Pierce Mattie Public Relations New York & Los Angeles

Louis Vuitton's signature luggage is made of leather, the kind of skin you expect to see in one of their stores. However, at the recently opened emporium on the Champs Elysees in Paris, you can now see a different kind of skin - naked human skin.

The Espace Louis Vuitton, a separate area for contemporary art and culture, was inaugurated this month with a photograph exhibition called Alphabet Concept, by Vannessa Beecroft, a New York photographer. The 13 pictures portray nude women wearing clown wigs and with their bodies entwined, shaping the letter of Louis Vuitton's name.

Blood stains, skeletons at dramatic Dior collection with John Galliano who sent out his models in skirts splashed with fake blood and painted skeletons, with crosses round their necks, to the sound of whips and clanking chains in a dramatic opening to Paris fashion week.

"Red is the new libertine ... Dior is the new erotica", read the blood-red information sheet handed out at Christian Dior's spring-summer 2006 haute couture collection.

The models had bleached white hair and dark rims painted round their eyes.

One had 1789 tattooed on her neck, the year of the French revolution. Another wore a dress with a huge skirt stamped with the revolutionary slogan "liberte, egalite and fraternite".

The British designer appeared at the end of the show, set in a tent bathed in red at the Paris polo club, dressed in black leather and brandishing a fencing sword.

While Galliano's dramatic haute couture creations may be worn less by red-carpet clients than those of some other designers, his ideas are seen as trend-setters and are at the cutting edge of fashion.

Several outfits were see-through or revealing to show off the structure of the dresses and the detailed embroidery which take skilled French fashion workers days to sew and stitch.

The drama of Dior contrasted with the red carpet glamour at Giorgio Armani's Prive collection, the first show of the day.

"What I wanted to do was make women beautiful in front of a mirror," Armani told Reuters after the show.

As a publicist, I often find myself in need of new clothing so that my style (if you can call it that) constantly looks fresh. Unfortunately, student loans and credit card bills leave little in my budget to replace my wardrobe each season. Fortunately, being on the cutting edge doesn’t necessarily have to cost me a lot of money. According to my friends at GQ, updating my attire may be as simple as rummaging through my closet to find the frayed treasures that hang within. Who new fashion could be so easy?

In the February issue, Candice Rainey, associate editor, says, “This season’s washed-out, worn-in versions [of the crisp, freshly pressed polos], complete with frayed collars, are made to look like they’ve taken a trip to the beach rather than to the dry cleaner.” Even Ralph Lauren is reinventing his classic Polo with a new Vintage Style Polo. Too bad it’s not en vogue to have worn in shoes because I can go through a pair in under three months.

For more style tips and a full guide on how your clothes should fit, check out the February issue of GQ, on newsstands now.

Fashion forecasters predicted a chilly fall as New York Fashion Week opened Friday with a blizzard of buttoned-up looks on the runway.

While style is a consideration for the designers presenting their collections during the eight-day event, practicality is not. That might explain the sexy _ and quite attractive _ banded stiletto sandals that Kenneth Cole paired with turtlenecks and trench coats to kick off the new style season.

Among the highlights:

Kenneth Cole: Cole set the stage for an office romance, dressing women in refined dresses, wool skirt suits and high-neck tie blouses and men in cashmere sweaters, sportcoats and tailored trousers in varying shades of gray and brown.

John T. (Tom) Wyatt has resigned as president and CEO of sportswear maker Cutter & Buck as of March 8, 2006 to become the president of GapBody, part of Gap, Inc. He also will relinquish his position as a member of the Cutter & Buck board of directors. Wyatt was not long on the job, just a little over a year. He joined Cutter & Buck in December 2004, succeeding Fran Conley who had left the company in September 2004. Before coming to Cutter & Buck, Wyatt was president of Warnaco’s Intimate Apparel Group.

Menswear Designer of the year Thom Browne, left, and presenter Harry Connick Jr., right, pose backstage for photographers at the 2006 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York, Monday, June 5, 2006

Their gowns and tuxedos are on the red carpet all the time, but fashion designers themselves were primed for the spotlight Monday night at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards.

Ensuring no shortage of famous faces, though, most designers were bringing a celebrity as their date. Max Azria, the Los Angeles-based designer of his signature collection and BCBG, announced he planned to attend the black-tie ceremony at the New York Public Library with his wife, Lubov; actresses Jaime King and Amanda Bynes; and singers Rihanna and Amerie.

Jeremy Piven, star of HBO's "Entourage," was the ceremony's host.

The top prize at the CFDAs, the fashion world equivalent of the Oscars, was best womenswear designer. The nominees were Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler and Marc Jacobs for Marc Jacobs.

Since former Gap Inc. CEO Millard Drexler took over the leadership of J.Crew Group Inc. in 2003, the merchandising guru has worked magic on the once struggling retailer, transforming it into one of the hottest fashion chains.

Now, the New York-based fashion retailer known for its colorful preppy clothing plans to go public next week in what's being touted as one of the biggest retail IPOs in recent years. How successful J.Crew will be in the public market is unclear, but its success with consumers has been a bright spot in an industry continually undergoing consolidation.

J.Crew should also be able to weather an expected consumer spending slowdown later this year because its well-heeled customers seem to care more about getting the latest cargo jacket than they do about higher gas prices.

"It's all about retail management. You have to have the vision, the knack for picking the right merchandise," said Patricia Edwards, who helps manage retail funds for Seattle-based Wentworth, Hauser and Violich investment counselors. "This is something new to invest in at a time when everything is shrinking. There is so much disarray in retailing right now."

Since former Gap Inc. CEO Millard Drexler took over the leadership of J.Crew Group Inc. in 2003, the merchandising guru has worked magic on the once struggling retailer, transforming it into one of the hottest fashion chains.

Now, the New York-based fashion retailer known for its colorful preppy clothing plans to go public next week in what's being touted as one of the biggest retail IPOs in recent years. How successful J.Crew will be in the public market is unclear, but its success with consumers has been a bright spot in an industry continually undergoing consolidation.

J.Crew should also be able to weather an expected consumer spending slowdown later this year because its well-heeled customers seem to care more about getting the latest cargo jacket than they do about higher gas prices.

"It's all about retail management. You have to have the vision, the knack for picking the right merchandise," said Patricia Edwards, who helps manage retail funds for Seattle-based Wentworth, Hauser and Violich investment counselors. "This is something new to invest in at a time when everything is shrinking. There is so much disarray in retailing right now."

When Matt Rubel took over as chief executive of Payless ShoeSource Inc. last summer, he inherited a company a little worn down at the heel.

With more than 4,600 stores, Payless is the largest specialty shoe retailer in the country. But years of conservative management had left it in the worst place for a seller of fashion - out of date.

The company continued to use a 1980s-era bubble-lettered logo, some stores hadn't seen a new coat of paint in a decade and the stores' simple layout of shoe box aisles fostered self-service but didn't do much to showcase new products.

Worse, customers found the product mix itself leaned more toward providing functional shoes for bargain shoppers, not catering to style mavens.

Steven Madden Ltd., which designs and sells shoes and accessories for young people, said Friday it has signed two license agreements with outside manufacturers for watches and girls' apparel.

The company said it signed a license with Vestal Group Inc., which will design, manufacture, and distribute Steve Madden and Steven by Steve Madden watches. It also signed a license with Mamiye Brothers to design, manufacture, and distribute a line of Stevies brand girls clothing, which will be sold exclusively through J.C. Penney starting in this year's holiday season.

Steven Madden didn't disclose the value of either license.

So this week’s New York Times Style Section featured a story about the much anticipated movie The Devil Wear’s Prada. My favorite writer, Ruth LaFerla, discusses the reality of the clothing in this movie versus how the fashion industry really dresses on a daily basis. Do editors really dress in head to toe Chanel or Dior? Not necessarily…they don’t have to. The truth is, while editors may be incredibly stylish and innovative, they are not really trying to impress anyone. They just happen to be good at what they do—hence why they are working at major fashion books!

It's hard to get any better than Giorgio, especially if the maestro outdoes himself as he did in his latest menswear collection. Seated in the front row was the designer's friend George Clooney, in town from his villa on nearby Lake Como.

Armani's ideas for next summer more or less summed up the beach and business look that has marked this week's preview showings for spring-summer 2007.

"This is the way I would like to dress, if I were taller, younger, and had more time," the 71-year-old designer said of his collection after the show.

Armani's jackets were structured, but fashioned in ultra soft fabric, while trousers remained comfortably loose despite a formal crease. A funky waistcoat sewn into the jacket lent youth to the suit.

Armani preferred a trendy Nehru style blouse to the traditional stiff-collared white shirt, kept his jeans tight and paired his outfits with pristine white running shoes. Colors ranged from sandy beige and sea blue, to city gray.

Luxury goods group Gucci Group NV announced that the Gucci brand watch business managed by Gucci Group Watches Division (GGW) will be integrated under the leadership of the Gucci brand and its CEO Mark Lee.

The integration of the Gucci watch business into the Gucci brand will allow the organization to combine Swiss specific watch expertise in all aspects of this business with the overall brand management skills under a unified strategy. This will promote the successful development of the watch business, with its unique differentiating factors, within the Gucci brand.

Retailer Barneys New York has chosen the Grove, Rick Caruso's 575,000-sf retail and entertainment venue, as the location for a new 9,200-sf store that will be among the largest of the retailer's stores and one of only two freestanding Barneys Co-Op locations in California. The Co-Op stores carry the latest styles and newest designers in men's and women's clothing and accessories.

The new Barneys New York Co-Op is slated to open in March 2007 on Bow Street at the Grove, across from the Whisper Lounge and an outdoor dining area. Construction on the two-level store will begin this fall following the relocation of Amadeus Spa and Tracy Allen Jewelers within the Grove.

Barbara Walters versus Star Jones Reynolds? Old news. How about Morgan Fairchild going up against Bo Derek? This one's fiction, of course. My Network TV said Friday that Fairchild, 56, is joining the cast of its telenovela "Fashion House," which debuts on the new network in September. Fairchild will play Sophia Blakely, the arch-nemesis of Derek's character, Maria Gianni, in the fashion business. "This has been fun," Fairchild, who's already shot some scenes with Derek, told sources on Friday. "She's very game," she said. "We're having a very good time doing our knockdown, drag-out ... fights. It's always fun to do it with someone who gets into it."

Fairchild said she likes to stay on the industry's cutting edge and was intrigued by My Network, which is launching in September on channels displaced by UPN's closing. My Network TV is showing a prime-time lineup of soap operas that air five nights a week, modeled after the telenovela format that is popular worldwide. "I'm always trying to find new ways to catch my audience off-guard," she said.

French designer Sonia Rykiel, right, appears at the end of her men's Spring-Summer 2007 fashion collection in Paris, Friday June 30, 2006.

Superbrand Louis Vuitton referenced 1960s screen idols like Alain Delon and Terence Stamp with a sophisticated collection that ran the gamut from velvet jackets to slim trench coats. Sonia Rykiel paid homage to French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, who died 15 years ago but remains an emblem of cool for younger generations. Yohji Yamamoto, meanwhile, riffed on pinstriped gangster suits inspired by the Italian mobsters of film classic "The Godfather." Vuitton held its show against a video backdrop of a shimmering blue pool that left sweltering guests hankering for a cold swim. This heralded a Hawaiian theme that ran from hibiscus flower prints to Elvis Presley crooning on the soundtrack.

"I think it created such a lovely spring and summery vibe, without being in any way kitsch or silly," designer Marc Jacobs told reporters after the show. Indeed, if the show set a cinematic mood, it was less "Blue Hawaii" and more "Catch Me If You Can." Think Leonardo DiCaprio in a trim suit and trilby hat. Crisp cotton shirts were worn unbuttoned over loosely tied silk scarves, while a cotton pique jacket and matching waistcoat came accessorized with a large rhinestone pin that spelled "Louis."

Jacobs, looking exceptionally svelte as a result of his strict new diet ("no sugar, no butter, no milk all the things I adore"), said the label's new menswear designer Paul Helvers and his team had combined exotic influences with Victorian tailoring.

In case you have yet to notice the latest Jimmy Choo ad campaign in the August issues of W and Vogue, then you have not yet been told the story of music industry legend Quincy Jones and Cover Girl model Molly Simms.

The new ads feature Simms and Jones lurking conspicuously around a black 1960’s Lincoln Continental somewhere in the desert. The last photo of the campaign (created by Hollywood playboy Brett Ratner) shows Simms (I’m assuming dead) in the trunk of the car, (looking flawlessly beautiful), while Jones is nearby, digging a hole with a shovel. If you’ve seen the movie Casino, you can surmise that Jones killed the sexy broad and was in the middle of digging her corpse a hole when we stumbled upon him somewhere in a (most likely Las Vegas) desert.

In reference to the new ads, Jimmy Choo president and founder Tamara Mellon says “We like to tell a story in our campaigns. I like to evoke the emotion out of people.”

What kind of emotion is the question. Choo’s last ad campaign featured a bronzed Nicole Richie, decked in drapey dresses and bathing suits, chunky cocktail jewelry and surrounded by hot men in tuxedos, reminiscent of the early 80’s. Ratner, who also created this previous campaign, was aiming for a Scarface theme, with Richie embodying Michelle Pfeiffer’s sexy, damsel in distress character. This campaign was effective; it exemplified the extravagance and glamour that should go along with owning a pair of sky-high Jimmy Choo heels.

The most recent “theme” is distressing to say the least. Quincy Jones, while a genius in his own right, is just not sexy. There is no interaction or connection of note between him and a dead model in the trunk of a car. How can one envy her and want her shoes? She was murdered, and not by Robert DeNiro or Joe Pesce (which would have made for a more compelling campaign), but by Quincy Jones, the guy behind “We Are The World” circa 1985.

I’m shocked. So shocked that I want to rip the Jimmy Choos off of a dead Molly Simms so I can have them for my very own.

So this week my favorite show, Project Runway, began its third season. I was unsure of what to expect but let’s just say that after watching the first episode, I think this season is going to be wonderful to watch! One question I have is why are so many of the new contestants 40-somethings? There are more than any other season—maybe the show is aiming for a new demographic…

You can definitely tell Project Runway is coming up in TV land. Tim Gunn is a little more fab than he already was, Nina has her won spotlight commercials and product placement has never been more prevalent in any other season! Not only do they have the TRESemmé hair salon and the L’Oreal make up studio but now there is the Macy’s accessories wall! I mean really—what are we going to have to look for next season—the Singer Sewing lounge??

Mother Nature is in grave danger. Just as any loving parent would, she nurtures us and provides what we need to survive, and like ungrateful children, for centuries, we have taken the best from her and given her our worst in return. We have sent so many toxins into our atmosphere that we have broken a pane in Mother’s skylight. Consequently, global warming is melting arctic glaciers, causing climate changes and natural disasters. If the 2004 blockbuster, The Day After Tomorrow’s prediction is correct, it’s only a matter of time before a catastrophic event buries the Northern Hemisphere in snow and ice. Are you putting together your apocalyptic survival kit yet? Don’t be so hasty! We’ve finally heard Father Time’s warnings and the human race realizes that life without Mom’s crib isn’t possible. So, it seems everything’s going green. From the legions of Whole Foods stores popping up around the country to the fleets of hybrid and ethanol-fueled cars taking over the roads, environmental consciousness has captured the attention of the consumer goods industry. Now, there are even green ways to glam up. Zia Natural Skincare uses wind-powered factories and just introduced their totally green Brilliance anti-aging collection. Other brands are beginning to follow suit, too. Not to be outdone, the fashion industry has also taken heed. Starting this November, Levi’s Red Tab line will include jeans made from 100% organic cotton.

Ohhh this question is a good one. Isn't it New Yorkers? Los Angeles will never be the financial capital that the big apple is - that's a given. But let's look at beauty and fashion. Did you guys notice at The Project show last week that most vendors were from... LA? And two weeks ago Greenhouse flipped the space over to launch LA's cult spa; Lather. While 5th Avenue staple Avon Spa announced that it would be closing its doors.

Recently I have found my time being spent jetting back and forth between NY & LA to help mentor both offices. I do have a little confession.... the trendy, the obscure, the oh so fabulous organically original things I have seen in beauty treatments and brands, textiles and fabrics with flattering patterns... they are coming out of LA!!! Are NY business owners becoming too stale? Is the red tape of the east coast starting to strangle their creative blood. Your thoughts?

Before Jennifer Lopez began hawking frocks and perfume, before Sean "Diddy" Combs and his Sean John threads, before Kathy Ireland led the charge into supermodel merchandising, there was Jaclyn Smith.

Two decades ago, capitalizing on her "Charlie's Angels" fame, Smith signed a deal for a Kmart clothing line. Given Smith's image as the elegant Angel on the TV series, it was seen as roughly akin to Posh Spice marrying a pro bowler instead of a glam soccer star.

"At the time, people said, 'Don't do Kmart.' But something in my head said, 'Yes, I want to it,'" Smith recalled. Among those against the idea was cosmetics maker Max Factor, which didn't relish the idea of its pitchwoman attached to sub-couture clothing.

But the 1985 partnership between Smith and Kmart proved lucrative for both, with her line a mainstay for the retail chain since its introduction.

In a sneak peek of what could be fashion's future, leggy models draped in dresses by designers like Oscar de la Renta and Versace strut their stuff on the runway.

But this is no Paris or New York fashion show. Rather, the scene is a Toronto biotechnology conference and the dresses are made from a new fiber called Ingeo, made largely from genetically engineered corn.

The Biotechnology Industry Organization used the fashion statement last week to burnish its battered image as an environmental scourge.

Biotechnology is quietly playing a growing role in an apparel industry waking up to its customers' concerns about the environment and the country's reliance on the foreign oil used to make synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon. But the trend is raising concerns among some environmental purists who oppose genetically engineered crops of any kind.

True Religion Apparel, Inc. today said it is continuing the retail expansion for its growing lifestyle apparel collection with the signing of a new store lease in Miami Beach's fashionable South Beach community. The Miami Beach, Florida location follows on the heels of a proposed store in New York's SoHo district and is expected to open concurrently in December 2006, in time for the Christmas shopping season. The store with 2,000 square feet of selling space will be located on Collins Avenue, among other high-end stores such as Intermix, Nicole Miller, MAC Cosmetics and Barney's. The store will carry the entire True Religion line of clothing, including Men's, Women's, and Kid's denim jeans, jackets, western shirts, T-shirts, skirts, fleece hoodies and pants, as well as the increasingly expanding line of sportswear, including knits and wovens.

Neiman Marcus over the next few months will be opening four pilot boutiques catering to a younger shopper, but none of them are in Dallas. The Dallas-based luxury retailer plans to open the first Cusp boutique in late July at a Tyson's Corner mall in McLean, Va. A store will open in August in Los Angeles, and another will open in February in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C. A fourth store will open soon after that. But there are no plans for a pilot boutique in Dallas, said Ginger Reeder, a spokeswoman for Neiman's. The Cusp stores are geared toward a younger female shopper -- 21 to 45 years old. And will feature a highly edited mix of contemporary, ready to wear fashion, including shoes, handbags and jewelry. Does this sound just like Barney's Co-Op? YES! However we all know that Neiman's has 'the real deal' of global brands including; Zac Posen, Zac Posen, Nanette Lepore, Barbara Bui, Gryson and Car Shoe.

This week, Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) released The WWD 100. This is based on the top 100 brands women consumers know best; it is the ninth year the survey is published. WWD commissioned Synovate, a market research firm based in New York to conduct surveys among global opinion panels. The focus group was comprised of women ages 18 to 64 with an income of at least $35,000. They were given a list of 788 brands in 12 categories (denim, swimwear, sportswear, etc.) to determine whether they were “very familiar,” “somewhat familiar,” or “not familiar at all.” Along with the top 100, there are several sub lists of top ten categories including, top 10 ready-to-wear, top 10 young contemporary, etc.

So let’s get to the numbers! A few of the big names making the list are as follows:

At 100, Chloe (one of my favorites) barely made it in. This Paris fashion house recently went through some change when Phoebe Philo resigned to raise her family. It was a shocker and a sad day in the world of fashion when this happened, but luckily, the house has not been defeated. I look forward to seeing it higher on the list next year. Mossimo ranked in at 85—this is a fete in itself, not so long ago this once prestigious brand went bankrupt until Target bought the license—now it is to be sold to the large corporate umbrella of the Iconix Brand Group. Way to go Mossimo! Generating $580 million in revenue, The Limited came in at 40 after a major transition and upgrade of stock. Not only does The Limited cater to every type of woman but it has undergone a facelift and recent offerings include skinny jeans, eyelets and lace—a different style from the traditional black suit we are so used to seeing them carry.

AND finally, topping the list at the coveted number one most recognized brand was none other than Hanes-- Look who they’ve got the Hanes on now! With an estimated $2.3 billion sales this year, this division of Sara Lee (yes the same corporation who makes the cakes) is now spinning off into it’s own independent company called Hanesbrands, Inc. Hanes is not only number one this year but has been for the past three years.

What makes a brand so popular and recognizable to female consumers? According to WWD, product placement in movies, media and on the red carpet, along with advertising and celebrity endorsements attributes to popularity. Hanes alone spent $75 million on their most recent ad campaign—and we all know the song (see above in case you have been living under a rock.) Now we can see that product placement really does pay a part in the grand scheme of things when consumer brand awareness is concerned—so yes, our job really does make a difference! Think about that the next time you go out and buy something because a certain beauty director at your favorite magazine says it’s her favorite product.

Gold is the new pink. Shorts are the new pants. Ankle boots are the new slouchy boots. Leggings are the new panty-hose. And 20 is the new 40; at least when it comes to fashion icons. The days of worshipping the middle age women and their daring fashion on Sex and the City have slipped away. Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall have been traded in. The media has upgraded to the newer, younger, hipper, and oh-so stylish twenty-something trendsetters. Nicole Ritchie is the new Carrie Bradshaw.

Fashion is always moving from one extreme to another, and it's really quite simple. The 40 year olds were tired of having fashion icons in their 20's (i.e. Jennifer Aniston in her Friends hey day). Along came Sex and the City with Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristen Davis and Cynthia Nixon becoming fashion icons that women in their 40's could embrace. The problem occurred when the 20-something women also embraced the Sex and the City look. Suddenly the 40-somethings and 20-somethings were dressing alike.

You are cordially invited to attend the beauty & fashion blogging roundtable with Julie Fredrickson & Philip Leif Bjerknes of Coutorture Media, an association of a few hundred fashion and beauty bloggers dedicated to raising the public consciousness of blogging as well as promoting independent perspectives, opinion, and experiences from around the blogosphere.

Hosted & Moderated by Pierce Mattie Public Relations NYC., Next Thursday August 17th at 6:30 pm, join the roundtable discussions on: spamming, astroturfing, press posted on blogs, blogging etiquette, working with publicists and guidelines for PR professionals

Who Should Attend? All publicists who pitch relevant content to bloggers and bloggers who want to be pitched by publicists. To RSVP, contact: Kristen Herburger of Pierce Mattie Public Relations at 212.243.1431, Email Your RSVP to Kristen H

Roundtable art and copy Can be found here

Location:
Pierce Mattie Public Relations, Inc. 62 West 45th Street
Third Floor Between 5th & 6th Avenues

UPDATE: See The event footage. Transcript also available. Fashion and Beauty Bloggers Meet Publicists

Here is the first segment of the Fashion and Beauty Bloggers Event. Unfortunately we had to brake it up into a ten-pack, 10 min segments because of the YouTube file size requierments. If you want to automatically be notified when we post the rest of the segments just subscribe to our YouTube channel. In this segment you will find:

- Introduction to Host and guest speakers - How did the the fashion and beauty blog community of 180 industry blogs start? - Who are the bloggers in the community? - Treating bloggers with the same respect as journalists and editors and what bloggers should do to earn that respect when a blogger has no formal journalism training or experience working with publicists. - The basics, fact checking - RSS feeds make it hard to retract bad facts in posts - The value to a blogger working with a publicist

We invite you to join the discussion on the site and participate in educating bloggers and publicists on how to work together professionally, ethically and effectively in this "new" publishing platform. Get more information at on the Public Relations Roundtable website.

Other links: Flickr | Myspace | YouTube |

As the end of summer is approaching and the intense heat is starting to fade, we all sit and wonder what we’ll be wearing once the fall season rolls around. Year after year, the end of summer always signals a change in fashion as women everywhere pack up their summer clothes and add some layers for cooler weather. Last fall, we saw an emergence of hip-slung belts, hobo bags, and rich hues of teal and purple. This fall, however, the fashion forecast is animal prints, skinny jeans, waist-cinching belts, and basic black, white, and red.

Like many women, shopping is my cardio. I feel a personal connection to every item I purchase and a pain in my heart anytime I happen to pass by a boutique or shoe store that has closed its doors forever. That said, imagine the agony I felt this morning as reports of Shop, Etc.’s closing rolled in. Apparently, an adoring readership and praise in focus groups isn’t enough. Advertisers are the lifeblood of most publications, and a circulation of 675,000 simply wasn’t impressive enough to the advertisers that would have kept them afloat.

For me, this closing is a double-pronged stab. First, as a shopper and confessed shoe-holic, the pages of Shop, Etc. provided me with eye candy even when I couldn’t leave my desk to go on a shoe binge. Secondly, as a beauty publicist who has to compete with advertisers for page space, the more mag pages out there, the better. Every time a publication shuts its doors, it lessens the opportunities for placements. I know what you’re thinking… how dare I lament the loss of placement space when there are people losing office space and very likely gaining more empty space in their bank accounts? My response: the space I occupy in my office is directly related to the amount page space I am able to acquire. Plus, the staff at Shop is so talented that I’m sure it won’t be long until I’m calling and bugging all the beauty girls at some other publication.

I have been in Los Angeles now for one week interviewing PR candidates for our beauty and fashion division. Edy Eliza, our LA director and I have pretty much seen the gamut of publicists whether lifestyle or fashion, entertainment or personality based – LA has a vast mix of media beats, uniquely different from Manhattan.

Independent writers, editors, thinkers and stylemakers, the voice of bloggers is loud and recognized by mainstream media. It's about time!

people.com, the online source for celebrity breaking news and gossip has added a blog to the StyleWatch section, complete with readers’ posts, a “Hot Finds” column and topics like “Can We Talk About Last Night’s Project Runway” to tear into. CNN launched a new blog like feature called "i report" where you can post your story, upload video and photos which then are boradcast live on CNN.

Bloggers the world over can give themselves a pat on the back, as they are in-part responsible for this leak into the mainstream. Those “in the mainstream” are finally getting the hint that the majority of the online community responds and interacts well with blogs, getting their news, fashion tips, recipes and other information from the open and honest posts of bloggers.

The people.com blog brings about an interesting complexity: unlike most blogs, this one is backed and funded by Time Inc. How honest and transparent can it be? How will readers relate? Will it be a trusted source for beauty news and fashion tips? Only Time will tell.

So go ahead, leave a comment to this post, share your favorite "obscure" blogs, or head over to one of the new mainstream blogs, we know you’re dying to let people.com know what you think of Cameron’s New Look.

I just returned from the MAGIC show in Vegas, where I was publicizing my amazing new clients from Aaron Barak, a new line of luxury leather bags and accessories for men. We had a great time meeting with all the editors, and even a few film crews, but I must say that my feet and back are killing me. I think I’m going to need a bit of magic to recover. I have nothing but respect for the ladies who were working the pumps all week.

Among the highlights at the show were the amazing booths by Perry Ellis, Sean John and Levi. The amount of money that these companies have spent is more than obvious. Their booths, along with dozens of others, were more elaborate than most houses. Some even had two levels with roofs, running water, phone lines and more. The excitement wasn’t limited to the show though.

The L.A. office for Pierce Mattie PR threw an amazing party at the Palms for one of our new clients, STAGR. This is a really cool line of custom graphic T-shirts, which customers create themselves on their home computers. Once they finalize their design, they submit it on the company’s website and in a few days they have their new shirt. The party was packed, and the D.J. was a former cast member from MTV’s Road Rules. Alyssa Milano was also in the same section of the private suites as us, as was Russell Simmons, who was there for the Phat Farm party.

With the foot and back pain aside, I had a great time and can’t wait to go back next year.

Interesting interview with Cathy Horyn of the New York Times. Cathy shares Julie Fredrickson's viewpoint on the need to take bloggers seriosly. Also discussed, Cathy's take on personally blogging and the "imaginary" conflict that some luxury brands feel when it comes to blogging about luxury. I'm sure if Billy Daily was still working at KCD he would have let Julie from Coutorure Media in to see the Mark Jacobs show at the Spring collections fashion week. Other sources for coverage are: New York Magazine, Fashion Week Live website, with coverage by Lauren Ezersky

Pierce Mattie PR New York has been selected as the agency of record for Angara, and its new online jewelry retail site, Angara.com, boasting a wealth of fine jewelry, diamonds and accessories ranging from simple to opulent and all reasonably priced. With the philosophy and mission of affordable luxury, Angara provides customers with an easy and convenient shopping experience for superior quality jewelry at sensible prices.

“We are very particular in the pieces we choose to sell on the site,” says Chief Executive Officer, Ankur Daga, “Whether the items are bridal, engagement or in our exclusive Strong Box Collection, each piece is selected with the utmost care.”

Pierce Mattie PR is now working with the Arabian designer Areej Turki on the launch of her fashion debut in the US. Areej Creations is a new clothing and sportswear line that features the art of Areej Turki. Entitled Brushstrokes, the collection consists of elegant, comfortable lounge wear with bold motifs from Turki's personal oil paintings. Because of the artistic influence, the collection is available in three different color palettes: blue, green and purple.

Ideal for the customer that doesn't want to wear a logo, but wants to add character to their wardrobe. The soft cotton pieces are ideal for exercise including pilates and yoga, as well as mixing and matching with jeans and skirts for a fresh look that is sophisticated and eye catching.

Skinny Jeans blogger Stephanie gives us "the skinny" on RSS. The post is well written and might just be what you need to finally get your CEO to understand what RSS is. Stephanie has been blogging since December 2005, is a fellow Tom Peters fan, has podcast links, a skinny book store and more! Read her post ...then send her permalink to "that friend" who still doesn't get what RSS is, or how to use RSS.

http://www.denimday.com/images/tt_hdrNav_masthead.gif

When I think of all the reasons why I love wearing jeans to the office, I can come up with many. They’re comfortable, they look great with a nice blazer, and the right fit can do wonders for the rear. Today though, there’s an extra special reason to pull out my favorite pair of jeans.

In honor of National Breast Cancer awareness month, Lee Jeans is encouraging offices everywhere to "slip into their favorite jeans and make a $5 donation to support the fight against breast cancer." Who knew casual Friday could make such a big difference? For more information on how you can still make donations, check out the PSA from NBC’s The Office (below), or visit www.denimday.com.

When I first saw these Ads I thought they were exploratory portfolio comps. Some of the most edgy stuff never makes it out into the public sector.

Hindu clothing chain High-Style The Fashion World creates relevant "shock-and-awe" advertising campaign that will definitely appeal to the younger audience. If you think about trends, this is nothing new, we've been incorporating more and more gore in our entertainment for years. Cobranding big name brands in goreiffic video games is old news. From my experience the more edgy and subtle the integration into the game the better it is received. Clients never like o hear this of course, they want blatant obvious placement which is not accepted as well as modest "easter-egg" style placement. Has anyone seen Michael C. Hall in Showtime’s new drama DEXTER? I'm not advocating that this is appropriate advertising for everyone. I do think you can take things too far, remember the Sandra Burnhard Mac cosmetics spot?

The gore is not from physical violence, just fashion descriptions supported by graphic images. It gets my attention, seems appropriate for the target market and the ads are "executed" well. Although I no longer fit the 18-34 demographic, I actually love first person shooters! I have several girlfriends who love them and UFC fights as well-go figure. Most of us worked in advertising or marketing which taints the demographics a little. So I understand that it takes "more" edge or shock-and-awe to reach an over stimulated generation of shoppers. Trends to keep in mind: Shock-&-Shop, Multicultural-Must-Haves and Gore-iffic.

Last week I was out for cocktails with a few other business owners in the service industry. One was a skin care manufacturer, the second was a clothing line designer and the third was the owner of a large fitness chain of health clubs.

We got into an in depth discussion about managing client relationships

We were discussing how to repair a client relationship where things have gone wrong, for example clients whose expectations are unrealistic, clients who are abusive towards the staff and those clients who for whatever reason have become dissatisfied with their service.

The Wall Street Journal had run an article on entrepreneurs a few years back where I was quoted by saying “My New Year’s resolution as a business owner is to only work with people, places and things I really care about and that respect my team, work and over-all business ethics.”

1. Choose clients carefully

4. Live Up To Your Own Standards. Give What You Expect, Set The Example.

If you have done all your work working with your clients and have defined what you can achieve and there are still insurmountable problems, then it is time to re-evaluate whether that client is appropriate to have.

About a month ago we had a client call the office and demand that I get on a conference call. The brand was new to the market, had very little distribution (only one salon in New York) and the consumer awareness was simply not there (she refused to do salon events with us). The owner had worked with two other PR firms before us (our biggest competitors) for about two years who both did not secure the regional and national glossy press that the client was looking for. We were given about 3 months to change her entire media platform and correct the damage that the other PR firms had done during the course of two years. Naturally I slipped off my dress shoes, undid my tie, sat back in my chair practiced my breathing exercises and then took her call.

Bread serves men’s and women’s pants, denim and tops but specializes in the ultra-stylish skinny jeans and includes unique styles such as “The Predator Skinny Zip Jean” which features zippers from the ankle up to mid-thigh. Bread also takes the natural approach to apparel by using only the finest in organic cotton. While skinny jeans occasionally have a reputation for being uncomfortable, the use of stretch and organic cotton in Bread Denim make for a pleasant and easy fitting denim.

Sneaker Pimps is the worlds largest touring sneaker show featuring over 1000 pairs of rare, limited edition, vintage, celebrity signed, artists collaborated sneakers and a collection of sneaker inspired artwork, fashion and photography.

Featuring original artworks by Futura, Stash, Doze, Shepard Fairey, Dave White, Cope2, Ghost, Ewok, JB Classics, Methamphibian, Jor One, SBTG, Kinsey, C2, EricQ, Jeremy Fish.

Sneaker Pimps has visited more than 62 cities throughout the globe visiting countries such as Australia (three times), New Zealand, USA (three times), Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, China, Thailand, Canada, Belgium and The Philippines, making it the world largest cultural street-art lifestyle exhibition. Sneaker Pimps has developed a global following, with thousands of people attending Sneaker Pimps shows world wide.

Increasingly the fashion industry is starting to acknowledge their complicity in a host of ecological ills. And while any industry has a responsibility for making the world a better place while adding to the bottom line, fashion has the potential to steer us towards not only a more beautiful future but a more sustainable one.

Excitingly there are many people already steering us in that direction. Fashion Blog Fiftyrx3 points fashion consumers towards some of the most exciting trends and designers in eco-fashion land.

Increasingly this blog will focus on trends in eco-fashion as we wish to show our commitment to a better and more beautiful future. We will explore innovative brands like prAna who use reusable energy powered by wind mills and and work to incorporate organic cotton, PET and hemp fabrics. Trendy denim line Bread Denim contributes with its environmentally conscious non toxic dyes at the wash house.

There are so many facets to living a more sustainable and conscious life. Little changes add up even while there are trade offs from one fabric choice to another. There are no clear cut answers on how to live consciously but exploring the many possibilities for a brighter future is a responsibility shared by us all.

If you are like me, you hold onto that favorite shirt, skirt or pants that are geared more towards hotter temperatures than they are for the approaching 40 degree weather. Sometimes Fall can be tricky, warm in the 70's one day and somehow plunging down to the 40's the next as you stand there watching snow flurries out your window. Here in the Northeast, it is always a guessing game.

I have a very bad habit of just keeping those warmer weather clothes in my closet "just in case," and often still leave my sandals lying around holding out a glimmer of hope that I will be able to wear them one last time before the weather takes it's final plunge into the lower digits and remains there for the next few months. Can you relate?

"Antonio was seen as more of an alpha male. The brand was more keen to have a personality which meant more to US audiences."

WARNING! This is NOT a fashion trend update. With Halloween costumes costing a fortune these days, I’ll be donning a girlscout uniform for the fifth year in a row, equipped with real badges of honor, knee socks, and a box of thin mints. Other executives are going as celebrities, superheros and our creative department even made a template so that we could to go as Megaphone Man (Pierce Mattie), lol, talk about spooky!

Will the rest of the country be recycling their costumes? Maybe not. This year’s hottest television shows are making it easy for people to imitate their favorite characters. Some of the top Halloween costumes this year are sure to be…

- Ugly Betty
- Michael and Dwight from The Office
- Entourages fab 4 plus Ari
- Joy and Earl from My Name is Earl
- Borat
- Desperate Housewives.

Halloween hot spots in NYC are The Plumm on Friday and the 4th Annual Halloween Masquerade Ball Hosted by The Gastineau Girls @ Capitale on Saturday

A fantastic site by Ford Models. I've been wanting to give praise to Ford Models for a long time. This weekend I have the chance, and wanted to point out some of the rich features that sets them apart from the rest. The site is "sticky" complete with "sisomo" options that inform, engage and help the aspiring model, or someone looking for a Ford Model. If you haven't looked at it's VLOG Ford 360 also all on Google Video, take some time to do so.

We have been doing more than our fair share of casting calls for Models lately. Most big modeling agencies are out of our clients price range, as we generally host events, or publicity stunts, not expensive national print or television work that is backed by big money.

So if you currently are a model, looking for some freelance work send us your head shot or comment here with a link to your book! We constantly have need for all type of looks. If your a casting agent, or know of a good one please comment here or tell us

In the past twenty years there has been a change occurring when it comes to Halloween. Back when I was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, Halloween was a specific children’s holiday. Then in the mid-eighties things began to change and Haunted Houses and adult costume parties began to take off.

Adult costume parties and Haunted Houses continue to increase in popularity every year. What has gone from a one night event, now becomes an entire weekend of parties solely reserved for the young at heart and a month-long event for Haunted Houses and Haunted Hayrides. Even farmers have cashed in by offering haunted labyrinths through a corn maze.

From around the blogosphere, here's what everyone is talking about:

Fashion: From The Blogosphere's "Best" Fashion Blogs

+ Fashiontribes offers offers tips on how to create Antonio Berardi’s Fall Runway Show for less.

+ She Finds talks about the latest trend; leggings.

+ The Manolo offers a reader a recommendation on which boots would look best with her sexy witch costume.

+ Almost Girl reports on Fashion Group International Night of Stars. In attendance: James LaForce of Laforce and Stevens, Constance White Style Director of ebay, Valerie Steel and Linda Fargo of Bergdorf Goodman

Beauty: From Bloggers Who Are Passionate About Beauty

+ A Girl's Gotta Spa! reviews Joico's K-Pak Liquid Reconstruction.

+ Dorit Baxter New York Day Spa Blog tells you how to create your own Pumpkin Beautifying Mask.

+ Bon Bons in the Bath gives you step by step instructions on how to achieve the No Makeup--Makeup Look.

Jewelry: Jewelry Industry Posts

+ The Bling Blog talks about the lucky vacationer who found a Canary Yellow Diamond.

+ The Jewelry Weblog wants to know what you think of the new Ethnic Collection from Ethos.

+ The Jewelry Blog talks bracelets.

Wearing denim has always been in style, but celebrities can’t seem to get enough of it. Skinny jeans are all the rage, and if you are a celebrity and have all the means to hire a personal trainer, why not show off your body in the hottest brands?

Lindsay Lohan has been known to strut her stuff in J Brand Jeans, as does Angelina Jolie, showing the world that not every mom has to wear “Mom Jeans.”

Kate Moss is the queen of denim and is known to love Bread Denim. Not familiar with Bread Denim? Come get introduced here.

While the guys love to wear denim, they seem to love designing them even more. Justin Timberlake just launched William Rast, a new denim clothing line he co-created with best friend/business partner Trace Ayala. While Tommy Lee’s tattoo’s were the inspiration for People’s Liberation September launch of “PL for TL” collection at Bloomingdale’s.

Do you have a love affair with denim? Which celebrity do you feel has the best taste in denim?

Life Clever (tips fro design & life) by Chanpory Rith: 5 Writing Tips That Don't Suck (via) Copyblogger

A PR Guru's Musings: Q&A on innovations in public relations

John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing "Longs for a good publicity stunt"

BusinessWeek.com: Wal-Mart: A "Reputation Crises" The giant retailer has been trying hard to improve its image and reignite sales

Idea Grove: Introducing Spin Thicket: Media Orchard "Easier way to keep up with the news"

Eric Eggertson:
Mutually Inclusive PR and Strumpette: Backlash Against Crayon's Second Life Launch

Still warming up to Second Life? I am asked about it almost daily and wanted to get some basic info posted for those friends who read our blog consistently. Backstory is here. Follow the links.

New World Notes

From April 2003 to February 2006, I was a contract writer for Linden Lab, creators of Second Life, primarily hired by the company to cover SL as an embedded journalist in an emerging society-- its controversies, its personalities, its innovations and ambitions, along with larger themes of identity, social norms and organization, and cultural expression important to online worlds in general.

That contractual relationship has ended, but the story continues here. -Wagner James Au

Second Thoughts Do's and Dont's for Big Business.

"Every human being is interested in two kinds of worlds: the Primary, everyday world which he knows through his senses, and a Secondary world or worlds which he not only can create in his imagination, but which he cannot stop himself creating." W.H. Auden

Second Life Herald The Second Life Herald was founded on October 23, 2003, by philosophy professor Peter Ludlow. Its mission, as described the next day, was to observe, record and study "the legal, social, and economic implications" of life in the virtual world. Originally established as the Alphaville Herald and reporting for the most part on life on the Alphaville server of The Sims Online, the Herald soon branched out into coverage of other massively multiplayer online games and virtual worlds -- helped along by the murder of Herald publisher Urizenus (Ludlow's avatar) after Electronic Arts got wind of the stories the newspaper was printing about the scams and cyber-prostitution that were taking place within its game, and the company's indifference to reports of real-world violence.

Todays photo is from Patrick Marella. It's both cravable and breathtaking, reminds of growing up in Oregon, (Coos Bay) our high school track team would meet at 5AM to get a run in before first bell. Oregonians are big on running, Steve Prefontaine was from Coos Bay and of course Nike Global headquarters is located in the neighboring town of Beverton. Everything looks better in twilight. Think about it, all the coffee commercials that you've seen, they bask in twilight. Paris gets more twilight then any US city and It has been said lovers prefer twilight to daylight. Twilight represents hope, or if your a New Yorker you may think of the nightclub. But, I digress. New York is beautiful this time of year, thanks Patrick, for capturing so well a "feeling" I'm fond of. You can see more of his work on Flickr or JPG - The magazine of brave new photography.

Skinny jean advertisements for woman are visible on every New York City street corner, men's denim companies are taking a much looser and subtler approach this season. Nonami Premium, a new line of men's high-end denim is focusing on an "American" fit, which is looser in the thighs giving men that breathing room they oh so desire. Even famous designers like Viktor & Rolf are focusing on the "relaxed" fit for their launch in H&M stores.

I guess unlike women's clothing companies, the men's designers realize that only small fraction of Nicole Richie's can actually fit into or adequately rock a pair of skinny jeans. I personally am not interested in seeing Rubin Studdard sport the skinny jean - so thank you Nonami Premium for recognizing somethings just won't work for both sexes.

Do you seem to be losing customers lately? Is your customer base and sales simply not increasing? Consumers are telling you all of the time what they want, but are you paying attention? Do you genuinely listen to what they want? Or do you feel comfortable with the way things are?

Here are five things that consumers want from a business both online and offline:

Wal-Mart has gotten itself embroiled in yet another Nazi-connected scandal, selling T-shirts depicting a skull that had been used, according to this Bent Corner post, by the Nazi 3rd SS Division Totenkopf during World War II. (You may remember other incidents such as the book-burning (sub req'd) incident last year.)

What's interesting about this story is the pace that it gathered, and the speed of Wal-Mart's (via Edelman) response. It's clear that Consumerist, the Gawker-family consumer affairs blog that helped the Bent Corner story gain visibility, is a site that Edelman is checking every minute, and while there have been previous spats between the two (summarized in part here) one does see the necessity of keeping your friends close, but your enemies closer. Get the whole scoop on PRWeek or the Consumerist

A well planned exit without the use of a publicist? Atoosa Rubenstein, Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen magazine announced last week that she’ll be leaving the publication. Her next move is to launch several teen-centered projects including a web business, a book and a consulting firm.

She told the New York Post, “I’m a risk taker. I don’t play the game in a safe way. I’ve never been driven by power or money. I’ve always had a very strong relationship with our audience, and I hope to develop that in a more immediate and visceral way.”

Before her announcement to leave Seventeen, Rubenstein already started branching out of her Editor-in-Chief post positioning herself as an advocate for teens by appearing on MTV’s Miss Seventeen reality show and also as a guest judge on America’s Next Top Model, a favorite show among Seventeen readers.

Is Rubenstein leaving Seventeen another sign in the decline of teen publications? In the last two years, YM, Teen People, and Elle Girl have been shut down. Teen People and Elle Girl are still online – a good move since most teens are tech-savvy. At least we’ve still got COSMOgirl! and Teen Vogue! We’ll have to wait and see who will take over the EIC post at Seventeen.

Read more about her decision to leave Seventeen on her MySpace page and some speculations from Jossip.

Most Americans think Europeans, especially the Italians "dress up." The way Italians dress is getting more and more relaxed as the years progress, but they definitely look better dressed than most of us stateside. If you've traveled abroad you have noticed how business casual is not in vogue, in fact it's been said that westerners dress like cowboys. Do fashion labels in Italy know how to fit their people better then Americans? Is there a worse feeling in the world than slipping into a new garment in a fitting room and finding it just slightly off? Nothing kills the buzz of finding a fantastic item of clothing that you are just dying to own more than realizing that you are not just any "body" but have unique bumps, curves, and "fiddly" bits!

You see as much as we live in a world of "ready to wear" clothing, few of us have ready to wear bodies. Thus, I have to ask, why is it that we are so reticent to simply have clothing tailored?

We have no problem acknowledging that our personalities are unique, but when it comes to admitting that our bodies don't fit one given standard we get a little upset.

"Why it must be a fault in me that I can't fit into this blouse I picked up off the rack" we tell ourselves. But in truth few of us are ever going to have bodies that fit exactly into a given garment. I faced just that reality today when I realized it was better to spend a little bit more on a few quality pieces of clothing and have them refitted to my own body than to hopelessly buy tons of disposable fashion that only just "kinda" fits.

With the help of the Superfuture forums I found myself an incredible tailor on Mott Street named Ramone who not only helped me fit two dresses and a coat but he helped me refit my attitude as well. And you know what? Those clothes are going to fit me to a "T," making them actually "ready to wear."

Women vary from men greatly. That's a good thing! This includes our shopping habits: our shoe shopping habits online, to be exact. Choosing a shoe is like choosing that perfect sports car, you need to visualize yourself in the shoe.

I know what I look for when browsing websites in search of the perfect shoe, but I decided to go to the experts at SheFinds.com to see what they felt women looked for when it came to shoe shopping online.

When I asked Michelle, owner of She Finds, to rank what she felt was most important to women when purchasing shoes, she told me that first and foremost women look at fashion/style appeal, comfort, and then price. Michelle stated, “If you love 'em and they fit (or even sometimes if they almost fit) your price threshold goes up.” When someone recommends a comfortable shoe that has style, we all race to go find it.

Today I had the privilege of attending Isaac Mizrahi's Couture Showing at his studio on 10th Avenue. It was quite the elite affair with editors from every magazine in town coming to pay their respects to one of the best known names in design.

While I was blown away with both the quality of the design and the craftsmanship of the clothing, it did bring up several questions for me. You see, we throw the term couture around a lot in fashion but few of us actually understand its true meaning. Many people even believe that anything we label "designer" can somehow also interchangeably be called couture. But in fact the definition is quite a bit more limited than that.

According to Wikipedia the term "Haute Couture" can only be used in very specific circumstances

Haute couture is protected by law and is defined by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture based in Paris, France. Their rules state that only "those companies mentioned on the list drawn up each year by a commission domiciled at the Ministry for Industry are entitled to avail themselves" of the label haute couture. The criteria to which a fashion house must adhere in order to be categorized haute couture were laid down in 1945 and updated in 1992.

According to the paper of note, fashion's most outlandish designer John Galliano will be the guest editor for French Vogue's December Issue.

After Kate Moss, Sofia Coppola and Catherine Deneuve, Dior designer John Galliano is the next guest editor to do his thing for Paris Vogue's December issue. The title, edited by Carine Roitfeld, traditionally invites a personality to tweak the holiday book by playing a hand in everything from styling shoots and choosing photographers to sharing their personal proclivities.

Such big news should surely warrant a bigger write-up, but alas there are no details to be found about how the funky fashion troll's influence will be found at the chicest book on the planet.

We can only hope he makes it out of this world!

One of the biggest complaints about the fashion industry is just how difficult it can be to get an entry level job. Sometimes it feels as if the qualifications are an expensive last name or a connected family. The industry can feel especially opaque to outsiders who are unaware of many of the rules and expectations of this sartorial business.

An excellent guide to getting hired in fashion can be found at Fashion.net called "How To Become A Fashion Editor" . It can help you determine if you are interested in being a stylist, a market editor, or a writer and how to make your resume stand out so you can get a shot at a coveted assistant job. Hint: being an intern is critical.

Another resource is Vault.com's Guide To Getting Hired in Fashion

However the most comprehensive guide is in book form. Buying a copy of Fashion Careers will ensure that you have the definitive guide to getting hired in fashion. Written by three FGI members, it is packed with insider information.

But in truth the most important thing to know is that fashion is an industry of enthusiastic creative professionals. For all the fear and worry about angry catty women nothing will get you farther than passion and a keen sense for getting the job done right.

Today's WWD had an excellent interview with Chanel's New CEO Maureen Chiquet she offers a few insights on how she approaches hiring top notch fashion talent.

WWD: Let's just talk about some of your approaches to people and your hiring techniques. What do you look for when you're looking to hire an executive and what turns you off?

M.C.: First thing, I really have to hire people who are passionate. Pretty much within the first five minutes, if I don't see someone that's incredibly passionate about the business, about whatever I'm hiring for, that is not good for me. Eyeballs. I think in the fashion business a certain intuition, eyeballs, are important but you also need eyeballs with analytical skills. I don't think it's one or the other. I like to look for a balance of that.

Last night was one of the biggest nights in fashion with the awarding of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

Often called the Oscars of fashion, the winner takes home a $200,000 monetary prize to be used to further enhance their label. The winner also receives a Montblanc watch and a year’s lease on a 2007 Lexus, both companies of which were sponsors of this year’s Fashion Fund.

And who was the lucky winner? Doo-Ri Chung!

The list of this year’s finalists also included Jovovich-Hawk’s Carmen Hawk and Milla Jovovich, Marcus Wainwright and David Neville of Rag & Bone, Justin Giunta of Subversive, Devi Kroell, Robert Tagliapietra and Jeffrey Costello of Costello Tagliapietra, Phillip Lim for 3.1 Phillip Lim, and Keren Craig and Georgina Chapman of Marchesa. The evening also marked Diane von Furstenberg’s first night as incoming CFDA president.

Interestingly, Chung was also nominated for the same accolade in 2004 but eventually lost to Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. Thankfully Chung has demonstrated the stick-to-it-ness required to be a success in fashion and last night she came out top dog.

The night's runner ups were Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy and Thakoon Panichgul of Thakoon.

Style.com has excellent coverage of the event as well as plenty of photos. (Photo From Style.com)

Personally I could not be more pleased with Chung's win. I was very impressed by her Fall 06 collection (at which I accidentally sat front row back when I was even more of a nobody blogger) and her work is only getting better each season. She has been a clear favorite of Anna Wintour which many have viewed as surprising given Wintour's traditional support of gay male designers. But with the sisters from Pasadena also being Vogue favorites and fellow winners perhaps the tides are changing in fashion towards being a more women friendly place.

• Personal Care Appliances - Global Strategic Business Report : This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Personal Care Appliances in Thousands of Units.

• Spinduggery, The Flack: Peter Himler posts about Jeff Jarvis' snarky comment insinuating PR professionals have dishonesty in their DNA. Jeff Jarvis, being the 'spin'-ster he is, should love the quote "you can’t polish a turd."

• KFC Logo Relaunch - From Space, Near Area 51: I know all of you are saying "I thought of that months ago." Ever since Google launched satellite imagery on its maps, I've wanted to pitch this idea to a client. While not the first, KFC is doing it on a grand scale; a nice publicity stunt. For those of you who know my New York address, you can see me on the roof of my apartment building with my dogs, frozen in time from space.

• Loyalty VS. Advocacy CRM Lowdown: Most companies think that their job is done when they manage to convert a regular customer into a loyal customer. They tend to forget the guy because now ‘he can take care of himself.' Wrong! Once you’ve converted a customer, your job becomes even more difficult.

• Link Karma From The Copyblogger: 21 Surefire tips for a successful blog launch, 10 things to consider when choosing a site meter, and the five W's of great content.

• Hotels offer lots of freebies during winter (just not in New York City), The Mercury News: Winter travelers can take advantage of a number of hotel deals. Properties are offering free nights, free gift cards, special rates and other perks.

• How To Stop Comment Spam Without Lifting a Finger, Tubetorial: If you're a wordpress user, you have to visit tubetorial. Quick, easy-to-understand flash video - enjoy.

• The European Newspaper Design & Concept Awards Europe‘s most innovative newspaper 2006: Look and learn. This year, Europe’s best designed newspapers come from Belgium, Norway, Finland, Portugal and Spain. 287 newspapers from 26 countries participated in the eighth European Newspaper Award.

Like many women, I am a huge fan of shoes. For reasons almost inexplicable to your average man, shoes have a kind of emotional resonance that speaks to us deeply. One shoe that has just this power is the Bernardo "Miami" sandal.

Beloved by the jet set and regular women alike, this revolutionary shoe took the world by storm in the forties and fifties and has remained a style icon through several generations. But, in the seventies and eighties, the brand was nearly destroyed. Thankfully, the license was purchased by Dennis and Lynne Comeau and the line has been restored to its former glory.

Last week, I was having dinner with a good friend who was wearing a new, sleek looking pair of designer basketball shoes. When I complimented him, he told me, “I got these for $15! And they are designed by an NBA star player.”

In a world dominated by Air Jordans, with a retail value of $100, it is shocking to hear that an NBA basketball star is endorsing shoes that cost the same as shoes sold at Payless. Stephon Marbury is the basketball star who has created a stir in the designer sportswear world with his designer basketball shoes named Starbury. Marbury has created an even bigger stir in the lives of inner city kids who idolize NBA stars and want to own any product associated with their idols.

Marbury launched his $15 basketball shoe in August and it has met with amazing success. He wore the shoes himself on the courts this season and proved the value of the shoes by scoring as many points as ever. Marbury endorsed the Starbury line because he was appalled by the fact that inner city kids saved their money for long stretches of time to purchase a pair of designer shoes with outrageously expensive price tags.
Marbury states that, "It just makes no sense for sneakers to cost as much as they do and put families in the situation they get in when their kids want them."

We'll return to posting about luxury, lifestyle and wellness on Friday. Enjoy the cartoon and whether it's a extra long walk around the park with your dogs, raking leaves, a jog, turkey-ball in the backyard or shopping – physical activity over the holiday need not be strenuous to be good for you. Remember that short bursts of activity, three times a day, can pave the way to better health.

I’ll never forget being 13 years old and sneaking in a show on HBO while I was babysitting. I don’t remember anything about it beyond the fact that it revolved around these guys who worked at a retail store and sat behind a two way mirror in the women’s changing room watching the girls change out of their clothes. I remember believing it to be true and it forever changed the way I undress in a changing room.

Of course I know now that it is only regular mirrors in changing rooms, now they have pin-hole cameras in every dressing room...just kidding, but I still have that feeling of paranoia each time I want to try something on. Basically I still try to undress as little as possible, or simply turn my back to the mirror. You can call me crazy, but just the thought of the possibility that some creep is watching me, skeeves me out.

So how can you tell the difference? Well despite that email that has been circulating since the late 1990’s about the “finger tip” test, it’s really quite easy to visually see the difference. Surprisingly enough, this question was just asked on Yahoo Answers only a week ago, so I am not the only paranoid person out there.

All the men I've dated, including my husband, have been 100% all American men- not a drop of that (do I dare say) metro-sexuality. He could use some fashion tips from time to time, but that is another post altogether. So when my first son was born, I discovered Old Navy. Fashionable, very high quality, except a lot more affordable and it was a place I could do my shopping for the entire family. My kids have always worn Old Navy clothes from head to toe. I’ve always loved shopping their Item of the Week. I do so miss the older commercials they ran, I have noticed a shift away from the silly satire-style spots.

Now what do my wandering eyes do appear? A maternity section! You mean I can still look fashionable for the next 5 months? I see a cross-buttoned cardigan calling my name! I am busting at the seams (literally too) with excitement! They don’t have this at the Old Navy near my house, but it’s available online, and with only $5 shipping how can you not be excited?

If you have a precious pooch, Old Navy also offers clothing and jackets for your dog. Hey, dog’s deserve some pampering too.

So as they say, “Come get your Fash on!” I know I will, will you?

Today as I was window shopping through Ruby Lane, I came upon a blast from my own past; an antique Fire Opal diamond ring. It caught my attention right away, as the memories flooded back to the day I bought it with several paychecks I saved up in my late teens. Unfortunately, from moving around throughout the years, I lost that beloved ring I worked so hard to purchase in my youth. So to find this ring today on Ruby Lane and that it is even in my size, it must be fate!

Window shopping can be fun, as it gave me many great gift ideas for the Holidays. I loved not only the variety of the jewelry sold, but also that it wasn’t soley retail. Many of the jewelry sellers were crafters and designers themselves. I really like the collection by Israeli jewelry designer Yifat Aharoni. Her jewelry has such a different flare to it, yet its not too eccentric. Then there’s the beautiful beadwork by Tracey Pettingill. I came across a beautiful set of Peridot earrings, which happen to be my birthstone. Have a love for vintage European jewelry? I found that too with Jewels at Cellarum.

It’s amazing what you can find when you really look through the various sellers on Ruby Lane and don’t forget for you skeptics out there of buy/sell sites, Ruby Lane is unique with an exemplary selling policy and guarantee.

If you’ve shopped at Ruby Lane, I’d love to hear about your experience. Please be sure to post it in the comments!

As a woman I can certainly tell you what I think about men’s underwear. I like a man in a fresh pair of clean, crisp white underwear. I prefer boxer briefs over anything else and my man better not be wearing silly underwear or outrageously colored, or else I will have to ask him to put his pants back on. I like to be the one wearing all the colors! I often wondered if guy’s thought of their underwear as an important piece of fashion. I know my very first boyfriend did not, as evidenced by some animal print silk bikini number he used to wear..."eww!" Laughing when you see someone's underwear is a sure fire way to ruin the mood…just FYI.

So in order to find out what men really think, I asked a few fashionable men at Pierce Mattie their thoughts. I was surprised at some of their answers. I've included 3 of the 8 full interviews for your review. Here is a summary of my findings:

• Pierce Mattie men prefer briefs over boxers.

• They wont spend more then $35 for a pair of underwear

• Sex played a role in purchasing first pair of fashionable underwear

• They say marketing and packaging doesn't play a big role in what underwear they choose, however the industry data all says marketing & packaging plays a huge role and influences what girlfriends / boyfriends say they like on a man.

• The office leading brands: Old Navy, 2Xist & Calvin Klein

The clothing giant Bebe, best known for its logo t-shirts, is changing its business model to better appeal to its target audience, fashionable women in their 20s and 30s with disposable income. According to Bebe’s chief executive officer, the company wants to fill the “affordable luxury” niche. Bebe took the first step in fulfilling this goal by opening Neda by Bebe, an accessories and footwear boutique, in San Francisco. The items sold at Neda by Bebe range between $250-$500. Although they are more high end that the accessories currently sold at Bebe stores, they are more affordable than Dolce and Gabbana and Prada.

Bebe was started 30 years ago by Iranian born Manny Mashouf in San Francisco. Mashouf, a college student at the time, saw an empty storefront and made the sudden decision to start a clothing store. The store was initially called the Caspian Corner and according to Mashouf, catered to women “who want to look vivacious, sexy, but not junior and cheap.” The store name was changed to Bebe shortly after, which means queen in Farsi. Mashouf met his future wife Neda because she was a frequent shopper at the original Bebe store. Her first purchase was a pair of Marilyn Jeans, which were so tight that “you had to lie down to zip them up.”

Mashouf owns 73 percent of Bebe’s stock and was estimated to be worth $1.5 billion by Forbes Magazines in 2006. Mashouf does not put much emphasis on his success. He states that his monetary success hasn’t changed him: “I don’t think money will ever change me, no matter how much it is. I’m still the same person I was…when I was in college.”

I’m not sure how some athletes, like celebrities, can have such a keen eye to fashion while others obviously are still working on trends from yesteryear (I mean they all have Publicists who should be able to help them, right?)

Here is a short list of some amazingly fashionable athletes:

David Beckham—Without a doubt, not only gorgeous, but he has yet to make a bad fashion move.

Derek Jeter—Definitely a well-dressed guy, but I still think his best fashion statement was Mariah Carey on his arm.

Alex Rodriguez—Great fashion and great hair.

Serena Williams—So fashionable, she own her own clothing line called Aneres.

Anna Kournikova—With a body like hers, how can any clothing look bad on her?

Michelle Kwan—Her style is simple yet classy.

So many great blogs to cover, so little time! Here are some fabulous blogs I've been reading:

Those with fashion sense:

+ The Fashionable Housewife reminds you to get involved with the online fundraising auction for, “Every BODY is beautiful” run by the National Eating Disorders Association.

+ Catwalk Queen spills the beans that Agent Provocateur will be launching a maternity lingerie line. (YES!)

+ The Sartorialist shows us some Philly fashion in NYC. (Scott, Philly does have fashion, I assure you!)

Where Beauty tops all:

+ The Homespagoddess gives her view on the marketing for the new Vaseline Cocoa Butter for African American Skin.

+ Girlpaint reviews jane iredale’s Amazing Base Loose Powder. It’s nice to see someone else who is a total fan of jane’s products.

+ Brain Spam gives us her review on Bourjois’s Bons Baisers de Paris Lip Stain Pens.

I'm always looking for fantastic blogs to spotlight here! Do you have a favorite worth checking out? Let me know in the comments!

Victoria’s Secret will be once again be doing their anticipated annual fashion show tonight at 10pm on CBS. Their fashion shown, not only known for their uber gorgeous models, is also known for bringing extravagance in the ultimate bra to the stage. Last year it was the extremely expensive (giga-zillion?) bra made entirely out of precious stones.

What started out as an outrage in 2001 to many astonished viewers when it made it onto prime time television, has now become a much looked forward to event each year. The exception to this was when it pulled its show from the airwaves in 2004 from the domino effect of Janet Jackson giving her full disclosure during her Super Bowl halftime show. It returned last year looking more tasteful than ever.

This year’s fashion show will feature the very hot and sexy, Justin Timberlake. Justin’s image, as well as the fact that he is now a fashion designer himself, definitely fits in with the Victoria’s Secret branding.

I look forward to seeing how Victoria’s Secret will top themselves from last year with the dollar amount and extravagance of it’s most talked about bra.

Will you be watching?

Joanna Roche is the Senior Managing VP of Pierce Mattie Public Relations. She has a proven track record of success and corporate experience. She is high energy and passionate about her work, which makes her direct, up front, realistic approach with Pierce Mattie PR clients what makes her a true asset.

Joanna is a married mother of a 2-year-old son, who loves to run, cook and travel. The best way to describe her is balanced. She loves to dive into her work, yet still maintain the proper balance of her hobbies and family life. Joanna is goal oriented and believes that nothing is impossible.

Tell readers about a typical day as VP of Pierce Mattie.

There is nothing typical about being a VP at Pierce Mattie PR! Every day is different and it is one of the things I love about my job. Most days include working on new business, coming up with creative ideas to promote our brands, meeting with clients, nurturing the staff and helping them develop pitches and reach editors, and keeping abreast of trends and happenings in the PR world.

Eco-Fashion is an idea that has always been around, but really begun to take steam in February of 2005 at New York’s Fashion Week when Earth Pledge teamed up with 28 designers to create a special runway event called FutureFashion. This past Spring Oscar de la Renta, Halston and Elisa Jimenez showed off their echo-fashion designs at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) 2006 Conference. The response was overwhelming and the designs were again shown over the summer at the World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing, where Stephen Burrows and Heatherette also added dresses to the collection of designs to be shown. With such great designers coming to understand that fashion can be earth friendly and design friendly, it is sure to increase in popularity among the world of fashion designers.

Eco-Fashion is clothing that takes into account the environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry. You may not have know the exact term for this industry, but we have all heard and been up in arms over, the stories of big name celebrities having their clothing made in sweat shops only to sell them for top dollar. Taking into account the working conditions of the people who actually put the products together to get you what you purchase at the store is a part of Eco-Fashion.

The Fashion Guru's:

+ Iconique shows us some sketches of Madonna’s new fashion line with H&M coming out in 2007.

+ I am Fashion talks about her love for tees by Clu and they are not your average t-shirt.

+ The Purse Blog wonders what you think of the new Dior My Dior Large Pockets Handbag. Personally it reminds me of a bag my mother used to have in the late 80’s.

What an exciting week! A shameless plug before we move onto some great beauty links: Glamour Magazine liked my post on "Beauty Forensics." See what Stephanie Huszar said on their informative blog. It's nice to get some "street cred" from the girls in the beauty department at Glamour, thanks!

The Divas of Beauty:
+ Lipstick, Powder n’ Paint snags an interview with Maureen Kelly, the CEO and creator of Tarte Cosmetics.

+ Confessions of a Beauty Junkie discusses white eyelashes and tells you which product will help you achieve that look.

+ Blog for Beauty wonders if Allure’s recommendation to use Aspirin as a zit cream really works.

If there is a great Beauty or Fashion blog you think deserves some spotlight, please let me know in the comments!

In our continued effort to support bloggers and citizen journalists we are opening up our vote for Publicist of the Year to you. In the past we have only asked the media and producers to participate. If you've worked with any of our publicists, please vote today.

I’ve honestly never paid much attention to products that were celebrity endorsed, in high school, maybe a little, however there have been plenty of my friends who live by what products “Celebrity A List” says are the best. There was a time, back when I was very young, that I did follow what my favorite celebrities endorsed. One such product was Pepsi, simply because I was a very big Michael Jackson fan. Luckily, I wised up.

So when I saw one of my favorite fashion designers, Isaac Mizrahi, pitching StriVectin-SD in a commercial the other day I felt such utter disappointment. Strivectin-SD, which claims to be an anti-stretchmark cream turned anti-wrinkle cream, is trying to pitch their product to men through Mizrahi's popularity. Isaac is a talk show host and thus a "lifestyle advocate" however, as a person who admires Mr. Mizrahi for his outstanding fashion, I wonder why he had to go this route. Seeing him in a commercial promoting an anti-wrinkle cream made me lose a little bit of respect for him and I didn't want too. I'm sure I am not alone.

I believe there was a time when celebrity endorsements held clout, but the times have been changing, most especially as blogs have become more and more popular. There are so many blogs out there that review products and I am more apt to listen to the average Joe tell me their likes and dislikes over a product than to run out to buy a product because Mischa Barton has been using it. According to a survey done by Allure and Essence, the same holds true for many of their readers.

Although Blogging has been around for years, approaching Bloggers to review or pitch your products is fairly new and growing in momentum. If you are thinking of approaching a Blogger to review your products, there is a protocol that sometimes many companies do not invest their time to understand and follow.

As a beauty Blogger, I receive many emails on a weekly basis from companies and PR firms big and small to find out if I am interested in reviewing their products on my two beauty blogs. There are some that exude professionalism both in the way they approach me through their emails, through the way the package is sent and in their follow up. Then there are the mass emails, lack of PR materials with the product, presentation of the product and lack of follow up. The difference between the two potentially means your emails go in my trash folder.

Things you should not do when you approach a Blogger:

Send out a mass email, most notably saying “Dear Bloggers” or having no greeting at all. While some newer Bloggers may respond to this, many seasoned Bloggers won’t. It is the sign of a company simply harvesting your contact information and not taking the time to personally contact you, as they want you to personally review their product. It is a two way street.

Have the expectation that the Blogger will want to review your product simply because you offered it for free. Bloggers know their readers and most will only review products that are 1. Related to their blog and 2. Something that would be of interest to their readers.

Insincerely attempt to flatter them. So many companies do it and many times I receive the same email to each of my accounts for my blogs when the company doesn’t even realize they are sending it to the same person. Bloggers can read between the lines.

Nothing brings in the holiday cheer more than high heels, short dresses, and tons of whiskey. On a recent trip to LA, I got to celebrate the holidays with socialite Kim Kardashian, who brought her Olympian step father, Bruce Jenner along for the shenanigans.

Avery Cardoza planned a classy event as usual with high end services for all party goers. At the entryway, guests were invited to enjoy free cigars and whiskey tasting. The main room featured shoe shines compliments of Michael Toschi and complimentary shaves provided by The Shave of Beverly Hills. Finally the bar region was equipt with decanters and wine aroma tests provided by OnTheFly.com. Sterling Steakhouse created elegant appetizers and tasteful martinis that the beautiful crowd enjoy all throughout the evening.

And as if this wasn’t enough, OnTheFly.com provided giftboxes worth hundreds of dollars for the guests, as well as VIPs received snowboards, and the first chapter of the $4,000 NFL Champions Book. Avery certainly set a pretty high standard for his holiday party.

Glam Media, a widely popular beauty, fashion and lifestyle network, has acquired $18.5M in Venture Capital led by Duff Ackerman & Goodrich Ventures, with participation from Accel Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, WaldenVC, and Information Capital. As part of the financing, CNET chairman and E. W. Scripps board member Jarl Mohn is joining the board of Glam Media. Glam Media’s website boasts a robust 8 million visitors per month.

Glam will be using some of these funds to purchase other companies that are either Web 2.0 technology companies or those with a very secure vertical platform with a highly engaged and targeted audience. As you might remember from my interview with Jeremy Wright of b5media, he really felt that vertical companies were the way to go.

Glam intends to spread its wings and expand internationally and add to its sales and editorial team. Glam has also announced that it has signed on with Hearst Magazines to distribute content from Marie Claire on their websites, as well as linking to and promoting other Hearst Magazines for subscription.

Glam Media became an idea in late 2002 and was launched at Fashion Week in September of 2005; the Glam Network soon came to life in December of 2005. Considering the fact that it has only been a little over a year that Glam Media has been on the web, I would have to say that their ambitious goals and the hardworking behind-the-scenes individuals are what make Glam Media the mega-success they are today. As a beauty Blogger about to have her blog join the Glam Network, I am more than excited to see such growth and focus in this company.

With only 7 days left until Christmas, I hope you can squeeze in checking out these fine blogs in your frantic shopping downtime:

Fashion:

+ Flavour Comes First! (Extra Tasty) gives a great analysis on potential transparency in the fashion industry.

+ Phosphene Fashion spotlights designer Jayson Brunsdon.

+ She Knows Best offers some tips on how to wear socks that are not your typical black or white…without looking like a clown.

Beauty:

+ Blogdorf Goodman gives us her run through of her experience of a Nars makeover.

+ Beauty Jones reviews C.O. Bigelow’s Soothing Lip Buffer.

+ Fab Sugar gives you her top three choices for mild makeup removers (something I have been on the hunt for myself!)

It was bound to happen to a Blogger at some point, but a $7.6 million dollar lawsuit? I was even amazed by that amount. Hilton is being sued by X17 Inc., a photo agency known for its pictures of celebrities in embarrassing moments, citing that Hilton has committed copyright infringement.

To be honest, Bloggers copy pictures from sites all of the time. One of the most copied sites would be Getty Images in the Fashion Blogosphere. Many fashion and beauty Bloggers have often talked about their fear of getting caught and how some cite Getty as their image source while others do not, but all in all most feel that they can use the excuse, “Everybody else is doing it.” With threats of litigation and now an actual multi-million dollar lawsuit in place, maybe many Bloggers will be thinking twice. However, watching Headline News today on CNN, the newscasters still concurred that Bloggers will fall back on the above mentioned excuse.

The Budget Fashionista, a highly respected fashion Blogger with a recently published book of the same name (who I happen to be a fan of), was threatened by Neiman Marcus when she wrote a post about a product that they sold and used an image from their website. She happened to write in her post about other products from companies Neiman Marcus considered a competitor. They certainly didn’t mind her mentioning their store and using their image (free advertising for them), but they got angered when they were not the sole company named in the post. So she was sent the letter and told that she was not allowed to use the image posted if she was going to also mention competitors. Since she wasn’t going to let Neiman Marcus bully her into not mentioning competitors, she simply took down the image and the competitor in the post remained up.

I hope you all had a beautiful and fashionable Holiday; here’s to an even better New Year.

Fashion:

+ BGlam wonders if Marc Jacobs pairing socks with sandals is just an attention grabber or a true trend come Spring.

+ fashion inc. shows us one of the newest Spring outfit arrivals at Old Navy. (The outfit looks super comfortable and I love the handbag too!)

+ Girlawhirl gives some details about Nan Kemper’s “American Chic” exhibit at The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY.

Beauty:

+ The Beauty Hatchery gives us some ideas for dressing up our lashes for your New Year’s Eve party.

+ Bit by the Beauty Bug discusses the hassles of returning cosmetics. Be sure to read the New York Times Article she mentions in a follow up post.

+ The Beauty Addict is being complimented on her undereye and it’s due to Relastin Eye Silk.

I hope everyone rang in the new year in style! Here's to some great fashion and beauty blogs to kick off the Weekend Pulse for 2007:

Fashion:

+ The Fashionator is happy big glasses are out, but nerdy glasses are surprisingly sexy.

+ Organic_Clothing explains the reason behind the high cost of organic fashion.

+ Coffee Break posts about Madonna’s new line of clothing for children that is a spin-off from her books.

Beauty:

+ Now Smell This reviews Ralph Rocks by Ralph Lauren.

+ RealSelf Blog reports on how to avoid a bad face lift.

+ Ms. New Beauty gives her latest installation of Cheap & Chic: Everything’s Coming up Roses.

It's only a few weeks into Winter, but it already feels like Spring. Here's some fabulous links from some great beauty and fashion blogs to put a little spring in your step!

Fashion:

+ Couture in the City discusses the fashion of designer Sari Gueron.

+ Debutante Clothing is thrilled that high waisted pants are making a comeback (me too, for that matter!)

+ Groove Effect takes a look at Imaginary Foundation Art and Streetwear.

Beauty:

+ Product Girl reviews Smashbox's Tokidoki Skin Tint (I'm so glad Carla is back blogging, aren't you?)

+ Beauty & Personality Grooming goes over the general rules of lipstick.

+ Fantabulous reviews Good Skin Soft Reflections Illuminating Loose Powder.

Glam Media, as you know, is a top 10 women’s property network and recently announced its $18.5 Million Venture Capital acquisition and a partnership with Marie Claire. b5media, also recently announced securing $2 Million in Venture Capital and when I interviewed b5media CEO Jeremy Wright back in November, he mentioned vertical networks being the only way to gain traction in today’s market. Glam Media just happens to be a vertical network, so the announcement of a partnership is not surprising.

The b5media partnership with Glam consists of Glam selling b5’s ads, something they are good at doing and in return Glam reaches a wider readership through b5media’s blog readership with Glam’s ads prominently displayed on each blog in the network. The partnership means increased visibility and revenue sharing for both Glam and b5media.

Prior to partnering with Glam, b5media also secured a partnership with Feedburner back in November. You can read Feedburner’s press release and Aaron Brazell’s post on the Pro’s & Con’s of Feedburner fore more details. Aaron is the Technology Channel Editor and Technology Manager for b5media.

So what’s next for b5media? Jeremy Wright gave a great interview to 901am that posted today and stated that they were aggressively pursuing a few partnerships. I guess we’ll be hearing about more b5 partnerships throughout the year.

Here's what some great blogs in beauty and fashion are talking about:

Fashion:

+ Bunnyshop muses about a possible Spring Trend: Gold Legging’s.

+ The Purse Blog posts a letter to Gucci regarding The Gucci Dog Backpack (it is a very amusing read!)

+ Counterfeit Chic weighs in on the controversy regarding weight and models.

Beauty:

+ 99 Products raves about Ojon’s Tawaka Ancient Tribal Rejuvenating Cream.

+ Pretty by Nature offers a tip: Stop Pulling your face.

+ Pure Spa discusses the 30 minute Migun massage.

Well I saw this coming. Other countries are taking the issue of eating disorders in the fashion industry seriously with the recent anorexia-related deaths, while the Council of Fashion Designers of America gives a less than enthusiastic attempt at it. Their idea of getting involved? Keeping a more vigilant eye on models. How will they do this? Scheduling fashion-show fittings during the daytime instead of after dark to give models more sleeping hours, urging designers to work harder at spotting models with eating disorders and improving the quality of backstage catering.

Are you kidding me? When I first read what their new guidelines would be, I thought it was a joke. It’s very disappointing to hear that they won’t implement any rules or policies to ensure better health for their models, despite top designer Diane von Furstenberg’s comment that, “It is important as a fashion industry to show our interest and see what we can do because we are in a business of image."

That’s where they fall short…simply “showing their interest” without anything really concrete to be part of the solution. I could “show my interest” in people suffering from cancer, but if I never contribute in some way, shape or form concretely to help aid in furthering research for the disease with a donation or by volunteering to help my local ACS raise awareness of their support programs, then by merely “showing interest,” I am doing nothing.

I certainly don’t mean to sound so harsh, however, our fashion industry plays a major role in the way we view body image. So many women (and men) become vulnerable to believing that they must be super thin in order to be normal and I whole heartedly feel it is the fashion industry’s responsibility to do all they can to contribute to being a solution to eating disorders and not be the cause of them. Obviously, the solution doesn't rest soley on the fashion industry, but I do think they need to be a large component of it.

I decided to see if I am alone in how I feel about this topic. It appears that thoughts are split down the middle on this one. Here are some thoughts from around the web and from emails sent directly to me:

Elizabeth Shoemaker is only 24 years old, but through her Photography and articles on the subject, she brings a sense of worldliness, maturity and knowledge that is so refreshing. Elizabeth is one of those diamonds that sparkles so bright she captivates you from across the room.

When did you begin your career in Photography and what was the image that inspired you to do so?
It wasn't a particular image that inspired me to get into photography. My mother is an art connaiseur-- I grew up with signed, limited edition prints on my bedroom wall instead of posters. I've always loved visual art and always been perfectly awful at it. Actually trying photography never occured to me until my roommate bought a digital camera, but I guess the most powerful photographic experience I had was in high school. I was very much an outsider, even inside the typical "outsider" cliques, and didn't really bother with stuff like fashion or makeup. When it came time for my senior pictures, I chose someplace cheap on the outskirts of town-- it'd been ingrained in me that I wasn't that attractive and I didn't want my parents to waste money on pictures. It turned out that the photographer who worked with me was phenomenal-- I got goosebumps when he showed us the proofs. I remember my hands shaking when I picked up my favorite one. That feeling of "Oh my God.. Is that really me? Do I really look like this?" was life changing. I thought photography was all about pushing a button, that it was the poor man's art: I had no idea it could be revelatory before then.

Is there a perfect picture, perfect scene or perfect image that you continue to strive for?
I don't know. There are a ton of concepts on my to-do list; things I want to create but don't have the resources for just yet. I have a lot of ideas. I think, though, that what I strive for the most is a certain emotion-- pretty pictures are nice, but someday I want to take a picture with that amazing heart-in-your-throat quality, something you can't stop staring at. It's a huge thrill when I get a reaction like that from the subject of a portrait. Now my goal is to get that reaction from anyone who sees the portrait.

What are your thoughts on the beauty and fashion magazines photoshopping so many of the images we see?

The first time I'd ever heard of airbrushing photos was years ago, when Kate Winslet went after GQ for photoshopping her legs thinner. She was offended because she loved her curves! That was awesome. I think that drastic photoshopping in fashion and beauty mags was much more detrimental to self-esteem before so many people learned how to manipulate their own images. I don't like to do much at all to any of the images I take, even the rare self-portrait-- but just the widespread knowledge of what is done to those pictures, and the basic ideas of HOW, might actually be good for women as a whole. Smart, empowered women can look at those pictures and know they're not real--and if that small, insecure voice in their head says, "I wish I looked like that!" logic can respond with, "You WOULD look like that with the right photographer and digital artist."

Benetton has been around since 1965, but only came to my attention in the late 80’s with the great ad campaigns they had going on that not only promoted their unique stance on fashion, but also their dominance in breaking cultural and social barriers. It was amazing to me that a fashion company could do both at the same time and do it successfully.

During a time of strife in the world (Cold War, Berlin Wall, the prominence of AIDS), Benetton stood out with their thought provoking campaigns promoting a sense of peace, cultural understanding and raising awareness about social issues. Their fashion style was just as unique as their ad campaigns, leaving those to love them or hate them, but always with great respect for their boldness. I’ll never forget buying my first Benetton sweater and can even recall the bright colors of green and aqua. I proudly wore it for a school picture and it is the only piece of clothing that I can look at childhood pictures and name the brand. That sweater was that important to me and has been embedded in my memory.

Benetton has expanded their brand and continues to grow. They not only have their United Colors of Benetton brand, but also Undercolors of Benetton for all of their underwear, beachwear and sleepwear collections, as well as accessories for women, men and children; Killer Loop their street brand; Playlife their leisure wear label and Sisley which promotes the best trend-setting collections in fashion. While the United Colors of Benetton caters to men, women and children, they also began a girl’s line with the Barbie brand called “Barbie loves Benetton.” What girl doesn't want to be like her favorite doll while being fashionably dressed in Benetton clothing?

Benetton continues to push forward with unique ad campaigns that are unlike others in the industry. Their collections still remain innovative and distinctive. Best of all, being unique still rules.

It's finally beginning to look like winter. Here are some great blog reads for those of you staying warm inside.

Fashion:

+Golden Globes Celebrity Fashion Video Look Book, on the Pierce Mattie Fashion Division blog. Quick visual reference of what the starts were wearing and an idea of what will be worn for the Oscars.

+ The Ghetto Fashionista reports that Isaac Mizrahi will be returning to his couture roots. Well we all know how I feel about Mr. Mizrahi, so I look forward to see what his new line will be.

+ She Finds tells you how you can “Pimp my shoes” with Steve Madden’s new DIY Collection.

+ Kingdom of Style caves in and purchases a knock-off Chloe dress; her post title? “Forgive me Fashion for I have sinned.” I love a sense of humor like that.

Beauty:

+ The Glamour Bee reveals that she has Type 2 Diabetes and has a very interesting post about a program called DivaBetics founded by Luther Vandross’s personal assistant. This is a great post and one that everyone should read!

+ Beautiful Makeup Search reviews Max Factor’s newest mascara, Volume Couture (of which I am a big fan myself).

+ Claire’s Beauty reviews Everyday Minerals.

Blood Diamond, the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio with several Academy Award nominations, is based on the violent civil war in the 1990’s in Sierra Leone in which the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels attempted to overthrow the government, and an illicit diamond trade was used to fund the war effort. The movie has brought attention to the diamond trade and many times what is involved in mining diamonds that are the most sought-after gem in the world.

So it’s no surprise that there are laboratories out there, such as Apollo Diamonds and Gemesis, that are perfecting on creating real diamonds in a lab setting. Not your typical chemically produced Cubic Zirconia, but diamonds created through a process involving real diamond seeds that come together under pressure to create a diamond that matches or exceeds a mined diamond in quality and brilliance. Same natural diamond, only it takes 2 weeks to produce one in a lab setting versus billions of years in the earth. Obviously it is also much safer to create than the risks involved in mining and what it does to our environment.

Creating and mimicking what is real is nothing new. It’s in how man-made products are taking its toll on the industries that produce the real deal. Cultured Pearls are almost indistinguishable to the naked eye compared to its natural counterpart. Fake fur, really well produced pieces, can often be mistaken for the real thing. While the industry that brings you the real products is beginning to feel its effects, it tries to counteract the new demand for man made quality copies by stressing the importance and value on their non-synthetic product.

Lapo Elkann, heir to the Fiat empire and head of its brand promotion, has launched the first carbon fiber sunglasses under the Italia Independent brand. Elkann, who almost died in 2005 from a drug overdose, has come back in full force doing what he does best; designing and promoting accessories for the Fiat brand.

The sunglasses, the first to be made entirely out of carbon fiber, are the first “personal” accessories to be made by the Italia Independent brand. Sever, the name of the sunglasses, are said to be made of over 40 carbon skins and go through a special process ensuring that these sunglasses cannot be replicated as counterfeit. Their look and style also make them completely unisex. Italia Independent’s “Conceived, developed and produced 100% in Italy” is a new theme to promote pride in Italian craftsmanship and reinstate power of Italian luxury. The sunglasses will sell for 1,000 euros, which is $1300 in US dollars.

The theme of Sever and Italia Independent flow with Fiat’s branding promoting style, strength and Italian luxury. Will Fiat labeled fashion help increase loyalty and that must-have quality giving its cars and fashion accessories that “it” factor? What do you think?

Are you getting as excited as I am about Mercedes Benz Fashion Week? I can't wait to see the new colors and styles, let alone new makeup looks! To hold you over, here is what the Fashion & Beauty blogosphere are buzzing about:

Fashion:

+ Tops to Bottoms gives you a style tip on how to wear a belt the right way.

+ Off the Rack, a People Magazine blog, is looking for your thoughts on this week’s cover story regarding Tyra Banks firing back at her critics about her 30lb weight gain. Truth be told—I think Tyra looks amazing on the cover.

+ Discotheque Confusion raves about Nylon Magazine and the spread with Sienna Miller.

Beauty:

+ FabSugar thinks the new Revlon Sugar Sugar lip gloss is a must have. Be sure to take TeamSugar’s poll on whether you love it or hate it.

+ Blogdorf Goodman posts a letter sent to a Koibox user from its CEO. A few people among the 50+ comments question if the letter is a fake however, if it is not, it has to be the rudest letter I have ever read. What do you think—real or fake?

+ All Lacquered Up talks about Creative Nail Design’s Spring 2007 collection and posts comments from Jan Nordstrom-Arnold, its co-founder and style director, on her thoughts for upcoming trends in nails.

Some of us are blessed with one talent in life, and others were given many. Jason Jobson is one of those multi-talented professionals with many talents you'll want to know. For starters, this native New Yorker has been a print, television and fitness model for many years. He ran the NY marathon in 2002 and a marathon in Paris in 2005. You may have already heard Jason's voice as a voice-over talent for commercials, podcasts and pilots all while working for one of the most recognized fashion brands in the world: Chanel.

“Ground Control” is the name of a pilot he has developed as a gardening/home improvement show that he is currently pitching to the networks. You may have seen his face on Sex & The City, Law & Order, Guiding Light or in 13 Going on 30. Jason’s newest role is full time Manager of Training and Special Events at Chanel and so I decided to tap into this multi-talented individual to learn more about him and what's new for Chanel this year.

With so many projects and talents, where does your passion to push your creativity come from?
I think that some people just see things with different eyes. I'm inspired by the simplest things and then also the most beautiful. I just saw the "Glitter and Doom" exhibit at the Met and the colors were incredible. My mind was racing with design inspriation. On the other hand I was in Mexico over Christmas and I saw this stack of empty glass soda bottles that were beautiful. I had to stop and take a picture and I got a few strange looks. Sometime the hardest thing is keeping myself focused on current projects. I think in New York it's easy to spread yourself too thin if you are not careful. We are obsessed with taking on one more project. It's hard when you want to move forward in different directions sometimes. Some things must be put on hold while you go in another direction.

What has working at Chanel taught you that you didn’t already know about the fashion industry?
Chanel is an unbelievable company overall. The thing that has impressed me the most is just how big the scope of all the projects are. I've worked with major houses from Italy and France over the years but when Chanel uses the word "global," they truly mean it.

What are some of the new things going on at Chanel?
That is the other thing I have learned - there are always 10 new things happening at Chanel! You almost have to pick a category and dive in - for instance in the fragrance division, the house is launching an ultra luxe group of scents called "les exclusifs de Chanel". There are 10 scents that each have a special meaning to the legacy of Coco Chanel.

Accessories are also on fire at the moment. There are a group of exotic tote bags launching next month that are going to set Chanel apart from any of the luxury exotic bags on the market.

Do you have any predictions for color and style for Fall 2007?
I think that most designers are really going for more vibrant, deep colors for Fall. Spring was clean and bright, but Fall will be deeper gem tones. Deep reds, and purples. I think American women have started to embrace the idea of wearing color. Not just when they go out at night, but introducing pieces of color to mix into thier wardrobe in an irreverent way.

Are there any styles from years past that you think will be making a comeback?
Looks from the 60's were a strong theme for Spring 07. I think sometimes designs are timeless. If a building is designed in a modern style, it should look modern a hundred years from now - I think the same is true for fashion design. The A-Line dresses from the 60's still look just as new and fresh today.

Is there anything new or coming up on the Chanel website that people can look forward to?
The website is always being tweaked and reborn. So much so, that I have to log on all the time so I don't miss something! One of the coolest things recently was the podcast made available of the pre-fall 07 collection that was shown in the Opera house in Monte-Carlo. Something about this little jewel box of a theater being featured in a podcast is such an incredible twist on what you expect. Now that is inspiring!

Where you can find Jason: MySpace, he also has a out of date website that he's been trying to update for years, found at JasonJobson.com.

Chances are, if you are a lover of celebrity gossip or fashion, you are familiar with Popsugar and Fabsugar (my personal favorite), but did you know that there are many other facets to the Sugar Network? There are, in fact, 6 more Sugar blogs (with another 5 soon to be launching) and 1 Social Networking and Community site.

Lisa and Brian Sugar started the Sugar Network with $250k of their own money last year moving full speed ahead to find venture capital to cover the remaining costs to launch additional sites, which will feature a variety of videocasts and podcasts. Their network targets "trendsetting, passionate, smart women between the ages of 18 and 35." The Sugar Network is definitely one to be watching this year.

An overview of each site:

* PopSugar- The insanely popular (and addictive) celebrity news and gossip site. It’s choc full of video comments, candid pictures, interviews and everything else you can possibly imagine to learn the dirt on your favorite celebrity.

* FabSugar- A fashion, beauty and accessory guide. Beauty and fashion mavens can hear all about the latest trends, style tips, must-haves and where to buy them.

* TeamSugar- This is the community hub and Social Network where all Sugar members can post comments, discuss what is being written about on the other Sugar sites, post pages of their own and share in all things Sugar.

Every brand has a life-cycle, just like fashion trends in general, one day you’re hot, one day you’re not. Does it mean that you fall off the face of the (fashion) world when your star doesn’t shine as brightly as before? Absolutely not, especially when your brand is GAP and was the top staple of fashion for 30 years. It simply means you regroup, you refocus and you look at how you can reconnect with your customers again—past, present and future.

While Gap Inc. may have had declining sales figures for a while now, I’m really not ready to count the brand out. They recently began switching around management both at Gap and Old Navy and soon after, CEO Paul Pressler resigned. Is this a bad thing? Should we look at this as a knockdown for Gap? Actually, I think this is where the brand begins its new life. While the switch in management comes from within the organization itself and its chains, it still means you have people behind the brand that are passionate about it and hopefully a new CEO with a fashion background and ambitious nature to put Gap back on top.

I’m predicting that we will see a comeback for Gap this year. With a fresh perspective they’ll be able to make the brand better, reflect on their core principles that took them to the top in the first place, focus on brand development and eventually find a good publicist to get the message out loud and clear: Gap is back.

Well frankly, I hope she has more than one thing to say on her show today, when she confronts her critics wearing the same swimsuit that has been plastered all over the tabloids with the title, “America’s next top waddle.” It takes courage to stand in front of millions of viewers with just your swimsuit and the body people have been making a mockery of.

I decided to pick up People Magazine last night to read her interview to hear how she felt about the constant pummeling of insults being thrown her way about her weight. Before even reading the article, I in a sense, knew how she must be feeling. In my own youth many people often told me I was fat, even when I was only 5 lbs over what I should’ve been for my height. In fact, one day my dance teacher announced to the class that we couldn’t wear a certain costume for our dance recital because I was too fat. When I looked at my size 8 body in the mirror I felt ashamed and sad that I wasn’t good enough. I can only imagine how magnified that is for a Supermodel who made her living off her body and then has the world zone in on her weight gain. See more posts like this on our Buzzed Industry Dirt Blog

Super Bowl XLI takes place this Sunday when the Indianapolis Colts take on the Chicago Bears, but the spending and the hype have already begun. With 90 million people predicted to be watching the big game, half of which are women, electronic stores, grocery stores and yes, even florists and jewelry stores can expect an increase in sales this weekend.

According to Visa, sponsor of the NFL since 1995, florists and jewelry stores alone saw a 30% increase in spending on Super Bowl weekend in both 2005 and 2006. Visa suspects it is either consumers getting a jump-start on Valentine’s Day gifts or out of guilt from all of the spending on electronics and food for the big game. If this is the case, honey I would like those diamond earrings I have been eyeing up and I like Tulips not Roses.

Commercials this year continue to increase in popularity, especially with You Tube offering continued viral marketing and buzz by hosting SUPERVOTE. Not only will those watching the game be able to talk around the water cooler about which commercials they loved or hated, but they will be able to vote at You Tube giving advertisers some tangible data as to who was successful with their advertising campaign. Sports blogs and advertising blogs are also sure to keep the buzz going about which brand was most successful with their commercial. It will be interesting to see if anyone is collecting data on how much a brand’s sales increase due to all of the above.

With more women in politics bringing on their game and showing that they can be an intellectual powerhouse, it also makes sense that these changes are now trickling over into fashion. Both female Republican and Democrats are beginning to have an impact in what designers are producing for their shows this Fashion Week.

The big trend? Accenting silhouettes, tailoring to fit, high-waisted pants and the comeback of the pantsuit. All of these styles combined exhibit a strong sense of femininity, yet speaking volumes about the professional, intellectual, assertive traits of a woman. Even dresses and skirts have no need to be oversized or girly in the excitement that surrounds female political inspirations and aspirations these days. Hemlines, cinched waists and pinched skirts don’t let us lose sight of a more conservative feminine look, yet exude the more overall subdued sentiment our Country feels in a time of war.

Among all of the fashion trends, the strongest is the pantsuit. It is the easiest to wear and accessorize without looking like you are wearing your father’s clothes. Pantsuits are now tailored to fit and can be worn with or without a blouse, making for a versatile wardrobe. Many can be made to be conservative for business during the day and accessorized in a way to be less so during an evening out.

While many female politicians have a great love of our Country, they also have a great love for fashion. Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, as well as, First Lady Laura Bush, are said to be attending Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. It would certainly make for interesting conversation if they happen attend the same fashion shows and are fans of the same designer. Aspiring Democratic Presidential contender, Hillary Clinton, and the Republican First Lady may just have something in common beyond the White House after all.

Lacoste History: René LACOSTE was born in France on 2nd July 1904 and died on 12th October 1996. Go Directly to 2007/2008 Lacoste Runway Show On Our Fashion PR Division Blog.

The Lacoste Website

The true story of the "Crocodile" begins in 1927. René LACOSTE liked to recount how his nickname became an emblem recognized throughout the world.

"I was nicknamed "the Alligator" by the American press, after I made a bet with the Captain of the French Davis Cup Team concerning a suitcase made from alligator skin. He promised to buy it for me if I won a very important match for our team.The public must have been fond of this nickname which conveyed the tenacity I displayed on the tennis courts, never letting go of my prey!"

So my friend Robert GEORGE drew a 'crocodile' which I then had embroidered on the blazer I wore on the courts.

An attentive spectator at René LACOSTE's Davis Cup matches was the winner of the BRITISH Womens golf title, Mademoiselle Simone THION de la CHAUME, who soon became his wife and constant support.

In 1933, René LACOSTE and André GILLIER, the owner and President of the largest French knitwear manufacturing firm of that time, set up a company to manufacture the logo-embroidered shirt. The champion had designed this for his own use on the tennis court, as well as a number of other shirts for tennis, golf and sailing - as can be seen in the first catalogue, produced in 1933.

To the best of our knowledge, this was the first time that a brand name appeared on the outside of an article of clothing - an idea which has since become extremely successful.

This shirt revolutionized mens sportswear and replaced the woven fabric, long-sleeved, starched classic shirts.The first LACOSTE shirt was white, slightly shorter than its counterparts, had a ribbed collar, short sleeves with ribbed bands and was made of a light knitted fabric called "Jersey petit piquéIt continues to offer the same quality, comfort and solidity on which it built its name and which constitute its uniqueness.

2007/2008 Lacoste Runway Show In The Big Tent New York City

NYC Fashion Week is in full swing, which designer styles and makeup looks do you love so far? Here are some links from the last week around the beauty and fashion blogosphere, with a few checking in on Fashion Week.

Fashion:

+ Fashion Tribes shows off some spectacular photos with a summary of the Red Dress Collection at NYC Fashion Week.

+ Omiru: Style for All interviews Meghan Parsons, the designer behind the jack&marjorie brand.

+ Style Bites gives a review of Max Azria’s Fall 2007 Collection from NYC Fashion Week.

Beauty:

+ Beauty Hobby reviews High Performance Organics Spa Hair Conditioner and Raw Sugar Scrub.

+ Mystical Beauty’s Musings reviews Lumiere Mineral Cosmetics.

+ I am Pretty NYC gives some beauty tips on how to go gray gracefully.

Joanna Roche, NYC Let’s file this under “keeping up with the Jones’” - and for the record I feel compelled to participate. It’s like getting a chain letter and not sending it when you can really use the good karma.

1. Even though my work life is centered on the beauty and spa world, I have a rugged side. I go camping and hiking, I am proficient with a hammer, I have a pistol permit, and I can ride a horse. I plan on sharing all these experiences with my son Luke when he gets a bit older.

2. I love Karaoke! Even though I am not a good singer, it has always been my ultimate fantasy to be a rock star.

3. I made it to the final round of tryouts for College Jeopardy and missed the last question to which the answer was Guy Fawkes. And I still love trivia and pop culture!

4. One of my proudest moments was when my team won first prize in the Lee Fireman’s Muster – I was captain of the Lenox Dale ladies team and we competed in the wet hose event and beat many of the men’s teams and made the front page of our local paper.

5. I am an avid reader – I read all 64 Nancy Drew books by the time I was in second grade and have been reading obsessively ever since. It is my ultimate goal in life to write a book, and I have several ideas I am working on right now.

Find out more about Joanna in her industry profile

As I’ve been gathering stories to write for both of our Beauty and Fashion blogs, I’ve been noticing something become more and more prominent in the news headlines: more companies are going green or collaborating with a green initiative. In 2006, we began to see this trend emerge, but it looked uncertain whether it would take off with the American public or not. Now as I try to write more diversified posts, it seems I can’t get away from writing about who is the next brand marketing green, therefore proving that this topic is not going away anytime soon.

Dave Morgan, at Media Post’s Online Spin, echoed my thoughts exactly today in an article he wrote, “Is Green The New Red, White And Blue?” He too wonders if green is just the “flavor of the month” or a defining element for US brands for years to come. Some of the recent brands I have been Blogging about have been Lancome and their collaboration with Carbonfund.org to reduce carbon foot printing, Diesel’s ad campaign that shows fashion in a post-Global Warming world and whose website encourages becoming involved in StopGlobalWarming.org and watching Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” as well as, H&M expanding upon their use of Organic Cotton in more of their clothing lines. I predict these will not be the only companies, or industries for that matter, that incorporate green into part of their branding.

Lord & Taylor, America’s oldest department store operating since 1826, will be getting a facelift that is multi-faceted in nature according to WWD. NDRC Equity Partners, who bought Lord & Taylor from Federated Department Stores last year, has many plans in the works to bring the store back to life.

David Lipman will be breathing new life into Lord & Taylor’s advertising campaigns. He has been responsible for the success of many other brands, including Burberry and Zegna. Randall Ridless and Mancini Duffy, the architectural and design firm, will be collaborating on revamping the interior of the stores, with the Manhattan location being downsized from its weighty 11 floors to just 5 or 6. Store designers will also be developing a new Fall/Holiday branding campaign and there will be focus on the remerchandising of the products they sell and their private label. There are many fabulous events going on at their different locations to draw in the crowds (can someone say Isaac Mizrahi on 2/24?) pursuant to show that Lord & Taylor can offer exciting events for their customers and anticipate that while in-store, potential customers perception of the Lord & Taylor image over the last few years will change. Lord & Taylor considers it a rebranding and hopes it will put the once hugely popular department store back on the map.

When our culture is being overwrought by Wal-Mart’s, Target’s and the like, I think it is very refreshing to get back to basics and have those brands that were the lifeblood for so many years re-emerge stronger, bring a fresh sense of history along with it. As with Gap’s repositioning, I suspect Lord & Taylor will make their rebranding a success.

Fashion:

+ Fashion Tribes interviews my very favorite designer, Isaac Mizrahi.

+ She She Me gives tips on the best types of shoes to wear with a pantsuit.

+ I like her Style introduces you fashion designer Lauren Moffatt. I admit her Fall 2006 collection was gorgeous!

Beauty:

+ Yummy 411 celebrates Black History Month with Black Opal.

+ The Dazzling Girl reviews The Body Shop Hi-Shine Lip Treatment.

+ Beaut.ie The Irish Beauty Blog discusses Dr. Hauschka products and why he tells you not to use night cream.

The trendy Volkswagen Eos is a fun and fashionable car with an artistic quality. Not only is it fun to drive and gorgeous to look at, it is also one of the safest convertibles on the road being named “Best Convertible” in Motor Week’s Driver’s Choice Awards this past week. Building upon their image of quality, style and elegance, Volkswagen has collaborated with fashion designers to create an accessory line for its drivers.

Lutz & Patmos, Hable Construction and Sigerson Morrison are the designers involved in the new lifestyle accessory line found at the Eos Boutique. Lutz & Patmos, two CFDA’s members, have created two of the four accessories in the Eos Boutique line. The Origami Wrap is half cashmere and half wool and can be worn draped over one or both shoulders, or wrapped around your waist. Their Two in One Sculptural Coat/Blanket for Two is really unique. It is a cashmere wool blend that can be worn as a sculptural coat for one or as a blanket for two. When worn as the two person blanket, it has openings to slide your head through and keep it from slipping off. Hable Construction created a scarf that is 100% silk and can be worn by the Eos driver around the head, neck or as a belt. Lastly, Sigerson Morrison has designed a soon to be launched Driving Slip-on. They are made from genuine leather with Eos color-matched piping.

There is no other car company doing cross branding like this. Volkswagen may have hit the mark by knowing the type of style-addicts their owners are, seeking out fashion designers that can create a lifestyle accessory line that meets their distinct sense of sophistication and appreciation of quality.

Looking for the next big thing for Spring? Then make sure to check out Maryam & Kims "confessions post" on the fashion PR division blog "The Fashion Rag" (now being edited by Jason Jobson) for links to the top 10 best trends for Spring and the designers who make that trend stand out.

As was the case with high-end retailer, Lord & Taylor, JC Penney is giving itself a makeover. The difference between the two is that Lord & Taylor is rebranding from head to toe, which includes physical face lifts to their stores, as well as their merchandise and marketing campaigns, and JC Penney is simply shifting their focus to the middle-income consumer through a new set of marketing campaigns.

JC Penney’s new slogan is “Every Day Matters” and while its rebranding shifts their focus to a new demographic of consumer, they will remain a promotional department store with weekly circulars and direct mailings, something that has proven successful for the store into the present.

When consumer confidence seems lacking, brands are trying to recapture that essence of the excitement of shopping within their stores by listening to what their customers want and desire. JC Penney no longer wants to be looked at as the dated and drab department store, but wants to establish an emotional repore with its consumers and become a relevant part of their lives.

Fashion:

+ I am Fashion gives her review of the fashion that graced the Grammy Awards.

+ In My Bag gives her insight on some of the handbags in Zac Posen’s Fall 2007 line up.

+ Styleology 101 gives you some ideas on what products will brighten up your Spring this year.

Beauty:

+ The Organic Beauty Expert reviews Mixed Chicks Shampoo.

+ Scentzilla interviews David H. Pybus, author of "The Chemistry of Fragrances."

+ The Makeup Bag discusses the MAC makeup trends seen on the runway during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

What most people don't realize about big glossy magazines is that advertisers in the magazine also get favored additional product placement in the form of mentions in product line ups and other "advertorial" mentions. Nothing wrong with that, it's just how it's always been. A good publicist can help non-advertising brands get more exposure in the same magazine, however those that can afford integrated advertising and publicity often get the best exposure in print and television, of course all this comes at a cost.

Some beauty brands or fashion brands may not have the funding or budget for a large media buy. This post is to address those brands. While selling ad space is not a new idea, finding the appropriate space that is the most effective is critical. If you can't afford the premium ad space in beauty magazines and the top fashion books perhaps you should investigate non-traditional advertising in addition to your PR plan.

Today you can buy ad space on everything from urinal pucks, coffee cups, pizza boxes, shopping bags and now a new and innovative way to reach more people, especially business professionals. Do it through dry cleaning, most specifically, the hangers that go home with each suit and dress and tend to stay in your target customer’s closet for future use.

With 3.5 billion wire hangers ending up in landfills each year, The Hanger Network has designed coat hangers made completely out of paper. The paper is thick and laminated and perfectly acceptable to toss into your recycle bin. It’s strong enough to hold your clothes without falling apart while remaining flexible at the same time. The Hanger Network is hoping that dry cleaners will begin using their EcoHanger because it is free. That saves dry cleaning businesses approximately 8 cents a hanger, meanwhile helping to lessen the burden on the environment.

The Hanger Network is able to give their hangers for free to dry cleaners because it is the advertisers who pay the Hanger Network to place a color advertisement for their product/service on each hanger. These advertisements target both men and women such as ads from Van Heusen and L’Oreal. It’s amazing to me that no one has thought of this idea before. While I would have never dreamed of a sturdy paper hanger, my dry cleaned clothes always come back with white paper wrapping the wire hanger, most times simply stating the name of the place I was just serviced at. Since hangers are reused time and again, this is the perfect opportunity to have your product seen virtually every time a person opens their closet doors. It is unobtrusive, yet subliminal, and done in a way that is functional and serves a purpose.

Presently the EcoHangers are being distributed by Cleaners Supply, the largest distributor of dry cleaning products in the U.S. Currently you can find these hangers at dry cleaners throughout New York City, but with 8 million dollars in venture capital obtained, the Hanger Network will soon be expanding into other cities across the country.

With so many social networking sites beginning to dominate the internet, it’s about time there was one that had one main focus to bring people with the same interest together to connect and network. IQONS is to fashion what MySpace is to music. Created by Rafael Jimenez and Suran Goonatilake with co-mentor Diane Pernet, they bring experience to the table that will see this new social networking site blossom.

IQONS is the global social network where designers, fashion labels, magazine editors, models, stylists, fashion PR professionals, fashion enthusiasts and the like can connect and network with each other. IQONS only launched last month, but it is already building a presence online with 820 designers with an online profile. Through their profile you can get a more in depth look into who they are and browse through their “showcase.” A showcase is where you can upload your work for the rest of the network to see.

IQONS has a few ways that members can connect and promote their work through the site. Influential and highly respected fashion industry professionals, referred to as Iqons, review and comment on work showcased by members on the site; IQONS features one Iqon each month; they also give members 15 minutes of fame by spotlighting a member profile every hour on the hour. IQONS also creates projects with influential fashion industry professionals for members to take part in. The first one is with online fashion retailer Yoox.com for a design competition.

I think this a great way to network with others in the industry and I’ve already started to create a profile, or “Portrait” as they call it, there myself. If you are already on IQONS, tell us what you think of the site.

Fashion:

+ Fashion Rag reviews the 2007 oscars and it's fashion.

+ Denimology interviews Sass & Bide’s Denim Director, Mark Wiesmayr.

+ The Runway Scoop muses, “Let’s Bring Back Fashionable Flight Attendants.”

+ The Space Between My Peers gives you closet organizing tips for those clothes and shoes with “7 Days to a Cleaner Closet.”

Beauty:

+ Almost Pretty reviews Warren Tricomi’s Pure Strength Cabana Collection Hair Shield.

+ Kiss and Makeup reviews Tigi’s Catwalk Oatmeal & Honey Shampoo and Conditioner.

+ The Scented Salamander interviews Sylvie Jessua Owner & Artistic Director Of Ambregris.

Remember when I said I was predicting a strong come back for Gap? It definitely appears that a lot is going on company-wide to make this prediction true. Gap Inc. announced today that they were closing their Forth & Towne brand, meanwhile last Friday they hired Michael Cape as head of Old Navy marketing. Gap Inc. has stated that from here on out, their focus is bringing back to life their Gap and Old Navy brands...Read more on The Fashion Rag.

Congratulations to the many stylists, designers and publicists involved.

* Best Picture - The Departed
* Best Director - Martin Scorsese - The Departed
* Best Actor - Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland
* Best Actress - Helen Mirren - The Queen
* Best Supporting Actor - Alan Arkin - Little Miss Sunshine
* Best Supporting Actress – Jennifer Hudson - Dream Girls
* Best Foreign Film - The Lives of Others

In this age of digital media, sometimes it’s more interesting (and convenient) to put that print magazine aside and watch one through video instead. Chic.Tv is a lifestyle magazine that can be viewed online, on your cell phone and on your iPod. Why carry that bulky magazine on the subway when you can access all of your lifestyle news through your iPod instead?

Chic.Tv promotes everything in you need to know on what is chic in restaurants and dining; cooking and drinking; fashion; night life and clubs; travel destinations; spas; health and well being and more. While primarily focused on New York City, Grace Simpson who is one of their Art & Lifestyle Editors, covers what is chic in Paris, France through her Vlog (I can’t imagine what is not chic in Paris).

The Chic.Tv site certainly offers a lot of information on great lifestyle events and locations throughout the metro area. Rami Rinot, CEO of Chic.Tv, is also the author of two books: The Spirits of New York and The Spirits of Cocktail. The Spirits of New York is a visual restaurant and lifestyle guide showcasing only the best in what New York has to offer those in search of sophistication and refinement. He also offers a web edition through the Chic.Tv site where locations are broken down by categories such as Special Occasions, Power Lunch, Bar Scene, etc. The Spirit of Cocktail focuses on appetizers and cocktails created by the most celebrated chefs of Manhattan's best restaurants.

If you saw the movie firewall with Harrison Ford, then you saw how the family pet saved the day with a little help from it's high tech collar. When it comes to pets, there is no shortage of luxury items available to pamper them. As more and more pet owners consider their pet a member of the family, the demand to treat them to life’s finest luxuries and protect them from harm has created quite a competitive world among pet product companies and their ambition to think of everything that a pet owner could possibly ever want or need to indulge their precious family member.

Such is the case with Global Pet Finder. There are so many dogs and cats that find themselves as escape artists every year causing their owner panic about their whereabouts. Global Pet Finder has come up with a GPS-enabled collar for pets 30 pounds+ (sorry Paris Hilton) that will alert you to your cell phone if your pet leaves your property and will give their exact location so there are no worries driving up and down each and every street calling out for Harley. My boss said he recently purchased one so he would know when the dog walker was taking the dogs out, and where the dog walker was taking them. If you live in a rural area, Global Pet Finder works just as well in wooded areas and those with few street addresses. The collar will emit your pet’s location to your cell phone in terms of distance and direction. With the Global Pet Finder you can create a size limit boundary, almost like an invisible fence, where your pet is allowed to roam, but once it leaves that boundary, you are alerted when the pet has left, where it is and when it returns.

I came across this really fascinating article today by Nellie Lide on the blog “Small Business Trends.” While her article may have been geared towards small business, I definitely see how these same trends she writes about can be applied to large businesses, as well. Consumer trends are something that doesn’t necessarily fit into one piece of the puzzle for business, but can be easily applied across the board regardless if you own a large department store like Sak’s or a fashion focused store like Scoop.

The five top shopping trends for 2007 that Lide lists are:

* Shopping as a Societal Force for a Better World

* Shopping for Temporary Ownership: The Shopper as Buyer AND Seller

As I read through each one of these trend forecasts, I couldn’t help but nod my head in agreement.

Shopping as a Societal Force for a Better World: This is one trend I have been speaking much upon lately here on our beauty, fashion and main blog. Lide mentions the RED program, a program launched by Bono to fight poverty, which you really are seeing everywhere (Gap, Apple, etc.), but there is now also an extension of this program called (Product) RED, whose purpose is to raise funds to eliminate AIDS in Africa. Businesses involved in this are Emporio Armani, Converse and Motorolla. We’re seeing businesses collaborate with charities to fight Global Warming such as Diesel and Lancome, and those going green to lessen the stress on our environment. Business cannot grow in a vacuum and many are foreseeing their growth by getting involved in projects that matter most to their consumers.

Fashion:

+ Kiss Me Stace writes a post pertaining to the alarming trend of faux fur being from domestic dogs.

+ Hip Candy snags an interview with Kathleen, America’s Next Top Model’s first elimated model.

+ What Every Woman Needs in Her Wardrobe reflects on the beauty of style that is irregular.

Beauty:

+ Now Smell This reviews Lea St. Barth a fragrance by Calypso St Barth.

+ Life of a Ladybug reviews Urban Decay’s Smoke Out eye pencil, Bobbi Brown’s Eye Brighter and blush, and Milani’s Crystal Gloss (all in one post!)

+ DeLush reviews Clinique’s All About Eyes Rich moisturizer.