEN FLEMING, DANICA LO, and RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI
November 24, 2006 -- HERALD SQUARE
1. H&M (1328 Broadway and 34th Street; [646] 473-1165) Get up bright and early, because starting at 6 a.m., button-downs and chic sweater dresses are all on sale for up to 40 percent off. Special sales end at 11 a.m.
2. MACY'S (151 W. 34th St.; [212] 695-4400) March straight to Macy's as early as 6 a.m. and head to the seventh floor to collect Calvin Klein and Kenneth Cole coats at 40 percent off. Next, work your way down to the third floor, where you can snag some sensational Liz Claiborne sweaters for up to 50 percent off.
3. GAP (60 W. 34th St. and Broadway; [212] 760-1268) On your next shopping stop, drop into the lower level of the Gap - which opens at 7 a.m. - to get first dibs on sweaters, scarves and hats on sale for 30 percent off. Note: After noon, everything jumps up to regular price.
4. FOREVER 21 (50 W. 34th St.; [212] 564-2346) Trek over to Forever 21's third floor for sales racks filled with tanks and tops for up to 50 percent off, and on your way out, snatch some sporty, striped must-have sweaters for less than $30 on the first floor.
5. ALDO (15 West 34th St.; [212] 594-6255) Stomp on over to Aldo, where you'll find a large selection of luscious leather, knee-high boots for an extra 30 percent off already-reduced prices only until 10 a.m.
6. LORD & TAYLOR (424 Fifth Ave.; [212] 391-3344) Seal the best deals on the main floor and discover designer handbags like Calvin Klein, Betsy Johnson and Michael Kors on sale for 25 percent to 30 percent off, then proceed to the third floor for fantastic Ellen Tracy and Anne Klein sportswear at an extra 50 percent already-reduced prices.
- Marina Vataj
SOHO
If you're planning to conquer the concrete corral of commerce called SoHo, it's best to begin on Broadway - where the stores open earlier and have much more stock than the boutiques for which the nabe is known. And come the afternoon, they will be busier than the voices in Michael Richards' head.
1. Uniqlo (546 Broadway; [212] 966-5374) Start the treasure hunt at the casa of cheap cashmere, where from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. shoppers will receive 20 percent off all merchandise. From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., this Japanese chain gives shoppers $15 off any items that are $75 or more with the coupon from its magazine (available at the store). The Wonka-esque wonderland has cashmere sweaters lining the first and second floors. Denim for $39 is downstairs, and pick up last-minute bags and women's accessories by the register.
2. Banana Republic (550 Broadway; [212] 925-0308) A few doors down, Banana Republic will award shoppers with a $25 gift card for every $150 spent.
3. Dean and Deluca (560 Broadway, at Prince St.; [212] 226-6800) Before descending into the belly of the beast on Prince Street, feed your own stomach at Dean and Deluca.
4. Intermix (98 Prince St.; [212] 966-5303) Chloe Mary Jane wedges are marked down to $399, from $740; Missoni Zigzag dream dress to $339, from $565; and select Sass and Bide jeans down to $159, from $230.
5. Club Monaco (121 Prince St.; [212] 533-8930) Don't bother with the Club Monaco on Broadway; this one is much less fussy - and less crowded. Get classic women's merino turtleneck and V-neck sweaters for $49, among many other markdowns.
6. DKNY (420 West Brodway; [646] 613-1100) DKNY sales stock from all other stores has been sent to its SoHo location. An additional 30 percent will be taken off all sale items (already reduced by 40 percent) which includes oodles of bags and shoes. As a bonus, the store is serving some bubbly to keep shoppers in the spirit.
7. Wink (115 Spring St.; [212] 334-3646) Take a quick detour to Wink for 30 percent off Rachel Pally dresses and tops starting at $198.
8. Reiss (387 West Broadway; [212] 925-5707) Hop back on West Broadway where U.K. chain Reiss is discounting select men's and women's items by 50 percent. This includes festively chic party dresses for New Year's Eve.
9. Legacy (109 Thompson St.; [212] 966-4827) After the bustle of West Broadway, head northwest to quaint and relatively quiet Thompson Street to Legacy. Everything from Issey is 20 percent off, and The Post gets action: Mention this article and they'll make it 25 percent.
10. Sacco (111 Thompson St.; [212] 925-8010) Two doors down get some luscious leather boots at Sacco where the whole collection of smart bags and shoes is 20 percent off during the November nonsense sale.
11. Millady's (162 Prince St.; [212] 226-9340) Wind down with a cheap and good bite at SoHo's best dive bar, Milady's, which is a favorite haunt of low-key celebs like the Wilson brothers and Johnny Knoxville.
- Kirsten Fleming
MEATPACKING DISTRICT
1. Diane Von Furstenberg (383 W. 12th St.; [646] 486-4800) Up to 30 percent off selected fall items means you'll score a great deal on DVF's most fashionable iconic wrap dresses of the season.
2. Girlshop (819 Washington St.; [212] 255-4985) With trendy, hard-to-find new items hitting the sale racks every day, visit today and often. Score a Kenneth Jay Lane chunky chain necklace and matching bangles at 30 percent off.
3. Jeffrey (449 W. 14th St.; [212] 206-1272) First round of select markdowns at this emporium of chi-chi-chic is 25 percent. Tip: Always scope Jeffrey's handbags and shoes first - the selection is small, but stellar, and popular sizes disappear fast.
4. Scoop NYC (430 W. 14th St.; [212] 691-1905) Scoop's ultimate collection of everyday wear for the just-edgy-enough fashionista is on sale - and it's the perfect opportunity to pick up warm woolly sweaters and some new frocks for one-piece easy winter dressing.
5. Carlos Miele (408 W. 14th St.; [646] 336-6642) Not only is cold-weather wear 30 percent off, but the sun-and-surf vacation-minded can still pick up summer merch at up to 70 percent off retail - look out for gorgeous Hollywood bombshell dresses, perfect for your next red-carpet turn.
6. Shelly Steffee (34 Gansevoort St.; [917] 408-0408) Shelly Steffee's shrine to urban twisty-minimalist cool gets marked down 30 percent Friday, so stock up on her great basics, like jersey tops, turtlenecks and quilted vests.
7. Catherine Malandrino (652 Hudson St.; [212] 929-8710) 40 percent off select fall merchandise means you can finally afford that gorgeous kimono wrap you've been eyeing all season. Move fast enough, and there might still be some much-coveted Cicada dresses still in stock.
8. Tracy Reese (641 Hudson St.; [212] 807-0505) Up to 60 percent off fall stock from grown-up-but-girly designer Reese - look for season staples like luxurious chunky long sweaters and pretty blouses with bows.
- Danica Lo
FIFTH AVENUE/MIDTOWN
1. Bloomingdale's (Lexington Avenue at 59th Street; [212] 705-2000) First, head up to the second floor and check out the jeans - Chip & Pepper, Joe's and Seven's are all 40 percent off. Then head downstairs to David Burke for a cup of coffee and something sweet - you'll need the energy for the rest of the day. But whatever you do, don't eat before trying on the jeans - that's just bad for your self-esteem.
2. Barney's (660 Madison Avenue at 61st Street; [212] 826-8900) Check out the Miu Miu, Dries van Noten and Marni rails, on the fourth floor and scoop up your full-priced favorites. The sale starts next week, and you can get it all price adjusted.
3. Bergdorf Goodman (754 Fifth Ave., at 58th Street; [212] 753-7300) Trade in your tired old soles in for a shiny new pair of pre-sale Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Fendi or D&G heels and boots discounted 30-40 percent off. The actual in-store sale starts Monday.
4. Henri Bendel (712 Fifth Ave., at 55th Street; [212] 247-1100) Don't be distracted by the pretty tubes and potions on the beauty floor and head straight upstairs, where Michael Kors and Alexis Hudson handbags are 30 percent off. And the Bendel's silk- or cashmere-lined long leather gloves are all 50 percent off till Sunday.
5. Saks Fifth Avenue (611 Fifth Ave., at 48th Street; [212] 753-4000) For cozy-but-cute loungewear, like Primp's adorable bedazzled frog hoodies and super-cool L.A.M.B. jackets, all discounted by 40 percent, head to the fifth floor.
- Raakhee Mirchandani
PLAN OF ATTACK!
By MARINA VATAJ, KIRSTEN FLEMING, DANICA LO, and RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI
November 24, 2006 -- HERALD SQUARE
1. H&M (1328 Broadway and 34th Street; [646] 473-1165) Get up bright and early, because starting at 6 a.m., button-downs and chic sweater dresses are all on sale for up to 40 percent off. Special sales end at 11 a.m.
2. MACY'S (151 W. 34th St.; [212] 695-4400) March straight to Macy's as early as 6 a.m. and head to the seventh floor to collect Calvin Klein and Kenneth Cole coats at 40 percent off. Next, work your way down to the third floor, where you can snag some sensational Liz Claiborne sweaters for up to 50 percent off.
3. GAP (60 W. 34th St. and Broadway; [212] 760-1268) On your next shopping stop, drop into the lower level of the Gap - which opens at 7 a.m. - to get first dibs on sweaters, scarves and hats on sale for 30 percent off. Note: After noon, everything jumps up to regular price.
4. FOREVER 21 (50 W. 34th St.; [212] 564-2346) Trek over to Forever 21's third floor for sales racks filled with tanks and tops for up to 50 percent off, and on your way out, snatch some sporty, striped must-have sweaters for less than $30 on the first floor.
5. ALDO (15 West 34th St.; [212] 594-6255) Stomp on over to Aldo, where you'll find a large selection of luscious leather, knee-high boots for an extra 30 percent off already-reduced prices only until 10 a.m.
6. LORD & TAYLOR (424 Fifth Ave.; [212] 391-3344) Seal the best deals on the main floor and discover designer handbags like Calvin Klein, Betsy Johnson and Michael Kors on sale for 25 percent to 30 percent off, then proceed to the third floor for fantastic Ellen Tracy and Anne Klein sportswear at an extra 50 percent already-reduced prices.
- Marina Vataj
SOHO
If you're planning to conquer the concrete corral of commerce called SoHo, it's best to begin on Broadway - where the stores open earlier and have much more stock than the boutiques for which the nabe is known. And come the afternoon, they will be busier than the voices in Michael Richards' head.
1. Uniqlo (546 Broadway; [212] 966-5374) Start the treasure hunt at the casa of cheap cashmere, where from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. shoppers will receive 20 percent off all merchandise. From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., this Japanese chain gives shoppers $15 off any items that are $75 or more with the coupon from its magazine (available at the store). The Wonka-esque wonderland has cashmere sweaters lining the first and second floors. Denim for $39 is downstairs, and pick up last-minute bags and women's accessories by the register.
2. Banana Republic (550 Broadway; [212] 925-0308) A few doors down, Banana Republic will award shoppers with a $25 gift card for every $150 spent.
3. Dean and Deluca (560 Broadway, at Prince St.; [212] 226-6800) Before descending into the belly of the beast on Prince Street, feed your own stomach at Dean and Deluca.
4. Intermix (98 Prince St.; [212] 966-5303) Chloe Mary Jane wedges are marked down to $399, from $740; Missoni Zigzag dream dress to $339, from $565; and select Sass and Bide jeans down to $159, from $230.
5. Club Monaco (121 Prince St.; [212] 533-8930) Don't bother with the Club Monaco on Broadway; this one is much less fussy - and less crowded. Get classic women's merino turtleneck and V-neck sweaters for $49, among many other markdowns.
6. DKNY (420 West Brodway; [646] 613-1100) DKNY sales stock from all other stores has been sent to its SoHo location. An additional 30 percent will be taken off all sale items (already reduced by 40 percent) which includes oodles of bags and shoes. As a bonus, the store is serving some bubbly to keep shoppers in the spirit.
7. Wink (115 Spring St.; [212] 334-3646) Take a quick detour to Wink for 30 percent off Rachel Pally dresses and tops starting at $198.
8. Reiss (387 West Broadway; [212] 925-5707) Hop back on West Broadway where U.K. chain Reiss is discounting select men's and women's items by 50 percent. This includes festively chic party dresses for New Year's Eve.
9. Legacy (109 Thompson St.; [212] 966-4827) After the bustle of West Broadway, head northwest to quaint and relatively quiet Thompson Street to Legacy. Everything from Issey is 20 percent off, and The Post gets action: Mention this article and they'll make it 25 percent.
10. Sacco (111 Thompson St.; [212] 925-8010) Two doors down get some luscious leather boots at Sacco where the whole collection of smart bags and shoes is 20 percent off during the November nonsense sale.
11. Millady's (162 Prince St.; [212] 226-9340) Wind down with a cheap and good bite at SoHo's best dive bar, Milady's, which is a favorite haunt of low-key celebs like the Wilson brothers and Johnny Knoxville.
- Kirsten Fleming
MEATPACKING DISTRICT
1. Diane Von Furstenberg (383 W. 12th St.; [646] 486-4800) Up to 30 percent off selected fall items means you'll score a great deal on DVF's most fashionable iconic wrap dresses of the season.
2. Girlshop (819 Washington St.; [212] 255-4985) With trendy, hard-to-find new items hitting the sale racks every day, visit today and often. Score a Kenneth Jay Lane chunky chain necklace and matching bangles at 30 percent off.
3. Jeffrey (449 W. 14th St.; [212] 206-1272) First round of select markdowns at this emporium of chi-chi-chic is 25 percent. Tip: Always scope Jeffrey's handbags and shoes first - the selection is small, but stellar, and popular sizes disappear fast.
4. Scoop NYC (430 W. 14th St.; [212] 691-1905) Scoop's ultimate collection of everyday wear for the just-edgy-enough fashionista is on sale - and it's the perfect opportunity to pick up warm woolly sweaters and some new frocks for one-piece easy winter dressing.
5. Carlos Miele (408 W. 14th St.; [646] 336-6642) Not only is cold-weather wear 30 percent off, but the sun-and-surf vacation-minded can still pick up summer merch at up to 70 percent off retail - look out for gorgeous Hollywood bombshell dresses, perfect for your next red-carpet turn.
6. Shelly Steffee (34 Gansevoort St.; [917] 408-0408) Shelly Steffee's shrine to urban twisty-minimalist cool gets marked down 30 percent Friday, so stock up on her great basics, like jersey tops, turtlenecks and quilted vests.
7. Catherine Malandrino (652 Hudson St.; [212] 929-8710) 40 percent off select fall merchandise means you can finally afford that gorgeous kimono wrap you've been eyeing all season. Move fast enough, and there might still be some much-coveted Cicada dresses still in stock.
8. Tracy Reese (641 Hudson St.; [212] 807-0505) Up to 60 percent off fall stock from grown-up-but-girly designer Reese - look for season staples like luxurious chunky long sweaters and pretty blouses with bows.
- Danica Lo
FIFTH AVENUE/MIDTOWN
1. Bloomingdale's (Lexington Avenue at 59th Street; [212] 705-2000) First, head up to the second floor and check out the jeans - Chip & Pepper, Joe's and Seven's are all 40 percent off. Then head downstairs to David Burke for a cup of coffee and something sweet - you'll need the energy for the rest of the day. But whatever you do, don't eat before trying on the jeans - that's just bad for your self-esteem.
2. Barney's (660 Madison Avenue at 61st Street; [212] 826-8900) Check out the Miu Miu, Dries van Noten and Marni rails, on the fourth floor and scoop up your full-priced favorites. The sale starts next week, and you can get it all price adjusted.
3. Bergdorf Goodman (754 Fifth Ave., at 58th Street; [212] 753-7300) Trade in your tired old soles in for a shiny new pair of pre-sale Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Fendi or D&G heels and boots discounted 30-40 percent off. The actual in-store sale starts Monday.
4. Henri Bendel (712 Fifth Ave., at 55th Street; [212] 247-1100) Don't be distracted by the pretty tubes and potions on the beauty floor and head straight upstairs, where Michael Kors and Alexis Hudson handbags are 30 percent off. And the Bendel's silk- or cashmere-lined long leather gloves are all 50 percent off till Sunday.
5. Saks Fifth Avenue (611 Fifth Ave., at 48th Street; [212] 753-4000) For cozy-but-cute loungewear, like Primp's adorable bedazzled frog hoodies and super-cool L.A.M.B. jackets, all discounted by 40 percent, head to the fifth floor.
- Raakhee Mirchandani
November 19, 2006
Chris Cornell, Rock God
CORNELL, CHRIS CORNELL
By Danica Lo
November 19, 2006 -- 'I was lucky," says Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell of his recent motorcycle accident in which he was hit by a truck and flung 20 feet in the air. Before his body met the pavement - which it did, and hard - Cornell says, "I was sort of thinking, 'This is an actual accident. I hope it's not as bad as it feels like it's going to be.'"
It could have all been over for Cornell, one of the most iconic rock voices of our time, but he emerged almost unharmed.
Fortuitous timing for a close call. This month, Cornell, a founding father of grunge, lead singer of the now-defunct Seattle band Soundgarden, and initiator of the legendary early '90s collaboration Temple of the Dog, makes his big-screen debut of sorts as the first man since Paul McCartney to sing a James Bond theme song.
His throaty, epic ode to 007, "You Know My Name," plays musical foil to Daniel Craig's Bond in "Casino Royale." Featuring soaring orchestrations and near-crooning vocals, the song is a departure from Cornell's signature sound.
"They wanted a voice that fit well with his persona," Cornell says. "They were looking for a singer who was unapologetically male, someone with introspection in his voice but not afraid to be masculine."
Cornell cites two of his predecessors as inspirations: McCartney, who wrote and performed the theme to "Live and Let Die" (1973), and Tom Jones, who sang the theme to "Thunderball" (1965).
"I decided that I was going to sing it like Tom Jones, in that crooning style. I wanted people to hear my voice," Cornell says. "And 'Live and Let Die' is a fantastic song. Paul McCartney wouldn't have written it if not for that movie. I [also] wanted to write a song in its own universe. I knew I'd never have it again - a big orchestra - so I wanted to have fun with it."
The song represents a move that will surely propel him into the mainstream - in fact, lob him so far into the depths of international collective consciousness that his grinding, guitar-angst grunge days will seem like ancient history.
Much to the chagrin of his Soundgarden fans, however. "Chris Cornell is not the man or the singer he used to be," complains one on the Audioslave fan forum.
He's even been called a sellout for departing from his Seattle-sound roots - for seeking out emotions besides depressive angst. But while it's blatantly obvious Cornell's work has significantly evolved in the last 15 years, so what?
"I was referred to as the quintessential angry young man," Cornell says. "But some of it is being 22. It's healthy to get it out on stage. Emotion is emotion and it comes out in different ways. That changes with age. You figure out better ways to deal with it.
"To me, there were always infinite possibilities," he adds, "and now I'm singing a song in a James Bond film. As far as I'm concerned, I can do anything musically - the perception outside of that is none of my business." ¶ 20:54 0 comments
CORNELL, CHRIS CORNELLBy Danica Lo
November 19, 2006 -- 'I was lucky," says Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell of his recent motorcycle accident in which he was hit by a truck and flung 20 feet in the air. Before his body met the pavement - which it did, and hard - Cornell says, "I was sort of thinking, 'This is an actual accident. I hope it's not as bad as it feels like it's going to be.'"
It could have all been over for Cornell, one of the most iconic rock voices of our time, but he emerged almost unharmed.
Fortuitous timing for a close call. This month, Cornell, a founding father of grunge, lead singer of the now-defunct Seattle band Soundgarden, and initiator of the legendary early '90s collaboration Temple of the Dog, makes his big-screen debut of sorts as the first man since Paul McCartney to sing a James Bond theme song.
His throaty, epic ode to 007, "You Know My Name," plays musical foil to Daniel Craig's Bond in "Casino Royale." Featuring soaring orchestrations and near-crooning vocals, the song is a departure from Cornell's signature sound.
"They wanted a voice that fit well with his persona," Cornell says. "They were looking for a singer who was unapologetically male, someone with introspection in his voice but not afraid to be masculine."
Cornell cites two of his predecessors as inspirations: McCartney, who wrote and performed the theme to "Live and Let Die" (1973), and Tom Jones, who sang the theme to "Thunderball" (1965).
"I decided that I was going to sing it like Tom Jones, in that crooning style. I wanted people to hear my voice," Cornell says. "And 'Live and Let Die' is a fantastic song. Paul McCartney wouldn't have written it if not for that movie. I [also] wanted to write a song in its own universe. I knew I'd never have it again - a big orchestra - so I wanted to have fun with it."
The song represents a move that will surely propel him into the mainstream - in fact, lob him so far into the depths of international collective consciousness that his grinding, guitar-angst grunge days will seem like ancient history.
Much to the chagrin of his Soundgarden fans, however. "Chris Cornell is not the man or the singer he used to be," complains one on the Audioslave fan forum.
He's even been called a sellout for departing from his Seattle-sound roots - for seeking out emotions besides depressive angst. But while it's blatantly obvious Cornell's work has significantly evolved in the last 15 years, so what?
"I was referred to as the quintessential angry young man," Cornell says. "But some of it is being 22. It's healthy to get it out on stage. Emotion is emotion and it comes out in different ways. That changes with age. You figure out better ways to deal with it.
"To me, there were always infinite possibilities," he adds, "and now I'm singing a song in a James Bond film. As far as I'm concerned, I can do anything musically - the perception outside of that is none of my business." ¶ 20:54 0 comments
November 16, 2006
This is what I did yesterday
CHICK TAC TOE
By Danica Lo
November 16, 2006 -- This chicken may look like a birdbrain, but it can (and will) kick your butt - at tic tac toe.
It kicked mine.
The latest in a long line of tic tac talented poultry - remember the Chinatown chicken that could scratch X's and O's? - Ginger, played by one of a menagerie of 15 white leghorn chickens, takes up residence at Foxwoods casino this week through Nov. 22.
The chicks are such good players - one scratched out a win against this Post reporter - that the casino is offering $10,000 to anyone who can beat them. The parlor-game-playing poultry were raised in Arkansas by Bunky Boger and his son Kelly, owners of Casino Chicken.
Each hen - and "you have to use hens," says Kelly Boger, because "roosters only have one thing on their minds, and it's not playing tic tac toe" - plays 90 minutes at a time, pecking at a concealed light-up game board, whipping their human competitors. ¶ 20:42 0 comments
CHICK TAC TOEBy Danica Lo
November 16, 2006 -- This chicken may look like a birdbrain, but it can (and will) kick your butt - at tic tac toe.
It kicked mine.
The latest in a long line of tic tac talented poultry - remember the Chinatown chicken that could scratch X's and O's? - Ginger, played by one of a menagerie of 15 white leghorn chickens, takes up residence at Foxwoods casino this week through Nov. 22.
The chicks are such good players - one scratched out a win against this Post reporter - that the casino is offering $10,000 to anyone who can beat them. The parlor-game-playing poultry were raised in Arkansas by Bunky Boger and his son Kelly, owners of Casino Chicken.
Each hen - and "you have to use hens," says Kelly Boger, because "roosters only have one thing on their minds, and it's not playing tic tac toe" - plays 90 minutes at a time, pecking at a concealed light-up game board, whipping their human competitors. ¶ 20:42 0 comments
November 15, 2006
Shvitzy uniform
At Shvitz in Soho, you can get their own brand tanks, sweats, and tees embroidered free with words of your choice.
Here is my new Shvitz-brand Fashion Police uniform.
LOVES it! ¶ 19:29 1 comments
At Shvitz in Soho, you can get their own brand tanks, sweats, and tees embroidered free with words of your choice.Here is my new Shvitz-brand Fashion Police uniform.
LOVES it! ¶ 19:29 1 comments
How Not to Look Fat tip #78729
How Not to Look Fat Tip #78729:
Don't wear a big chicken costume.
November 13, 2006
Skinny UGGs
Finally, a way to wear UGGs without looking like you have fat legs! The new Sunrise boot has a zipper up the back and a slim-fitting leg that's still just as warm and fuzzy as the originals. Perfect with knee-length skirts and woolly tights for this winter! Cozy and yum.
¶ 22:35 0 comments
Finally, a way to wear UGGs without looking like you have fat legs! The new Sunrise boot has a zipper up the back and a slim-fitting leg that's still just as warm and fuzzy as the originals. Perfect with knee-length skirts and woolly tights for this winter! Cozy and yum.
¶ 22:35 0 comments
Do I have an problem?
A couple weeks ago, after a few too many glasses of champagne, my friend Emmy and I went to a storefront psychic in Chelsea who told me that of the 13 colors I'm meant to have in my aura, I only had three -- and they were all grey! (I always knew I was a little bit broken...)
Anyway, she said that, in order to get more colors back in my aura, one of the things I should try to do is wear more colorful clothing.
Unfortunately, this is what my closet and my rails look like.
Black clothes through and through. I love black clothes. Not only are they slimming, but when I get up in the morning, the last thing I want to do is play matchy-matchy with my wardrobe. I love that everything I pull out of my closet and off a hanger will match.
So I explained all this to the sympathetic psychic. And she gave me that look -- that "Help me help you" look. And then she aquiesced and said that I should at least try to wear colorful underwear.
Okay. ¶ 22:22 0 comments
A couple weeks ago, after a few too many glasses of champagne, my friend Emmy and I went to a storefront psychic in Chelsea who told me that of the 13 colors I'm meant to have in my aura, I only had three -- and they were all grey! (I always knew I was a little bit broken...)Anyway, she said that, in order to get more colors back in my aura, one of the things I should try to do is wear more colorful clothing.
Unfortunately, this is what my closet and my rails look like.
Black clothes through and through. I love black clothes. Not only are they slimming, but when I get up in the morning, the last thing I want to do is play matchy-matchy with my wardrobe. I love that everything I pull out of my closet and off a hanger will match.
So I explained all this to the sympathetic psychic. And she gave me that look -- that "Help me help you" look. And then she aquiesced and said that I should at least try to wear colorful underwear.
Okay. ¶ 22:22 0 comments
Obsession of the week: House of Holland
For a while now I've been obsessed with House of Holland, a print tee operation out of London that does funny rhymes with designer names. Like here, "Cause me Pain, Hedi Slimane" -- Hedi is the much-heralded head designer at Dior Homme. And "Do Me Daily, Christopher Bailey" -- Christopher Bailey is the head designer at Burberry.
Loves it.
The thing is, they're only available in the UK at Dover Street Market.
Which means I am heading to London shortly. It will be sale season soon, and I need to pick up a few bottles of my favorite perfume, which has just recently become completely unavailable in the USA, and a few tees at the same time.
For a while now I've been obsessed with House of Holland, a print tee operation out of London that does funny rhymes with designer names. Like here, "Cause me Pain, Hedi Slimane" -- Hedi is the much-heralded head designer at Dior Homme. And "Do Me Daily, Christopher Bailey" -- Christopher Bailey is the head designer at Burberry.
Loves it.
The thing is, they're only available in the UK at Dover Street Market.
Which means I am heading to London shortly. It will be sale season soon, and I need to pick up a few bottles of my favorite perfume, which has just recently become completely unavailable in the USA, and a few tees at the same time.
The Rasmus free show in NYC
Check out their MySpace page by clicking above for details on how to get on the list for The Rasmus free secret show in NYC on November 21. ¶ 21:43 0 comments
Check out their MySpace page by clicking above for details on how to get on the list for The Rasmus free secret show in NYC on November 21. ¶ 21:43 0 comments
November 12, 2006
The lady of the house
This lovely lady greets all visitors at the Time Warner shopping center at Columbus Circle.
There's a Borders upstairs -- maybe someone could bring her a copy of my book. ¶ 22:53 0 comments
This lovely lady greets all visitors at the Time Warner shopping center at Columbus Circle. There's a Borders upstairs -- maybe someone could bring her a copy of my book. ¶ 22:53 0 comments
November 10, 2006
Hackney/Dalston shout-out
Just for old-times sake: I walked out of my building in midtown Manhattan today and saw this (above), a #38 double decker bus from London, parked outside.
(London buses look slimmer than New York buses. Maybe it's because they're taller.)
Just for old-times sake: I walked out of my building in midtown Manhattan today and saw this (above), a #38 double decker bus from London, parked outside.
(London buses look slimmer than New York buses. Maybe it's because they're taller.)
November 08, 2006
Momma's got some new shoes
There's nowhere in the world like London for amazing affordable fashion. So, while Topshop doesn't deliver outside of the UK, Office and Faith, two of my favorite online footwear retailers from the UK do. Theirs are the sites I turn to when I need a cool-shoe fix.
So here are the two pairs I just got. Some people may sneer at my granny-ish choice of footwear, but believe you me, these are the cool shoes to have! All the cool boys and girls in Paris and London are wearing modified versions of jazz shoes (both pointy and round-toe), and it's only a matter of time before these super-comfortable clothes-for-your-feet make it to these shores. So I picked these up online from Office (which for serious shoe connoisseurs should be a mandatory visit because they also stock Poste Mistress shoesies).
Ta da.
(Okay, the pointy ones aren't really slimming at all, truth be told, but they are so cool and kind of sparkly distressed leather. And the jazz shoe ones are surprisingly not fattening. Who knew.) ¶ 21:55 2 comments
There's nowhere in the world like London for amazing affordable fashion. So, while Topshop doesn't deliver outside of the UK, Office and Faith, two of my favorite online footwear retailers from the UK do. Theirs are the sites I turn to when I need a cool-shoe fix.
So here are the two pairs I just got. Some people may sneer at my granny-ish choice of footwear, but believe you me, these are the cool shoes to have! All the cool boys and girls in Paris and London are wearing modified versions of jazz shoes (both pointy and round-toe), and it's only a matter of time before these super-comfortable clothes-for-your-feet make it to these shores. So I picked these up online from Office (which for serious shoe connoisseurs should be a mandatory visit because they also stock Poste Mistress shoesies).
Ta da.
(Okay, the pointy ones aren't really slimming at all, truth be told, but they are so cool and kind of sparkly distressed leather. And the jazz shoe ones are surprisingly not fattening. Who knew.) ¶ 21:55 2 comments
November 06, 2006
More reasons
More Reasons Why I Need My Own Book
This weekend my mom told me that Todai, one of the most famous seafood All-You-Can-Eat buffet chains from Hong Kong, recently opened a restaurant in New York.
So, naturally, I had to eat there immediately.
Tonight I had dinner there -- it's near KoreaTown on 32nd Street between 5th and Madison Avenues -- and it was super-yummy! Now my tummy is so distended I look, oh, about 7 months pregnant. To hide my sushi-and-fried-fish-baby, I'm going to reread the Feast chapter of my book.
Good night and good luck. ¶ 22:48 0 comments
More Reasons Why I Need My Own BookThis weekend my mom told me that Todai, one of the most famous seafood All-You-Can-Eat buffet chains from Hong Kong, recently opened a restaurant in New York.
So, naturally, I had to eat there immediately.
Tonight I had dinner there -- it's near KoreaTown on 32nd Street between 5th and Madison Avenues -- and it was super-yummy! Now my tummy is so distended I look, oh, about 7 months pregnant. To hide my sushi-and-fried-fish-baby, I'm going to reread the Feast chapter of my book.
Good night and good luck. ¶ 22:48 0 comments
November 05, 2006
Holy Shvitz!
HOLY SHVITZ!
By Danica Lo
November 4, 2006 -- DOWN on Thompson Street, marked out front by the only Pepto-pink phone booth in the city, the shrine of swanky sweats Shvitz does swift business.
Though it's only been open for a few short weeks, proprietor Leslie Hall has already placed multiple reorders for the in-high-demand luxe-priced thermals, hoodies and sweatpants from hard-to-find celeb-fave labels like Primp, Grail, Rebel Yell, Hummel and Joystick.
Just like so many women in New York - and the customer who marched into the store during our interview demanding to know when the back-ordered heart-printed pink Primp thermal she's waitlisted for would arrive - Hall has long been obsessed with posh sweats.
"I work in marketing and I was traveling all the time, flying everywhere," Hall says. "On the plane I'd read the tabs and I saw all the celebrities in all these great, comfortable clothes - and I thought, why can't I find this stuff?"
Thus Shvitz was born - a jewel box of a boutique, all blinged out with mirrored chrome walls, Roman columns and even a baby-pink Mac desktop.
"The detail in the clothing is astonishing," Hall says. "That eagle sweatshirt from Torn? It has hidden pockets. And the V-neck sweatshirt behind it is cut like a cashmere sweater.
"I'm all about detail, and I believe it's all about presentation," she continues. So she hired Hilary White, an award-winning interior designer, to instill that same meticulousness in the shop décor. Built to resemble a modernist boudoir, the space is like every girl's fantasy vanity come to life.
Plus, "we make sure we always have candy and dog snacks on hand," Hall says. "And we monogram our own-brand crystallized tees, tanks and sweats for free." Treats and monogramming? We're sold.
Shvitz's biggest seller is Primp - "There's a crazy waiting list for Primp's hearts and arrows print," Hall says. "And our next Primp shipment will have horse heads and bits in lavender."
Fancy sweats come at a premium -$80 for a bling-y thermal top and up to $245 for a cashmere hoodie - but think of how much you'll save on shipping buying locally instead of ordering from Los Angeles.
SWEATIQUETTE
By Danica Lo
November 4, 2006 -- IF Left Coast celeb-wear is a barometer of casual-wear days to come, fancy sweats are the next flip-flop - soon sure to be inappropriately worn in the boardroom, to functions at the White House and dinners at Nobu. Here's our guide on what to do and when to don't:
- When in doubt, don't: Not sure whether metallic Chevron-striped track pants will match the carpet at your consulting firm? Slip on a pencil skirt instead.
- Butt err on the side of caution: For truly casual Fridays, plain Juicies may be acceptable, but stay away from rear-end writing, if you expect respect.
- Low-end high-end: Expensive sweatpants tend to be very low-cut. Make sure to get an extra-long top to cover your crack.
- Best bang for the buck: The most versatile pieces at Shvitz are definitely the slim-cut zip-up hoodies; less embellished ones can be layered for the winter and worn as business-casual when paired with dressier pieces.
- Crazy rabbit: Loud prints like Primp's sellout frogs and bunny rabbits should be saved for your spare time and weekends. The goofier and cuter sweats are, the more casually they ought to be worn. ¶ 08:54 3 comments
HOLY SHVITZ!By Danica Lo
November 4, 2006 -- DOWN on Thompson Street, marked out front by the only Pepto-pink phone booth in the city, the shrine of swanky sweats Shvitz does swift business.
Though it's only been open for a few short weeks, proprietor Leslie Hall has already placed multiple reorders for the in-high-demand luxe-priced thermals, hoodies and sweatpants from hard-to-find celeb-fave labels like Primp, Grail, Rebel Yell, Hummel and Joystick.
Just like so many women in New York - and the customer who marched into the store during our interview demanding to know when the back-ordered heart-printed pink Primp thermal she's waitlisted for would arrive - Hall has long been obsessed with posh sweats.
"I work in marketing and I was traveling all the time, flying everywhere," Hall says. "On the plane I'd read the tabs and I saw all the celebrities in all these great, comfortable clothes - and I thought, why can't I find this stuff?"
Thus Shvitz was born - a jewel box of a boutique, all blinged out with mirrored chrome walls, Roman columns and even a baby-pink Mac desktop.
"The detail in the clothing is astonishing," Hall says. "That eagle sweatshirt from Torn? It has hidden pockets. And the V-neck sweatshirt behind it is cut like a cashmere sweater.
"I'm all about detail, and I believe it's all about presentation," she continues. So she hired Hilary White, an award-winning interior designer, to instill that same meticulousness in the shop décor. Built to resemble a modernist boudoir, the space is like every girl's fantasy vanity come to life.
Plus, "we make sure we always have candy and dog snacks on hand," Hall says. "And we monogram our own-brand crystallized tees, tanks and sweats for free." Treats and monogramming? We're sold.
Shvitz's biggest seller is Primp - "There's a crazy waiting list for Primp's hearts and arrows print," Hall says. "And our next Primp shipment will have horse heads and bits in lavender."
Fancy sweats come at a premium -$80 for a bling-y thermal top and up to $245 for a cashmere hoodie - but think of how much you'll save on shipping buying locally instead of ordering from Los Angeles.
SWEATIQUETTE
By Danica Lo
November 4, 2006 -- IF Left Coast celeb-wear is a barometer of casual-wear days to come, fancy sweats are the next flip-flop - soon sure to be inappropriately worn in the boardroom, to functions at the White House and dinners at Nobu. Here's our guide on what to do and when to don't:
- When in doubt, don't: Not sure whether metallic Chevron-striped track pants will match the carpet at your consulting firm? Slip on a pencil skirt instead.
- Butt err on the side of caution: For truly casual Fridays, plain Juicies may be acceptable, but stay away from rear-end writing, if you expect respect.
- Low-end high-end: Expensive sweatpants tend to be very low-cut. Make sure to get an extra-long top to cover your crack.
- Best bang for the buck: The most versatile pieces at Shvitz are definitely the slim-cut zip-up hoodies; less embellished ones can be layered for the winter and worn as business-casual when paired with dressier pieces.
- Crazy rabbit: Loud prints like Primp's sellout frogs and bunny rabbits should be saved for your spare time and weekends. The goofier and cuter sweats are, the more casually they ought to be worn. ¶ 08:54 3 comments
October 31, 2006
The Lips Have It
Everybody always asks me about this, and Sandra says I should blog about this, so here it is.
I've tried almost every lip gloss on the market. No, seriously, I have -- I've been sent samples at work from nearly every major cosmetics brand in the world. And, truth be told, there are so many great lip glosses and plumpers and colors on the market right now. Some of my friends swear by DuWop's Lip Venom, some adore Freeze 24/7's lip plumping glosses, others live and die for Stila (one of my friends told me how she was so up the creek for Stila lip gloss, she paid $60 for just one tube in Australia!). And if you haven't tried the fruity smelling glosses from The Balm, you're definitely missing out.
But for me, for everyday and photographic purposes, nothing tops -- wait for it -- Maybelline's Wet Shine Diamonds lip gloss. Seriously. Maybelline. It kicks every other lip gloss's ass as far as I'm concerned.
The combination of color and gloss and shimmer and glitter in Maybelline's Wet Shine Diamonds gloss has the power to transform my face. My friend R at work always comments on how "different" I look with makeup on -- when all I do is slick on some Wet Shine Diamonds.
No other lip gloss photographs as well. No other lip gloss gives me instant Angelina Jolie lips. No other lipgloss stays on as long. No other lip gloss costs so little for so much! I buy it in bulk and live in mortal fear that they'll discontinue my color.
Still, different strokes for different folks. But give Maybelline Wet Shine Diamonds a shot -- it's hot stuff. ¶ 08:48 0 comments
Everybody always asks me about this, and Sandra says I should blog about this, so here it is.I've tried almost every lip gloss on the market. No, seriously, I have -- I've been sent samples at work from nearly every major cosmetics brand in the world. And, truth be told, there are so many great lip glosses and plumpers and colors on the market right now. Some of my friends swear by DuWop's Lip Venom, some adore Freeze 24/7's lip plumping glosses, others live and die for Stila (one of my friends told me how she was so up the creek for Stila lip gloss, she paid $60 for just one tube in Australia!). And if you haven't tried the fruity smelling glosses from The Balm, you're definitely missing out.
But for me, for everyday and photographic purposes, nothing tops -- wait for it -- Maybelline's Wet Shine Diamonds lip gloss. Seriously. Maybelline. It kicks every other lip gloss's ass as far as I'm concerned.
The combination of color and gloss and shimmer and glitter in Maybelline's Wet Shine Diamonds gloss has the power to transform my face. My friend R at work always comments on how "different" I look with makeup on -- when all I do is slick on some Wet Shine Diamonds.
No other lip gloss photographs as well. No other lip gloss gives me instant Angelina Jolie lips. No other lipgloss stays on as long. No other lip gloss costs so little for so much! I buy it in bulk and live in mortal fear that they'll discontinue my color.
Still, different strokes for different folks. But give Maybelline Wet Shine Diamonds a shot -- it's hot stuff. ¶ 08:48 0 comments
Go team!
In case you haven't heard: yesterday, semi-annual national publishing stats were released and they show that for the first time, the New York Post has overtaken the Daily News in New York's tabloid wars. Now we're the fifth most-read paper in the country!
(I'm a little proud.)
¶ 08:23 0 comments
In case you haven't heard: yesterday, semi-annual national publishing stats were released and they show that for the first time, the New York Post has overtaken the Daily News in New York's tabloid wars. Now we're the fifth most-read paper in the country!
(I'm a little proud.)
¶ 08:23 0 comments
This is your brain. This is your brain on...
WHITNEY'S MAKEOVER TIPS
By Danica Lo
October 31, 2006 -- THE haggard drug addict look is soooo 2005.
Whitney Houston stepped out Sunday night looking radiant and better than ever after her stint in rehab and ditching bad-news hubby Bobby Brown. How did Whitney go from strung-out to sexy? We cracked her secret:
1. Stop doing drugs. Ever seen a drug addict with really great skin? Even coked-up supermodels have to pile on the pancake makeup.
2. Stop hanging out with people who like drugs, or are like drugs. Like, say, nothing-but-trouble husbands.
3. Drink water instead of doing drugs. "Whitney looks hydrated, with a healthy look," says Mzia Shiman, an aesthetician at OC61 salon. "She's taking care of her skin with the right treatments - her skin appears poreless, and the only way to achieve poreless skin, despite makeup tricks, is through continuous microdermabrasion facials.
4. Don't stay up all night doing drugs. "She's clearly not losing sleep over Bobby Brown, since her eye area is smooth and de-puffed," Shiman says.
5. Don't have druggie hair. "Whitney has embraced her new life as a strong single woman with a fresh and updated shorter do," says Louise O'Connor, owner and creative director of OC61 salon. "The heavy swept bangs keep it sexy and young while the lightened color and gold highlights brighten her face."
6. Work out instead of doing drugs. Houston's always had a killer body, and wearing a form-fitting dress - not body-engulfing baggy clothes - shows off her fab physique to its utmost.
7. Use warm makeup, not drugs. "Whitney Houston is about women taking control and empowering their lives," says celebrity makeup artist Napoleon Perdis. "The lips are feminine with a warm copper lipstick and hydrating lacquer for shine and sparkle - she's ready to tell her story!"
8. And, finally, stop doing drugs. It helps you get another record contract. ¶ 08:02 2 comments
WHITNEY'S MAKEOVER TIPSBy Danica Lo
October 31, 2006 -- THE haggard drug addict look is soooo 2005.
Whitney Houston stepped out Sunday night looking radiant and better than ever after her stint in rehab and ditching bad-news hubby Bobby Brown. How did Whitney go from strung-out to sexy? We cracked her secret:
1. Stop doing drugs. Ever seen a drug addict with really great skin? Even coked-up supermodels have to pile on the pancake makeup.
2. Stop hanging out with people who like drugs, or are like drugs. Like, say, nothing-but-trouble husbands.
3. Drink water instead of doing drugs. "Whitney looks hydrated, with a healthy look," says Mzia Shiman, an aesthetician at OC61 salon. "She's taking care of her skin with the right treatments - her skin appears poreless, and the only way to achieve poreless skin, despite makeup tricks, is through continuous microdermabrasion facials.
4. Don't stay up all night doing drugs. "She's clearly not losing sleep over Bobby Brown, since her eye area is smooth and de-puffed," Shiman says.
5. Don't have druggie hair. "Whitney has embraced her new life as a strong single woman with a fresh and updated shorter do," says Louise O'Connor, owner and creative director of OC61 salon. "The heavy swept bangs keep it sexy and young while the lightened color and gold highlights brighten her face."
6. Work out instead of doing drugs. Houston's always had a killer body, and wearing a form-fitting dress - not body-engulfing baggy clothes - shows off her fab physique to its utmost.
7. Use warm makeup, not drugs. "Whitney Houston is about women taking control and empowering their lives," says celebrity makeup artist Napoleon Perdis. "The lips are feminine with a warm copper lipstick and hydrating lacquer for shine and sparkle - she's ready to tell her story!"
8. And, finally, stop doing drugs. It helps you get another record contract. ¶ 08:02 2 comments
October 30, 2006
How NOT to not look fat
This daylight savings time is really messing with me. Yesterday I had a poke around the Soho shops and before I knew it, it was super-dark outside and I decided to head home, have an early night. When I got home, it was pitch black outdoors and I was exhausted, so I thought I'd go to bed... until I looked at my clock and saw it was only 8:00 p.m.! Thanks, DST.
Anyway, I popped by some of my favorite stores yesterday -- Seven New York, APC, Via Bus Stop, and Kiki de Montparnasse -- and I haven't been shopping in ages, so it was super-nice to see all the new fall-winter merch in stock.
There are so many nice things in shops for fall! But, unfortunately, a lot of the things I loved loved loved are definitely not slimming! Like this empire-waisted deep-V plunge mini from Kiki (top right) -- sooooo cute, but not for girls with boobs or anyone with big thighs!
I also love this dress from APC, which is available, in store, in more colors than just pink and black. The super-light fabric and subtle ladylike not-at-all fussy pleating vertically down the entire length of the dress ought to be slimming, but because it's cut straight up-and-down, it's not really made for anyone who has boobs or hips. Gorgeous, though.
I also love this Jean-Pierre Braganza chunky woolly sweater wrap top, which can be worn as a traditional belted cardigan (bulky but so nice!) or wrapped around your neck (hot!). It's not the geometry of the origami -- I have that great Rick Owens wrap cardi that can be worn in similar ways. It's just that since this particular knit is so bulky in and of itself, wrapping it makes it look rather cocoon-like. Who knows, maybe I'll buy it anyway, it's so gorgeous. Anyway, I always think it's a good idea to invest good money in knitwear -- I tend to wear my favorite sweaters and cardigans year after year, since good shapes never really go out of style. ¶ 09:03 2 comments
This daylight savings time is really messing with me. Yesterday I had a poke around the Soho shops and before I knew it, it was super-dark outside and I decided to head home, have an early night. When I got home, it was pitch black outdoors and I was exhausted, so I thought I'd go to bed... until I looked at my clock and saw it was only 8:00 p.m.! Thanks, DST.Anyway, I popped by some of my favorite stores yesterday -- Seven New York, APC, Via Bus Stop, and Kiki de Montparnasse -- and I haven't been shopping in ages, so it was super-nice to see all the new fall-winter merch in stock.
There are so many nice things in shops for fall! But, unfortunately, a lot of the things I loved loved loved are definitely not slimming! Like this empire-waisted deep-V plunge mini from Kiki (top right) -- sooooo cute, but not for girls with boobs or anyone with big thighs!
I also love this dress from APC, which is available, in store, in more colors than just pink and black. The super-light fabric and subtle ladylike not-at-all fussy pleating vertically down the entire length of the dress ought to be slimming, but because it's cut straight up-and-down, it's not really made for anyone who has boobs or hips. Gorgeous, though.
I also love this Jean-Pierre Braganza chunky woolly sweater wrap top, which can be worn as a traditional belted cardigan (bulky but so nice!) or wrapped around your neck (hot!). It's not the geometry of the origami -- I have that great Rick Owens wrap cardi that can be worn in similar ways. It's just that since this particular knit is so bulky in and of itself, wrapping it makes it look rather cocoon-like. Who knows, maybe I'll buy it anyway, it's so gorgeous. Anyway, I always think it's a good idea to invest good money in knitwear -- I tend to wear my favorite sweaters and cardigans year after year, since good shapes never really go out of style. ¶ 09:03 2 comments
October 26, 2006
Fashion Police
I know I've been slacking on this blog a little lately, but it's because I've just started a couple of new projects -- one of which... ta-da! I'm the newest addition to US Weekly's Fashion Police roster!
Check out the November 6th issue of the magazine or check out some of the funny outfits online at US Weekly Magazine. Hurrah! ¶ 09:16 0 comments
I know I've been slacking on this blog a little lately, but it's because I've just started a couple of new projects -- one of which... ta-da! I'm the newest addition to US Weekly's Fashion Police roster! Check out the November 6th issue of the magazine or check out some of the funny outfits online at US Weekly Magazine. Hurrah! ¶ 09:16 0 comments
The never ending quest for Faith Hill Hair
Dreams do come true, people!!
A PRETTY PENNY
By Danica Lo
October 26, 2006 -- FOR less than $50, you can fill your bathroom with all the beauty tools you need - nail file, eyelash curler, hairbrush and a hair dryer.
Or you can spend $900 on a diamond nickel-coated fiberglass nail file, brushes made from boar bristles, and a blow-dryer that not only dries your hair, it also makes it smell good.
This bathroom bling - including a $65 makeup brush and $35 tweezers - promises to make ordinary beauty tools extraordinary. But are they really worth the extra bucks? We put these little bits of luxury to the test, seeing how well a $900 morning routine stands up against a $50 primping.
FHI Heat Nano-Fuzeion Salon Pro 2000
At fhiheat.com in early December
Regular hair dryers: About $20
Besides the "nano silver technology" that extends the life of this hair dryer to 1,500 hours (compared to the typical 800 hours), the coolest thing about this machine is that using it will eliminate bacteria, toxins, static and - wait for it - smells from your hair. No time to shampoo? A quick blast from this baby will kill any hint of smoky nights. And the diffuser is powerful enough to get my stick-straight Asian hair to hold a curl.
Verdict: It isn't just hot air; we're sold.
Jonathan Beauty Water
Price: $95 at sephora.com
Brita filter: $19.50
Screw this eyesore contraption onto your showerhead, and instead of heavily chlorinated New York City water, you'll be bathing in reality-TV hairstylist-approved purified water. While some testers lamented that their hair and skin behaved out of character when deprived of their regular diet of waterborne chemicals, others found that, with long-term use, their hair and skin became softer and colored-treated locks retained their hues far longer.
Verdict: Eh. We can definitely live without it, especially since it clashes with our chrome fixtures.
Talika heated eyelash curler
Price: $33 at sephora.com
Generic eyelash curler: $1.99
"If I use a regular lash curler, I end up curling my eyelid," says our tester. If you're afraid of pinching your delicate bits, this gently heated (99 degrees) curler will infuse your lashes with just the right bit of non-kinky curly-wurly. Won't pinch or pull like normal lash-curlers, and the curl will last all day.
Verdict: Perfect for the faint of heart, delicate of eye and unsteady of hand.
Mason Pearson Pure Bristle brush
Price: $146 at beauty.com
Plastic drugstore brush: $1.99
Pure boar bristles leave hair as silky and smooth as silk - no joke! Eliminates static and calms even the severest case of the frizzies. Plus, it promises to last a whole lifetime. Verdict: Makes our hair gleam like black ice - worth every penny.
Rubis Slant Colani tweezer
Price: $35 at beauty.com
Generic tweezer: $1.99 at drugstores
Made from non-acidic, non-magnetic stainless steel, each pair of these Swiss tweezers undergoes a 40-step hand-finishing procedure - including a final, microscopic adjustment - that guarantees that you'll be able to grab even the tiniest hair. Bonus: comes with a cap!
Verdict: Obessive eyebrow-tweezers - you know who you are! - will love these.
Clarisonic skin care brush
Price: $195 at Henri Bendel (712 Fifth Ave.)
Regular facial exfoliator: from $1 at drugstores
If this "sonic oscillation face brush" looks suspiciously similar to something else that lives in your bathroom - hint, it's your Sonicare toothbrush - that's because they share the same daddy, the Pacific Bioscience Laboratories, who invented both. Waterproof for in- and out-shower usage, the brush deep-cleanses, massages and exfoliates the skin, oscillating at 300 movements per second. "I have really oily skin and never use moisturizer," says our tester. "But when I use the Clarisonic, the moisturizer absorbs and I don't feel like there's an oily slick on my face."
Verdict: Good for problem skin, but clear complexions can stick to the old-fashioned washcloth.
Diamancel nail and foot files
Price: $28-$48 at blissworld.com
Regular nail files: 99 cents for, like, ten
These industrial-grade diamond nickel-coated fiberglass files don't come cheap, but then again, they sure beat fake $2.99 pumice stones and dime-a-dozen nail-destroying emery boards from your local drugstore. Each one is designated for a specific purpose: No. 5 buffs away the hardened skin on the sides of the nail, No. 10 is great for getting the corns at the top of your toes, and No. 1 is great for re-edging weak nails that are prone to breakage from regular files.
Verdict: Strictly for special-needs nails, perfectionists and the very rich.
Kevyn Aucoin large makeup brush
Price: $65 at kevynaucoin.com
Generic brush: Free with blush purchase
Made with all-natural bristles and topped with a signature burgundy acrylic handle, this easy-to-use, luxuriously soft brush won the Allure Magazine "Best of Beauty" award. It applies blush evenly and doesn't shed - but what makes it worth the money is its sheer aesthetic beauty.
Verdict: Definitely a luxury, not a necessity. ¶ 09:10 0 comments
Dreams do come true, people!!
A PRETTY PENNYBy Danica Lo
October 26, 2006 -- FOR less than $50, you can fill your bathroom with all the beauty tools you need - nail file, eyelash curler, hairbrush and a hair dryer.
Or you can spend $900 on a diamond nickel-coated fiberglass nail file, brushes made from boar bristles, and a blow-dryer that not only dries your hair, it also makes it smell good.
This bathroom bling - including a $65 makeup brush and $35 tweezers - promises to make ordinary beauty tools extraordinary. But are they really worth the extra bucks? We put these little bits of luxury to the test, seeing how well a $900 morning routine stands up against a $50 primping.
FHI Heat Nano-Fuzeion Salon Pro 2000
At fhiheat.com in early December
Regular hair dryers: About $20
Besides the "nano silver technology" that extends the life of this hair dryer to 1,500 hours (compared to the typical 800 hours), the coolest thing about this machine is that using it will eliminate bacteria, toxins, static and - wait for it - smells from your hair. No time to shampoo? A quick blast from this baby will kill any hint of smoky nights. And the diffuser is powerful enough to get my stick-straight Asian hair to hold a curl.
Verdict: It isn't just hot air; we're sold.
Jonathan Beauty Water
Price: $95 at sephora.com
Brita filter: $19.50
Screw this eyesore contraption onto your showerhead, and instead of heavily chlorinated New York City water, you'll be bathing in reality-TV hairstylist-approved purified water. While some testers lamented that their hair and skin behaved out of character when deprived of their regular diet of waterborne chemicals, others found that, with long-term use, their hair and skin became softer and colored-treated locks retained their hues far longer.
Verdict: Eh. We can definitely live without it, especially since it clashes with our chrome fixtures.
Talika heated eyelash curler
Price: $33 at sephora.com
Generic eyelash curler: $1.99
"If I use a regular lash curler, I end up curling my eyelid," says our tester. If you're afraid of pinching your delicate bits, this gently heated (99 degrees) curler will infuse your lashes with just the right bit of non-kinky curly-wurly. Won't pinch or pull like normal lash-curlers, and the curl will last all day.
Verdict: Perfect for the faint of heart, delicate of eye and unsteady of hand.
Mason Pearson Pure Bristle brush
Price: $146 at beauty.com
Plastic drugstore brush: $1.99
Pure boar bristles leave hair as silky and smooth as silk - no joke! Eliminates static and calms even the severest case of the frizzies. Plus, it promises to last a whole lifetime. Verdict: Makes our hair gleam like black ice - worth every penny.
Rubis Slant Colani tweezer
Price: $35 at beauty.com
Generic tweezer: $1.99 at drugstores
Made from non-acidic, non-magnetic stainless steel, each pair of these Swiss tweezers undergoes a 40-step hand-finishing procedure - including a final, microscopic adjustment - that guarantees that you'll be able to grab even the tiniest hair. Bonus: comes with a cap!
Verdict: Obessive eyebrow-tweezers - you know who you are! - will love these.
Clarisonic skin care brush
Price: $195 at Henri Bendel (712 Fifth Ave.)
Regular facial exfoliator: from $1 at drugstores
If this "sonic oscillation face brush" looks suspiciously similar to something else that lives in your bathroom - hint, it's your Sonicare toothbrush - that's because they share the same daddy, the Pacific Bioscience Laboratories, who invented both. Waterproof for in- and out-shower usage, the brush deep-cleanses, massages and exfoliates the skin, oscillating at 300 movements per second. "I have really oily skin and never use moisturizer," says our tester. "But when I use the Clarisonic, the moisturizer absorbs and I don't feel like there's an oily slick on my face."
Verdict: Good for problem skin, but clear complexions can stick to the old-fashioned washcloth.
Diamancel nail and foot files
Price: $28-$48 at blissworld.com
Regular nail files: 99 cents for, like, ten
These industrial-grade diamond nickel-coated fiberglass files don't come cheap, but then again, they sure beat fake $2.99 pumice stones and dime-a-dozen nail-destroying emery boards from your local drugstore. Each one is designated for a specific purpose: No. 5 buffs away the hardened skin on the sides of the nail, No. 10 is great for getting the corns at the top of your toes, and No. 1 is great for re-edging weak nails that are prone to breakage from regular files.
Verdict: Strictly for special-needs nails, perfectionists and the very rich.
Kevyn Aucoin large makeup brush
Price: $65 at kevynaucoin.com
Generic brush: Free with blush purchase
Made with all-natural bristles and topped with a signature burgundy acrylic handle, this easy-to-use, luxuriously soft brush won the Allure Magazine "Best of Beauty" award. It applies blush evenly and doesn't shed - but what makes it worth the money is its sheer aesthetic beauty.
Verdict: Definitely a luxury, not a necessity. ¶ 09:10 0 comments
October 22, 2006
Reminiscent of the West Coast
Tonight I had dinner with some college friends, including G, who's this super-talented actress I went to school with -- she currently lives in LA and she's going to be big one day. Big star on the rise, people!
Anyway, we were eating burgers and fries and drinking red wine and champagne at one of my favorite local restaurants, Le Gamin, and we were reminiscing about how, when I was in Hollywood for a week, she and I went to a friend's birthday party. It was a party for a screenwriter, lots of aspiring screenwriters, actors, and other industry folk. And I remember, most of all, more than anyone I met or anything about the bar, that no one drank anything... and no one ate any birthday cake.
I mean, how sad is that? Not eating birthday cake at a birthday party because you're frightened of gaining an ounce? And then G told me a story about a party she went to which had a full spread of amazing Chinese food from one of the best restaurants in town -- and no one ate a thing. Actually, an actress actually walked up to G and said to her (she was eating), "It must be nice, you know, to be able to eat in public."
Seriously. ¶ 23:19 2 comments
Tonight I had dinner with some college friends, including G, who's this super-talented actress I went to school with -- she currently lives in LA and she's going to be big one day. Big star on the rise, people!
Anyway, we were eating burgers and fries and drinking red wine and champagne at one of my favorite local restaurants, Le Gamin, and we were reminiscing about how, when I was in Hollywood for a week, she and I went to a friend's birthday party. It was a party for a screenwriter, lots of aspiring screenwriters, actors, and other industry folk. And I remember, most of all, more than anyone I met or anything about the bar, that no one drank anything... and no one ate any birthday cake.
I mean, how sad is that? Not eating birthday cake at a birthday party because you're frightened of gaining an ounce? And then G told me a story about a party she went to which had a full spread of amazing Chinese food from one of the best restaurants in town -- and no one ate a thing. Actually, an actress actually walked up to G and said to her (she was eating), "It must be nice, you know, to be able to eat in public."
Seriously. ¶ 23:19 2 comments
October 21, 2006
UNIQLO
TURNING GAP-ANESE
By Danica Lo
October 21, 2006 -- CALL it Trader Joe's for clothes. UNIQLO, a k a "the Japanese Gap," which is set to open its 36,000-square-foot American flagship store in SoHo mid-November, has been teasing the palates of cheap-but-chic in-the-know New Yorkers since early September with pop-up and traveling "container" shops all over the city.
This Sunday, the traveling trailer of Japanese basics - denims, wools and cashmeres in every color of the rainbow - visits the Columbia University campus, it's third-to-last stop before the downtown store opens to the masses.
In the land of the rising sun - where die-hard water aficionados consume 80,000 bottles of $2,000-per-gallon spring water daily, a steak dinner-for-one can easily run upwards of $350, and an elaborate kimono can go for as much as $200,000 - UNIQLO is a cultural anomaly. But just as the Japanese raised the West's deep-frying bar to a whole new level (tempura), they've also perfected the practice of selling wardrobe basics at bargain prices.
In the market for a simple winter hat? You can pay $18 for an acrylic pompom cap at American Apparel - or just $10.50 for UNIQLO's knitted lamb's wool. How about a warm winter parka? Gap's $168 men's hooded utility coat is 100 percent unfilled cotton; UNIQLO's down-filled coat with detachable hood is just $98.
Founded in 1984, UNIQLO has expanded far beyond its Hiroshima roots. Today, the company has 730 wildly successful stores all over the world owing, largely, to word-of-mouth and inconspicuous branding - none of the clothes bear logos, and the minimalist nature of the corporate aesthetic is a subtle trademark in and of itself.
Where else can you buy true Japanese denim for just $39.50 a pop? And cashmere gloves for $19.50?
Basic doesn't have to mean boring, either. UNIQLO has commissioned Japanese artists to create limited-edition pop culture T-shirts for the traveling container stores and the pending flagship - for $15, you can purchase a true collectors' item, a little piece of authentic Japanese streetwear.
Container store dates and locations:
Tomorrow: Columbia University, 110th Street and Broadway
Oct. 28: Astor Place at Lafayette Street
Nov. 5: 17th Street and Broadway
Nov. 6-10: UNIQLO flagship store location, 546 Broadway, between Prince and Spring streets
Pop-up shop locations:
Rockefeller Center: 30 Rockefeller Plaza on the Concourse shopping level; Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Upper West Side: Broadway between 79th and 80th streets; Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. ¶ 11:34 2 comments
TURNING GAP-ANESEBy Danica Lo
October 21, 2006 -- CALL it Trader Joe's for clothes. UNIQLO, a k a "the Japanese Gap," which is set to open its 36,000-square-foot American flagship store in SoHo mid-November, has been teasing the palates of cheap-but-chic in-the-know New Yorkers since early September with pop-up and traveling "container" shops all over the city.
This Sunday, the traveling trailer of Japanese basics - denims, wools and cashmeres in every color of the rainbow - visits the Columbia University campus, it's third-to-last stop before the downtown store opens to the masses.
In the land of the rising sun - where die-hard water aficionados consume 80,000 bottles of $2,000-per-gallon spring water daily, a steak dinner-for-one can easily run upwards of $350, and an elaborate kimono can go for as much as $200,000 - UNIQLO is a cultural anomaly. But just as the Japanese raised the West's deep-frying bar to a whole new level (tempura), they've also perfected the practice of selling wardrobe basics at bargain prices.
In the market for a simple winter hat? You can pay $18 for an acrylic pompom cap at American Apparel - or just $10.50 for UNIQLO's knitted lamb's wool. How about a warm winter parka? Gap's $168 men's hooded utility coat is 100 percent unfilled cotton; UNIQLO's down-filled coat with detachable hood is just $98.
Founded in 1984, UNIQLO has expanded far beyond its Hiroshima roots. Today, the company has 730 wildly successful stores all over the world owing, largely, to word-of-mouth and inconspicuous branding - none of the clothes bear logos, and the minimalist nature of the corporate aesthetic is a subtle trademark in and of itself.
Where else can you buy true Japanese denim for just $39.50 a pop? And cashmere gloves for $19.50?
Basic doesn't have to mean boring, either. UNIQLO has commissioned Japanese artists to create limited-edition pop culture T-shirts for the traveling container stores and the pending flagship - for $15, you can purchase a true collectors' item, a little piece of authentic Japanese streetwear.
Container store dates and locations:
Tomorrow: Columbia University, 110th Street and Broadway
Oct. 28: Astor Place at Lafayette Street
Nov. 5: 17th Street and Broadway
Nov. 6-10: UNIQLO flagship store location, 546 Broadway, between Prince and Spring streets
Pop-up shop locations:
Rockefeller Center: 30 Rockefeller Plaza on the Concourse shopping level; Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Upper West Side: Broadway between 79th and 80th streets; Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. ¶ 11:34 2 comments
October 19, 2006
Team Sebelia
Super-super-super happy that Jeffrey Sebelia won Project Runway season 3!
Last night I dropped by the official Project Runway season finale screening and party hosted by HRH Tim Gunn where I watched the finale in a room full of P.R. stars past and present -- like Jay McCarroll, Austin Scarlett, all the contestants from this season, their family and friends. Sure beats watching the finale alone on my sofa, huh?
Highlight of the evening? Meeting and talking with Malan Breton, a real stand-out fellow from this season, the one with the laugh and funny accent. He's super-nice, outgoing, charismatic, and ultra-down-to-earth. Loves it! ¶ 09:34 0 comments
Super-super-super happy that Jeffrey Sebelia won Project Runway season 3!
Last night I dropped by the official Project Runway season finale screening and party hosted by HRH Tim Gunn where I watched the finale in a room full of P.R. stars past and present -- like Jay McCarroll, Austin Scarlett, all the contestants from this season, their family and friends. Sure beats watching the finale alone on my sofa, huh?
Highlight of the evening? Meeting and talking with Malan Breton, a real stand-out fellow from this season, the one with the laugh and funny accent. He's super-nice, outgoing, charismatic, and ultra-down-to-earth. Loves it! ¶ 09:34 0 comments
October 17, 2006
Obsession of the day
Tonight on MTV: "True Life: I'm a Staten Island Girl"
TV doesn't get any better than this.
STATEN ISLAND FOR DUMMIES
By Danica Lo
October 17, 2006 -- 'STATEN Island girls stand out wherever they are," says Danielle, 21, an aspiring actress who's desperate to shake her hard-core New York-ese accent. "People know. They look at us and they say, 'Staten Island,' because we have that we're-too-good-for-the-rest-of-the-world attitude."
"True Life: I'm a Staten Island Girl," which airs tonight at 10, is the latest installment of MTV's documentary series - following in the footsteps of past series gems like "I Have Tourette's," "I'm Addicted to Crystal Meth," "I'm a Competitive Eater" and "I'm on Steroids."
It may be hard to believe that living across the Verrazano Narrows Bridge ranks right up there with drug addiction and neurological disorders, but the trials and tribulations of dialectically challenged Danielle, terrified-of-dying-alone Angela, and mall-addict Lauren are nothing to sneeze at, either. "Girls are vicious on this island," Danielle says. "If you don't know a girl, you don't like her."
As MTV follows them to the promised land - uh, Manhattan - to pursue their respective dreams, the girls all fret that they won't "be accepted because I'm from Staten Island," as Lauren puts it. They way they make it sound, S.I. might as well be a foreign country.
"Nobody in my family has really left," Danielle says. "I have everything I've ever wanted here. I drive a Lexus truck."
Other pearls of wisdom from the forgotten borough:
"If a girl is pretty, she's automatically a bitch," Danielle says.
If an S.I. girl goes to Boston, everyone will think she's a gangster. This happened to Danielle.
Staten Island guys - Angela's type - have spiky hair and big muscles. They go to the tanning salon, and drink protein shakes.
When you're 35, no guy will want you anymore. "These looks won't last forever," Angela says.
While living in Manhattan would be a "wonderful life," staying on Staten Island gives you "stability," Lauren's friends counsel her when she declares she's moving there. ¶ 18:57 0 comments
Tonight on MTV: "True Life: I'm a Staten Island Girl"
TV doesn't get any better than this.
STATEN ISLAND FOR DUMMIES
By Danica Lo
October 17, 2006 -- 'STATEN Island girls stand out wherever they are," says Danielle, 21, an aspiring actress who's desperate to shake her hard-core New York-ese accent. "People know. They look at us and they say, 'Staten Island,' because we have that we're-too-good-for-the-rest-of-the-world attitude."
"True Life: I'm a Staten Island Girl," which airs tonight at 10, is the latest installment of MTV's documentary series - following in the footsteps of past series gems like "I Have Tourette's," "I'm Addicted to Crystal Meth," "I'm a Competitive Eater" and "I'm on Steroids."
It may be hard to believe that living across the Verrazano Narrows Bridge ranks right up there with drug addiction and neurological disorders, but the trials and tribulations of dialectically challenged Danielle, terrified-of-dying-alone Angela, and mall-addict Lauren are nothing to sneeze at, either. "Girls are vicious on this island," Danielle says. "If you don't know a girl, you don't like her."
As MTV follows them to the promised land - uh, Manhattan - to pursue their respective dreams, the girls all fret that they won't "be accepted because I'm from Staten Island," as Lauren puts it. They way they make it sound, S.I. might as well be a foreign country.
"Nobody in my family has really left," Danielle says. "I have everything I've ever wanted here. I drive a Lexus truck."
Other pearls of wisdom from the forgotten borough:
"If a girl is pretty, she's automatically a bitch," Danielle says.
If an S.I. girl goes to Boston, everyone will think she's a gangster. This happened to Danielle.
Staten Island guys - Angela's type - have spiky hair and big muscles. They go to the tanning salon, and drink protein shakes.
When you're 35, no guy will want you anymore. "These looks won't last forever," Angela says.
While living in Manhattan would be a "wonderful life," staying on Staten Island gives you "stability," Lauren's friends counsel her when she declares she's moving there. ¶ 18:57 0 comments
October 15, 2006
Cazals
Sometimes my inner drag queen rears its head and I must have bling.
Of course, one of my favorite How Not to Look Fat tips is to wear bling on your skinny extremities -- a good dose of diamonds on your skinny wrists and a good tiara will make your limbs look longer and your hair look taller (Or, at the very least, will distract attention away from your back fat).
I picked up these vintage Cazal sunglasses last night at i heart nyc.
I wonder if blinging out my temples will make me look thinner. ¶ 10:43 0 comments
Sometimes my inner drag queen rears its head and I must have bling.Of course, one of my favorite How Not to Look Fat tips is to wear bling on your skinny extremities -- a good dose of diamonds on your skinny wrists and a good tiara will make your limbs look longer and your hair look taller (Or, at the very least, will distract attention away from your back fat).
I picked up these vintage Cazal sunglasses last night at i heart nyc.
I wonder if blinging out my temples will make me look thinner. ¶ 10:43 0 comments
Spray-Can Saints
SPRAY-CAN SAINTS
By Danica Lo
October 15, 2006 -- 'My mom still thinks I'm the biggest loser and the worst- dressed person ever," says legendary graffiti artist Claw, who has an eponymous clothing line and works as the fashion director of Swindle magazine. "But if I ever marry a doctor? Then I'll be a success."
Born and raised in Queens, Claw's signature "claw" throw-up (graffiti that falls, in scale, between a small "tag" and a giant "piece") was one of the most dominant visual street images of the mid-'90s.
"There was something in my life that I felt like I was missing," she says. "I didn't feel like I was here. Graffiti made me feel like I could do anything.
"You're walking, there's no one around - it's just this private little world," she adds. "It's a wild feeling of really being connected to your surroundings - you can just take a little piece, and it's yours."
These days, her trademark claw adorns T-shirts, bomber jackets, jewelry, hats and handbags sold at some of the most exclusive boutiques in the world - like shrine-to-cool Colette in Paris.
What about her work on the street?
"Do I really need to bomb the streets if people are wearing a claw on their chest?" she asks. "I don't know."
Since Claw has stopped bombing (writing illegal graffiti), she's reluctant to divulge many details about her prior pursuits. But with this week's pending DVD release of documentary "Infamy," which features her as one of six of America's most prolific graffiti writers, she may not be able to put her shadowy past that far behind her.
"I was really honored to be part of the film," Claw says. "It was time for me to tell my story - and I wanted to step up for the girls."
The documentary, directed by Doug Pray, who's previously made films about the Seattle grunge scene and hip-hop DJ culture, offers a voyeuristic peek into the worlds of six graffiti writers: Claw, Saber, Toomer, Jase, Earsnot and Enem - street legends from New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
The film follows its subjects as they scale walls, climb fences, and spray-paint walls, bridges, doorways and trains. The writers are well aware that their art is considered by many to be a blight and an eyesore, but they are mostly unapologetic.
"Graffiti belongs illegally," says L.A.-based Toomer, "TKO [his crew] is not a gang and it's not a Boy Scout troop - it's a bunch of vandals hanging out together."
"I don't want anybody telling me what to do," says New York's Earsnot, who's filmed openly tagging all over the East Village. "You want to take that chance of getting caught. And I'm going to do it again and again and again. You can make laws, but that doesn't mean that anyone's going to follow them."
Graffiti is ultimately a form of self-expression that's akin to marking territory - a public, in-your-face subversive, illegal assertion of street cred and the desire to leave a lasting mark somewhere, anywhere.
Toomer compares it to the monument at Mount Rushmore, where sculptor Gutzon Borglum dynamited a mountain sacred to the Lakota Sioux - they called it Six Grandfathers - in order to promote tourism to South Dakota.
"Why did people carve the rocks? Did they get a big kick out of doing big faces or did they want to leave a mark?" Toomer asks. "Who gave them permission to mark that s-- t up?"
Well, in this case, it was President Calvin Coolidge and a decree from Congress. But we get his point, anyway. ¶ 09:09 0 comments
SPRAY-CAN SAINTSBy Danica Lo
October 15, 2006 -- 'My mom still thinks I'm the biggest loser and the worst- dressed person ever," says legendary graffiti artist Claw, who has an eponymous clothing line and works as the fashion director of Swindle magazine. "But if I ever marry a doctor? Then I'll be a success."
Born and raised in Queens, Claw's signature "claw" throw-up (graffiti that falls, in scale, between a small "tag" and a giant "piece") was one of the most dominant visual street images of the mid-'90s.
"There was something in my life that I felt like I was missing," she says. "I didn't feel like I was here. Graffiti made me feel like I could do anything.
"You're walking, there's no one around - it's just this private little world," she adds. "It's a wild feeling of really being connected to your surroundings - you can just take a little piece, and it's yours."
These days, her trademark claw adorns T-shirts, bomber jackets, jewelry, hats and handbags sold at some of the most exclusive boutiques in the world - like shrine-to-cool Colette in Paris.
What about her work on the street?
"Do I really need to bomb the streets if people are wearing a claw on their chest?" she asks. "I don't know."
Since Claw has stopped bombing (writing illegal graffiti), she's reluctant to divulge many details about her prior pursuits. But with this week's pending DVD release of documentary "Infamy," which features her as one of six of America's most prolific graffiti writers, she may not be able to put her shadowy past that far behind her.
"I was really honored to be part of the film," Claw says. "It was time for me to tell my story - and I wanted to step up for the girls."
The documentary, directed by Doug Pray, who's previously made films about the Seattle grunge scene and hip-hop DJ culture, offers a voyeuristic peek into the worlds of six graffiti writers: Claw, Saber, Toomer, Jase, Earsnot and Enem - street legends from New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
The film follows its subjects as they scale walls, climb fences, and spray-paint walls, bridges, doorways and trains. The writers are well aware that their art is considered by many to be a blight and an eyesore, but they are mostly unapologetic.
"Graffiti belongs illegally," says L.A.-based Toomer, "TKO [his crew] is not a gang and it's not a Boy Scout troop - it's a bunch of vandals hanging out together."
"I don't want anybody telling me what to do," says New York's Earsnot, who's filmed openly tagging all over the East Village. "You want to take that chance of getting caught. And I'm going to do it again and again and again. You can make laws, but that doesn't mean that anyone's going to follow them."
Graffiti is ultimately a form of self-expression that's akin to marking territory - a public, in-your-face subversive, illegal assertion of street cred and the desire to leave a lasting mark somewhere, anywhere.
Toomer compares it to the monument at Mount Rushmore, where sculptor Gutzon Borglum dynamited a mountain sacred to the Lakota Sioux - they called it Six Grandfathers - in order to promote tourism to South Dakota.
"Why did people carve the rocks? Did they get a big kick out of doing big faces or did they want to leave a mark?" Toomer asks. "Who gave them permission to mark that s-- t up?"
Well, in this case, it was President Calvin Coolidge and a decree from Congress. But we get his point, anyway. ¶ 09:09 0 comments
How not to cut calories
How not to cut calories: Have Sardinian Ice Teas at 4:30 p.m. with your friend Emmy at Otto, eat two slices of pizza at Ray's, then walk down to the automat on St. Mark's and eat corn dogs for no reason other than for the novelty of buying food out of a 1960s-era machine. Deee-lish!
¶ 08:57 0 comments
How not to cut calories: Have Sardinian Ice Teas at 4:30 p.m. with your friend Emmy at Otto, eat two slices of pizza at Ray's, then walk down to the automat on St. Mark's and eat corn dogs for no reason other than for the novelty of buying food out of a 1960s-era machine. Deee-lish!
¶ 08:57 0 comments
October 13, 2006
How to cut calories
How to cut calories: Stop drinking, like my friend Tom Sykes. His new book, "What did I do last night?" will be your inspiration. Call it a reality check.
¶ 00:03 0 comments
How to cut calories: Stop drinking, like my friend Tom Sykes. His new book, "What did I do last night?" will be your inspiration. Call it a reality check.
¶ 00:03 0 comments
October 11, 2006
Lily fair
Saw Lily Allen's first-ever American gig at the Hiro Ballroom tonight. She's so cute!
Here's a little ditty -- taped especially for Chris, who loves this song...
Saw Lily Allen's first-ever American gig at the Hiro Ballroom tonight. She's so cute!
Here's a little ditty -- taped especially for Chris, who loves this song...
October 09, 2006
Me = Like a broken record
The Rasmus' new album Hide From the Sun is out today in America. If you haven't got one already, definitely pick one of up at your local store or order one online.
I mean the following statement in the best possible way (because it applies to me too): If you (like me) love 80s and early-90s rock -- like Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Warrant, early Nirvana -- if you like good, solid driving music you can sing at the top of your lungs to as you're tearing down the highway. If you are tired of all the bizarre new hipster dipster teens pretending to play rock music? You'll love this album.
For a sampling, check out The Rasmus Myspace.
If you can get somewhere to see them live, even better. ¶ 23:48 1 comments
The Rasmus' new album Hide From the Sun is out today in America. If you haven't got one already, definitely pick one of up at your local store or order one online. I mean the following statement in the best possible way (because it applies to me too): If you (like me) love 80s and early-90s rock -- like Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Warrant, early Nirvana -- if you like good, solid driving music you can sing at the top of your lungs to as you're tearing down the highway. If you are tired of all the bizarre new hipster dipster teens pretending to play rock music? You'll love this album.
For a sampling, check out The Rasmus Myspace.
If you can get somewhere to see them live, even better. ¶ 23:48 1 comments
New adventures underway
Sooooo this blog has been a bit light on the How Not to Look Fat tips recently since I've been veering more into the How to Have Fun and Here is What I do Everyday territory, but don't worry! How Not to Look Fat is coming back, slowly but surely.
See, recently I realize that I don't do a whole lot. (Yeah, my mom is reading this right now and is thinking to herself, "I told you so!" Ok, mom, you're always right, I know.) My co-worker, R, is, on the other hand, super-busy and super-motivated. Like, she takes language classes, goes on field trips, spends loads of quality time with her immediate and extended family, travels constantly, volunteers 12-20 hours a week, is involved with a thousand charities, goes to screenings, legitimately and semi-scientifically tests out new products, runs with her dog twice a day, goes to the gym, shops like a fiend -- AND she gets a solid 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night.
What.
It's taken me a long time to realize she does so much.
Me? I go to work (late) and sit around, write a story, answer a few hundred emails and field a few dozen phone calls a day and I'm pooped. Then I come home and make a mess in my apartment, avoid answering the phone all night, shoot off a few emails, watch some primetime TV, read a couple of chapters in whatever book is by my bedside (there are, like, 8 books I'm in the middle of right now... I haven't finished a book in months!), and pass out. Not so productive.
So as of this afternoon I've made an autumn resolution.
My resolution: I am going to stop dicking around and wasting time. I am going to do stuff.
So there are going to be many adventures on the horizon (lots of which, I am sure, will be advertantly or inadvertantly geared to Not Looking Fat).
Like, I'm going to start actually going to the gym. I am so embarrassed that I joined the gym across the street from my apartment in January and I have been there a total of -- wait for it -- once. It's October now. That will help me not look fat.
And I'm going to start taking outside classes. Like yoga and stuff. That will also help me not look fat.
I haven't really lined up other activities yet, because, let's be honest, my interest level in most things is quite low (I'm not jaded, I'm just boring), so I guess I'll try to rev up my enthusiasm for stuff like taking roadtrips, going to shows, and generally being an active, productive human being. Maybe I'll even go to stores to buy clothes instead of shopping online. Wow. One tiny step for woman, one giant leap for Danica-kind.
In the meantime, while I decide what to do, I'm going to watch this music video on loop. It's Lee Ryan and his song, "How Do I" -- and I'm going to see Lily Allen play Hiro tomorrow night. So excited!
Sooooo this blog has been a bit light on the How Not to Look Fat tips recently since I've been veering more into the How to Have Fun and Here is What I do Everyday territory, but don't worry! How Not to Look Fat is coming back, slowly but surely.
See, recently I realize that I don't do a whole lot. (Yeah, my mom is reading this right now and is thinking to herself, "I told you so!" Ok, mom, you're always right, I know.) My co-worker, R, is, on the other hand, super-busy and super-motivated. Like, she takes language classes, goes on field trips, spends loads of quality time with her immediate and extended family, travels constantly, volunteers 12-20 hours a week, is involved with a thousand charities, goes to screenings, legitimately and semi-scientifically tests out new products, runs with her dog twice a day, goes to the gym, shops like a fiend -- AND she gets a solid 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night.
What.
It's taken me a long time to realize she does so much.
Me? I go to work (late) and sit around, write a story, answer a few hundred emails and field a few dozen phone calls a day and I'm pooped. Then I come home and make a mess in my apartment, avoid answering the phone all night, shoot off a few emails, watch some primetime TV, read a couple of chapters in whatever book is by my bedside (there are, like, 8 books I'm in the middle of right now... I haven't finished a book in months!), and pass out. Not so productive.
So as of this afternoon I've made an autumn resolution.
My resolution: I am going to stop dicking around and wasting time. I am going to do stuff.
So there are going to be many adventures on the horizon (lots of which, I am sure, will be advertantly or inadvertantly geared to Not Looking Fat).
Like, I'm going to start actually going to the gym. I am so embarrassed that I joined the gym across the street from my apartment in January and I have been there a total of -- wait for it -- once. It's October now. That will help me not look fat.
And I'm going to start taking outside classes. Like yoga and stuff. That will also help me not look fat.
I haven't really lined up other activities yet, because, let's be honest, my interest level in most things is quite low (I'm not jaded, I'm just boring), so I guess I'll try to rev up my enthusiasm for stuff like taking roadtrips, going to shows, and generally being an active, productive human being. Maybe I'll even go to stores to buy clothes instead of shopping online. Wow. One tiny step for woman, one giant leap for Danica-kind.
In the meantime, while I decide what to do, I'm going to watch this music video on loop. It's Lee Ryan and his song, "How Do I" -- and I'm going to see Lily Allen play Hiro tomorrow night. So excited!
I'm a Happy Victim
For years I've been obsessed with photographer Kyoichi Tsuzuki's ongoing project, "Happy Victims," wherein Tsuzuki documents people's obsessions with specific designers.
On the left here is the apartment of a buddhist monk who keeps a small pied a terre in Tokyo which he visits once a month to shop and stow his purchases -- which, for the most part, are Comme des Garcons. When out of monk's robes, he wears only Comme. He is a Garconiste.
Here, on the right, is the apartment of a woman who is obsessed with and compulsively collects Anna Sui. She also admits to owning a slew of Anna Sui cosmetics.
Anyway, I am obsessed with this photo documentary project, and have been for some time. So I got to thinking, and I always like to ask people, "If you had to choose one designer to wear, fill your home with, and live the aesthetic of, which designer would you choose?"
Me, hands down, I'd choose Martin Margiela. It baffles me how every season, whether totally wacked out or completely subtle and understated, Margiela can predict exactly what I want to look like. Here are some of my favorite looks from his Spring 2007 collection, which he just showed during Paris fashion week this October.
Which designer would you choose? ¶ 21:31 1 comments
For years I've been obsessed with photographer Kyoichi Tsuzuki's ongoing project, "Happy Victims," wherein Tsuzuki documents people's obsessions with specific designers. On the left here is the apartment of a buddhist monk who keeps a small pied a terre in Tokyo which he visits once a month to shop and stow his purchases -- which, for the most part, are Comme des Garcons. When out of monk's robes, he wears only Comme. He is a Garconiste.
Here, on the right, is the apartment of a woman who is obsessed with and compulsively collects Anna Sui. She also admits to owning a slew of Anna Sui cosmetics. Anyway, I am obsessed with this photo documentary project, and have been for some time. So I got to thinking, and I always like to ask people, "If you had to choose one designer to wear, fill your home with, and live the aesthetic of, which designer would you choose?"
Me, hands down, I'd choose Martin Margiela. It baffles me how every season, whether totally wacked out or completely subtle and understated, Margiela can predict exactly what I want to look like. Here are some of my favorite looks from his Spring 2007 collection, which he just showed during Paris fashion week this October.
Which designer would you choose? ¶ 21:31 1 comments
October 08, 2006
Planet Rock
PLANET ROCK
By Danica Lo
October 8, 2006 -- IF you can make it here, you'll make it anywhere - unless you're from over there, like Europe or China.
Just because a band hits big in their home country, they've got no guarantee American audiences will ever want to hear them croon their latest single. While big-time American artists are usually well-received abroad, their fame seems to be rolling down a one-way street - that stops at the border.
Because for every artist that's become a major star in the rest of the world before finding success on our shores - Sean Paul, Kelis, Shakira and the Spice Girls - there are countless musical casualties by the wayside. Just think of British superstars like soul crooner Robbie Williams and boy band Westlife, both of whom topped charts across the pond, but barely leaked into pop-culture consciousness here.
While there's no secret formula to getting made in America, here are five acts poised to take a shot in the next few months - and despite the long odds, they have a damn good chance at sticking.
* THE RASMUS
If you came of rock consciousness in the '80s or '90s, it's likely this Tuesday's release - "Hide From the Sun," the first big American album from Finland's The Rasmus - will knock your socks off with its play-to-the-masses anthems and just-polished-enough power-rock refrains. The band has already attained superstar status in Europe and Latin America with six albums under its belt. The quartet's last, "Dead Letters," sold nearly 2 million copies - its first single, "In the Shadows," became the No.1 most-played video on MTV Europe.
Download: Wistful breakup song of the year "Sail Away" or "Immortal," the album's darkest, most visceral track
* LILY ALLEN
Like Gwen Stefani, but far more street and oh-so-London in her chav-lite doorknocker earrings, Lily Allen burst onto the scene this summer when her first album, "Alright, Still," debuted at No.2 on the U.K. charts. There's nothing generic about Allen's twisted lyrics (delivered in an innocent sing-song falsetto) set to reggae beats. Though her album isn't set to drop till February, Allen's generated enough buzz to sell out her first New York show, Tuesday night at Hiro Ballroom.
Download: "LDN," a snarky sing-along guide to London, or ode to reality, and "Everything's Just Wonderful" wherein Allen rhymes "Kate Moss" with "weight loss"
* LEE RYAN
Blue was one of the most successful U.K. boy bands of the '90s, selling more than 12 million albums and 5 million singles in Europe and Asia. Never heard of them? It's not too late for a sampling - Lee Ryan, just 23, the now-defunct group's lead singer and songwriter, who previously collaborated with the likes of Elton John and Stevie Wonder, lands in the United States next week to cut an American solo debut slated for release sometime next year. We're betting on success - I mean, not only is Ryan really, really cute, but he's got style and soul - like a boy Joss Stone.
Download: The video for "How Do I?" at officialleeryan.com - a real tear jerker
* THE LIVING END
Punk-pop trio the Living End have enlisted star producer Nick Launay (INXS, Gang of Four, Midnight Oil, Silverchair) to produce "State of Emergency," the band's latest full-length release, which debuted at No.1 and is about to go platinum in their native Australia. The band's eponymous debut album has gone quintuple platinum since its 1999 release, and its "Second Solution/Prisoner of Society" EP is the highest-selling Australian single of the past decade.
Download: Wildly catchy Generation-Next anthem "Wake Up"
* EDISON CHEN
Credited for bringing hip-hop culture to Asia, Chen designs streetwear, owns the biggest youth clothing store in Hong Kong and has a worldwide cult of clothes freaks who gobble up every garment he makes for Nike, Levis and Lacoste. Pepsi cans all over Asia have his face on them.
Rapping in Chinese, he's released 11 full-length albums and won 23 music awards, including MTV Asia's 2004 "Best Male Artist of the Year." Oh, and in the last year he managed to star in his first English feature film, Friday's "The Grudge 2," opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar and Amber Tamblyn.
Go See: "The Grudge 2" ¶ 10:37 0 comments
PLANET ROCK
By Danica Lo
October 8, 2006 -- IF you can make it here, you'll make it anywhere - unless you're from over there, like Europe or China.
Just because a band hits big in their home country, they've got no guarantee American audiences will ever want to hear them croon their latest single. While big-time American artists are usually well-received abroad, their fame seems to be rolling down a one-way street - that stops at the border.
Because for every artist that's become a major star in the rest of the world before finding success on our shores - Sean Paul, Kelis, Shakira and the Spice Girls - there are countless musical casualties by the wayside. Just think of British superstars like soul crooner Robbie Williams and boy band Westlife, both of whom topped charts across the pond, but barely leaked into pop-culture consciousness here.
While there's no secret formula to getting made in America, here are five acts poised to take a shot in the next few months - and despite the long odds, they have a damn good chance at sticking.
* THE RASMUS
If you came of rock consciousness in the '80s or '90s, it's likely this Tuesday's release - "Hide From the Sun," the first big American album from Finland's The Rasmus - will knock your socks off with its play-to-the-masses anthems and just-polished-enough power-rock refrains. The band has already attained superstar status in Europe and Latin America with six albums under its belt. The quartet's last, "Dead Letters," sold nearly 2 million copies - its first single, "In the Shadows," became the No.1 most-played video on MTV Europe.
Download: Wistful breakup song of the year "Sail Away" or "Immortal," the album's darkest, most visceral track
* LILY ALLEN
Like Gwen Stefani, but far more street and oh-so-London in her chav-lite doorknocker earrings, Lily Allen burst onto the scene this summer when her first album, "Alright, Still," debuted at No.2 on the U.K. charts. There's nothing generic about Allen's twisted lyrics (delivered in an innocent sing-song falsetto) set to reggae beats. Though her album isn't set to drop till February, Allen's generated enough buzz to sell out her first New York show, Tuesday night at Hiro Ballroom.
Download: "LDN," a snarky sing-along guide to London, or ode to reality, and "Everything's Just Wonderful" wherein Allen rhymes "Kate Moss" with "weight loss"
* LEE RYAN
Blue was one of the most successful U.K. boy bands of the '90s, selling more than 12 million albums and 5 million singles in Europe and Asia. Never heard of them? It's not too late for a sampling - Lee Ryan, just 23, the now-defunct group's lead singer and songwriter, who previously collaborated with the likes of Elton John and Stevie Wonder, lands in the United States next week to cut an American solo debut slated for release sometime next year. We're betting on success - I mean, not only is Ryan really, really cute, but he's got style and soul - like a boy Joss Stone.
Download: The video for "How Do I?" at officialleeryan.com - a real tear jerker
* THE LIVING END
Punk-pop trio the Living End have enlisted star producer Nick Launay (INXS, Gang of Four, Midnight Oil, Silverchair) to produce "State of Emergency," the band's latest full-length release, which debuted at No.1 and is about to go platinum in their native Australia. The band's eponymous debut album has gone quintuple platinum since its 1999 release, and its "Second Solution/Prisoner of Society" EP is the highest-selling Australian single of the past decade.
Download: Wildly catchy Generation-Next anthem "Wake Up"
* EDISON CHEN
Credited for bringing hip-hop culture to Asia, Chen designs streetwear, owns the biggest youth clothing store in Hong Kong and has a worldwide cult of clothes freaks who gobble up every garment he makes for Nike, Levis and Lacoste. Pepsi cans all over Asia have his face on them.
Rapping in Chinese, he's released 11 full-length albums and won 23 music awards, including MTV Asia's 2004 "Best Male Artist of the Year." Oh, and in the last year he managed to star in his first English feature film, Friday's "The Grudge 2," opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar and Amber Tamblyn.
Go See: "The Grudge 2" ¶ 10:37 0 comments
