Happy Fashion Week!

To kick off New York Fashion Week and my (hopeful) return to blogging, everyone needs to see this.  And don't even pretend it's not true because you biotches know you have said this s*it.  I totes have.  And I agree that I'm soooo not eating til Fashion Week so...good thing it's Fashion Week.



http://knowyourmeme.com/videos/29312-shit-girls-say

Long skirts: Pretty or Pilgrim?

Long skirts, anywhere from just below the knee to floor grazing, seem to be popping up in every major retailer for spring 2011. This trend seems odd to me since spring and summer are the time when we usually reveal more skin, but I can't deny the chicness of this look. These skirts seem to be the natural progression of the overdone maxi-dress. I tried a few on this weekend but haven't been able to fully commit to the look. I felt pretty, romantic, and comfortable in the flowy fabrics, but couldn't shake the feeling that I was seriously compromising my sex appeal. Are these skirts too bag-lady boho? Too high school orchestra? Too Mayflower chic? If you do decide to try it make sure to keep the look modern by making the accessories chunky, the shoes delicate, and the shirt not too tight but not too loose. I've also seen great success pairing these skirts with belts in American Apparel's current window display and Express's lookbook.

Express, $49.90 ($39.90 in stores)

American Apparel, $52 (also available in ankle length)

Fashion Week Day 2: Farah Angsana

If I ever become famous, I plan on wearing Farah Angsana on pretty much every red carpet. Asking me to choose only one look from her fall 2011 collection that showed today at Lincoln Center would be tortorous. The collection of cocktail dresses and gowns was glamorous and evoked a femme fatale feel, especially with the red lips and hair in french twists. The collection contained dark navys and blacks, jewel tones, and rich metallics with accents of crystal, fur, and beading. Hemlines were dangerously short and several models wore sparkly black masquerade masks, combining sex appeal and drama with a touch of whimsy. Though most of the looks were very sparkly and bold, a few understated flowy gowns kept the collection from being over the top. The finale look elicited an audible gasp from the audience as the model wearing a silver semi-sheer gown of crystals and feathers rounded the corner onto the runway, draped in a white and pale grey fur shawl. The pieces in Farah Angsana's collection are looks that will demand attention and captivate any any audience: on the runway, red carpet, or at any cocktail party at which the wearer wants to be the most sought after yet mysterious woman in the room.

Pre-Fashion Week: Dannijo presentation

Sister designers and celebrity favorites Dannijo debuted their fall 2011 collection of jewelry on Tuesday night, and showed that more is definitely more. Which is never a bad thing in my opinion. The pieces were big, bold, and glitzy. They showed statement necklaces (a trend that I feared was fading), cuffs, and bangles in mostly gold with pops of color and Swarovski crystal. I loved the choice to focus on gold, a metal that unfortunately too often gets a bad rap in the jewelry world. The gold was done tastefully though as many pieces were toned down with a worn, rustic feel. Dannijo cited inspiration for the collection as the frontier world of the wild west meeting the opulent roaring 20's. This motif showed not only in the jewelry, but also carried through in the log cabin/boudoir scenery for the presentation and even in signature cocktails including a modified warm cider...a perfect homey kick off to fashion week on a bitterly cold Manhattan evening.

Fashion Week Day 5: Jenny Packham

Jenny Packham brought some true glamour to the tents with her Spring/Summer 2011 runway show Monday morning. The designer's collection was inspired by the elegance and excitement of young women at debutant balls, and thus the looks had Blair Waldorf written all over them. The colors were muted and romantic: blue, grey, ivory, and blush pink. Packham's gowns and cocktail dressed had a youthful sophistication, incorporating lots of sparkle and a few beautiful watercolor prints. So many perfect red carpet moments are to be had from this collection. Though Packham is known for her gowns, one of my favorite looks was actually a shorts outfit consisting of a blousy sleeveless bow-neck top and a pair of gold fully beaded shorts. The collection was stunning and cohesive but may have verged on too much of the same, as many dresses were nearly twins in full and knee lengths. Thankfully, a few embellished shirt-dresses broke the mold and provided a surprising twist on preppy glamour.

Things I like...free wine!

Fashion Week is winding down, so I wanted to give thanks to something that made it just a little more enjoyable: Kim Crawford Wines. Kim Crawford is a New Zealand based wine company who sponsored this season's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and provided the best gift ever of free wine in the lobby of the Lincoln Center tents. They had a chic booth set up which felt like as much like a real bar or lounge as could be possible within the tents...complete with people pushing their way to the front to get a drink. Normally I'm more of a red wine fan, but it was hot so I tried the Sauvignon Blanc which was refreshing and fruity. It was the perfect drink after the chaos and exhaustion of Fashion Week, so thanks KC!

Fashion Week Day 5: Indashio

On Monday I attended what loosely resembled a fashion show for Indashio's Spring/Summer 2011 collection at Style 360. This event was formatted as a fashion show but felt more like a rave/Anime cartoon/hip hop tranny convention. Indashio is a young fashion designer who was the winner of VH1's Glam God, one reality show that I surprisingly did not watch. His style is out there to say the least, and attracted an audience to match. The collection was filled with bright neon colors, graffiti-like prints, metallics, sequins, feathers, and every other flamboyant detail you can imagine. I liked the sequin dresses and the purple bikini, but high fashion or sophisticated this collection was not. The night was quite the extravaganza though. Sitting front row were Paul Johnson Calderon of High Society (one of my favorite people in the world!) and Janice Combs (Diddy's mom). Amber Rose walked the runway to open and close the show, and other notable models included almost every contestant from America's Next Top Model (winners Jaslene and Caridee, and I'm pretty sure Amanda from cycle 3). Plus shirtless and pantsless men! I definitely saw some major bulge. Although honestly it was hard to tell whether some models were men or women. If the model wearing the gold lame' bikini was a women, apparently Indashio made leg shaving optional because homegirl (boy?) was pulling a Mo'Nique. The Indashio show certainly had its fair share of tranny ferocia and was not apologizingggg for it...but overall was bordering more on hot mess.

Fashion Week Day 4: Walter

Walter showed their Spring 2011 collection on Sunday as part of opening day of Style 360 at the Metropolitan Pavilion. Denise Richards, Alex McCord, and Simon Van Kempen sat front row to view the collection of laid back cocktail looks. I loved the chiffon dresses with over-sided gold sequin detailing on the shoulders. However, I haven't been loving the muted color palette that Walter and many other designers have been showing this season. The Recession is (somewhat) ending and these are spring collections, lets have fun with some color! Despite the drab tones, Walter displayed a clean, cohesive, and wearable collection containing flowy dresses, blouses, and some beautiful ombre and asymmetrical pieces. A few looks were paired with what the program noted as a "horn scarf", which looked more like a very long grey cotton snake wrapped around the neck several times. These felt a bit bizarre, but still overall a nice showing from Walter.

Fashion Week Day 4: Rebecca Minkoff

A designer mostly known for her handbags, Rebecca Minkoff showed her collection of RTW clothing, bags, and shoes in a presentation at Lincoln Center yesterday afternoon. The collection had a downtown sophisticate vibe with leather, hardware, and other edgy details on pieces with feminine silhouettes. The color palate was mostly neutrals, but a few red dresses and a pair of metallic shorts provided a very needed pop. Minkoff's famed handbags played a featured role in her Spring 2011 collection, some of my favorites being the envelope clutch and the luggage-like leather doctor bag. The hair also played a key role in creating the look of Minkoff's downtown bohemian girl, as the models wore the tousled loose waves that I only wish I could re-create in real life without looking borderline homeless. A standout point in the presentation was the statement jewelry from Made Her Think, especially an over-sized pewter and gold metal fringe necklace. Michelle Trachtenberg was in attendance to view the collection, and Danny Masterson (aka DJ Mom Jeans) provided the soundtrack for the afternoon. Delightfully random, a great compliment to the polished yet ready for anything attitude of Minkoff's collection.

Fashion Week Day 3: Whitney Eve by Whitney Port

Last night Whitney Port presented her Whitney Eve Spring 2011 collection at a studio in the Meatpacking District. Whitney was of course in attendance and busy mingling while tending to the fine tuning details of the night. The City co-star Samantha Swetra was among the guests, who enjoyed lemon juleps from Svedka Vodka and cookies and other treats from Sugar Factory. The Whitney Eve collection consisted of vibrant and flirty rompers, skirts, dresses, and a few drapey pants. I loved the color palette including coral, lilac, and khaki green, a color I've been seeing a lot of this season. Whitney also included some fun geometric prints and lightweight fabrics, making the looks appear effortlessly chic and comfortable. The one look I wasn't a fan of was the crop top. Are we really doing this? I know I'm not and would prefer others not to as well, especially with a slit down the middle of the top. The muted colors and jacket are the only thing that make this look one step up from classic JWOWW, but overall it's only one misstep in an otherwise fresh and wearable collection.

Fashion Week Day 2: Fashion's Night Out

Complete insanity. I'm just barely recovering now, a day and a half later. From the moment I tried to exit the subway at Prince Street on Friday night I knew Fashion's Night Out was going to be craziness. I have never seen so many people trying to walk up the subway stairs short of Halloween in the West Village, and the streets were also swelling with a massive slow moving crowd walking from store to store (in heels on cobblestone...fun!). We popped in and out of numerous stores along Prince Street in search of free champagne, and even though I questioned the validity of events and freebies on Fashion's Night Out encouraging people to shop, I did break down and buy a bra in Calvin Klein. But...at 75% off!

Our primary destination for the night was a party at the Elie Tahari store. The party had an Old Manhattan theme with old fashioned cocktails and champagne, an antique polaroid photographer, and a musical performance by the Nunziata twins Anthony and Will of classic standards. The store was beautiful, and the subtle details such as the cocktail waitresses' 1920's style hats were perfection. Elie Tahari himself even made an appearance which was absolutely a treat.

After one too many glasses of champagne and one chaotic crowd moment on the way home as Karl Lagerfeld exited his car (not that I even got to see him through the excitement), Fashion's Night Out officially wore me out. Good that so many people were so excited about fashion, bad that they all chose to exercise this excitement in the same five block radius. Fashion's Night Out on my couch next year is sounding pretty damn good.

Fashion Week Day 1: Farah Angsana

Only one show into Fashion Week Spring 2011 and I'm already dyyyying. Farah Angsana's collection was amazing and totally up my alley. Give me bling and metallics and I'm sold. The collection was inspired by Farah's home country of Indonesia, and the influence played just enough of a part to be obvious without hitting you over the head with ethnicticity (yes, I invented a word). The incorporation of Indonesian culture was mostly in the head pieces, ranging from small accent combs to gorgeous gold Indonesian crowns. Farah showed some of my favorite trends such as metallics, flirty ruffles, and of course rhinestones and other forms of bling. I loved the color combination of green and gold throughout the ending pieces, especially the final look of a long sleeved cocktail mini-dress with Swarovski crystal accents and a plunging neckline. The photograph does not do this dress justice, the whole audience literally gasped and broke into smiles when the model walked out. Among that audience were self-proclaimed fashionistas (okay, most of the world would probably agree) Alex McCord and Simon van Kempen of The Real Housewives of New York. I absolutely loved this show, it set the bar very high for what is to come over the next seven days. And judging by the quality of these pictures, maybe I should invest in a new camera to set my photography bar high as well...

New Forever 21 - grab your hardhats, ladies! (no seriously...)

Tomorrow, June 25, at 10am the massive new Forever 21 will open in Times Square. This will probably cause the second earthquake in the tri-state area this week. The new 4 floor, 90,000+ square foot store will (sadly) occupy the former Virgin Megastore retail space. Despite the slap in the face to history in regards to the location, I'm giddy with excitement about the new Forever 21. It's larger than I can possibly imagine or comprehend, only 4 blocks from my office, and is scheduled to have normal store hours until 2am. Those hours are absolutely insane, but perfect for buying a new outfit last minute before clubbing. (I apologize to retail workers in advance for my upcoming drunk visits at 1:30am.)

Of course the grand opening has some fun and freebies to celebrate the further demise of Times Square. The first 1000 shoppers in line will receive complimentary gift cards valued at anywhere from $10-$210, and there have been additional 10% coupons for opening day floating around the internets to VIPs (like me). Other festivities include a Minx Nails manicure station, makeovers featuring F21's cosmetics line Love & Beauty, a "red carpet" photo booth, and sheer pandemonium.

Seriously, Forever 21s in NYC are a war-zone on a normal shopping day, so I'm just a little scared for this 4 floor monster on opening day. Is fear going to stop me? Absolutely not. I'll do just about anything for freebies and discount trendy clothing.

Hot for banker

A news story is making all the girly blogs upset today because a very attractive female business banker was fired from a job at Citibank, allegedly because her looks, clothing and sexuality were distracting in the workplace. The woman in question, Debrahlee Lorenzana, is obviously suing. If everything said and documented is to be true (which I always give people the benefit of the doubt until I see inconsistencies), then Lorenzana obviously has a case and was wrongly treated.

The choices she is making now, however, are ruining my impression of her. In a photo shoot for The Village Voice, Lorenzana is dressed in her "business attire" including an extremely low-cut beige satin blouse and a white skin-tight bandagelike dress. Her posing is more Maxim than Fortune, and her facial expressions are way too "come hither" to be seen as professional. These are in sharp contrast to photos directed by her lawyer (also pictured in the Voice article) where she looks professional, polished, and attractive in a black pantsuit. It seems that now that major press is involved, Lorenzana may be capitalizing in the wrong way. She is also all too quick to elaborate on her Latin heritage, poverty-stricken upbringing, and financial troubles after the firing. Lorenzana then makes the mistake of noting her 5 closets full of Hermes and Louis Vuitton outfits. If you're going for the sympathy card, don't mention the LVs.

Something about the article also bothers me in terms of consistency. In the second paragraph of the article it claims that her bosses cited work performance as the reason for termination, but on the third page it reads that her female manager at a new branch mentioned clothing complaints and not work performance during the firing. This may be a journalistic error, but clouds my judgment of the case none the less.

It all seems a little exaggerated and put-on for me. I just know I've never done my banking with so many "extras" on display as are being depicted in Lorenzana's pictures...

Striking gold in footwear

Sex and the City 2 will be upon us a week from today (I've seen it, it does not disappoint!) which means we're soon going to have over two hours worth of new fashion inspiration. Most of us don't have Carrie Bradshaw's inexplicable shoe budget, so thank goodness retail chains nowadays have no respect for copyrights and no shame in making knockoffs!

In the opening scene of the movie, Carrie wears a casual white dress with blinding Christian Louboutin gold glitter pumps (a $795 value). Bakers is currently selling a nearly identical pair of H by Halston shoes for only $79.95, and considering they're from Bakers they're surprisingly not slut-tastic. Shame on you Halston, but yes I'll take a 90% discount thank you very much. They're a bit flashy even for my taste and not my favorite trend from the new movie, but this Carrie look is one of most wearable and can easily be pulled off with any white cotton tunic dress.

Poise is like Herpes: Miss USA 2010

Tonight was the Celebrity Apprentice Reunion The Miss USA pageant brought to you by The Donald and friends. Miss Michigan Rima Fakih won the title and was my favorite for most of the pageant. She is gorgeous and one fierce biotch as proven by her dramatic swimwear walk, graceful recovery from a noticeable stumble, and poses for daysssss. I also was rooting for Rima, who is Lebanese American, because I don't believe we've ever seen a major national pageant queen of Middle-Eastern descent. However, perhaps that factor undeservedly propelled Rima to the title among a final five that was rounded out by blonde white girls. In my opinion, Rima blew it in the final question when she giggily claimed that of course health insurance should cover birth control pills because they're a "controlled substance", "can be costly", and even threw in a thought provoking "hi Mom". Several of the other ladies bombed their questions as well, and at that point the title should have easily gone to Miss Oklahoma who eloquently spoke on behalf of states' rights to make and enforce their own laws. Or it just should have been ME!

Now a few other moments that made this hot mess fun to watch:

"You can't buy poise. It's like Herpes: you either have it or you don't." - Joan Rivers during her backstage color commentary. Sounds like some white trash version of The Countess LuAnn de Lessepes's new song.

One contestant who was wearing a red evening gown with the midriff cut out described her dress as "red, sexy, and flowy...just like me." So you see yourself like a period?

Miss Virginia described her evening gown as "sophisticated in the front". The dress had a high neckline, but a slit right down the middle completely revealing her breasts. But I'll forgive this lack of judgment because she had the best hair in the competition.

Doing a choreographed dance to country music is awkward.

Host Curtis Stone blatantly wanting to sleep with basically every contestant. And his co-host Some Broadcast Chick constantly making awkward jokes about it. But it's okay because basically every contestant wanted to sleep with him too (and why wouldn't they?). One contestant even offered to cook her famous grilled cheese sandwich for him the morning after they you-know-what...

Siobhan classes it up

...just in time to be eliminated. I was up and down throughout the season about American Idol contestant Siobhan Magnus's signature screaming vocals, but I always hated her signature quirky style. Until last night. Siobhan turned it out with her elimination night dress, a satin colorblocked pink number from Express ($98). This look was a total departure from her usual punky dresses, flat boots, and 80's inspired pieces. It's almost as if girlfriend knew she was going home and wanted to go out with a little class. She looked great showing off her hot little figure, and I'm looooving the dress. My friend Sarah also owns this dress, and both she and Siobhan added a black belt which is a smart move. The ruching on this dress is already super slimming, and adding a belt is a great way to nip in the waist even more and break up the pink.

Kinda agree with eliminating Siobhan (I was over it), and def agree with this fashion statement!

Photo from Fox

Zac Attack!

If you noticed a stampede of stiletto-clad fashionistas among the sneaker-clad commuters outside Penn Station today, it's because Zac Posen's new collection for Target is holding a preview pop-up shop. For 24 hours only, New Yorkers can browse and purchase Posen's discount collection at 481 8th Avenue (at 34th Street) before it debuts in Targets across the nation on April 25. The shop is open from April 15 at 11pm-April 16 at 11pm, creating a limited but unique shopping experience featuring an overnight party vibe.

I'm not much of a night person so I didn't run to the store when doors opened, and I don't think I'll be hitting it up today either. The prices are great for the everyday woman who wants some Posen in her life ($79.99 for this fluffy red number), but aside from this dress I'm not impressed with the collection as a whole. The prints in mostly reds and pinks are fun but not chic, and the gold metallic dress and swimsuits border on tacky. The black dresses, jacket and pants are nice, but hardly standout pieces. This collection is missing the chic drama that Posen usually brings, and in my opinion doesn't have the same "must have" factor as many of Target's previous designer lines.

Tacky tats...that strangely turn me on

It feels so wrong and confusing to lust after a male figure skater, but during this year's Olympics Evan Lysacek has made me think dirty thoughts more than once. And he's straight! So I was quite haps when OK! magazine recently did a feature with shirtless pics of prominent Olympians, starring the very sexy Mr. Lysacek.

We must talk about this tattoo, a lightening bolt on the upper crotch. As one blogger put it, "Is Evan trying to make us think that his peen is Zeus or something?" Well maybe it is! I'm sure it's quite impressive. Despite the fact that I have no idea what this tat means and that it's pretty tickity-tack, it makes me horny. The penis V muscle is probs my favorite part of a guy's body, and the lightening bolt is like saying "this area is electric". And hot damn, I want to be electrocuted.

But he must lose the costume with the glittery snakes around his neck. Sorry, Vera. (Surprisingly I didn't mind the feathery one...)

The ONLY good part of "Leap Year" was...

...Amy Adams's shoes. Homegirl had no personality in this movie, no style, but pair after pair of fierce shoes that she never once complained about while trekking through Ireland's remote countryside.

What "Leap Year" (released January 8th) could have really used was less bad Louis Vuitton puns and more of Matthew Goode shirtless. Then it would have been (almost) tolerable.