Fashion PR division of Pierce Mattie Public Relations, A Fashion Public Relations. Fashion publicity, promotion marketing firm

Scoop versus Intermix is not a formal competition of sorts, but one that is a silent rivalry between the two luxury New York boutiques.

The stats:

Scoop
11 Stores in 9 cities
Mega Scoop opening with 10,000sq ft
Has high end and low end designers
Launched in 1996
Has an online store

Intermix
15 stores in 11 cities
Upgrading it’s Madison Ave store to 5,000sqft
Has high end and low end designers
Launched in 1993
Has an online store

Both have ambitious owners with a distinct taste for fashion and both stores have similar concepts. Scoop has gained the higher profile through hiring a public relations firm to take them to the next level of branding while Intermix simply relied on customer loyalty and their great insight into the fashion lifestyle.

For those in New York, which store do you prefer? Is one inherently better than the other?

The ever-popular Amazon.com has decided to branch out and take advantage of the continually growing popularity of online shopping for fashion by creating Endless.com, a shoe and accessory website. The newest venture is made to compete with the likes of Zappos, Gap's PiperLime and Nordstrom. Endless.com is still in beta, but looks eerily familiar to another shoe and accessory destination that I am familiar with: Shoebuy.com

Both sites cater to women, men and children for their footwear needs, both sell handbags, offer a 110% price match guarantee, free return shipping and 365-day returns. However, the two sites do differ. Obviously Shoebuy.com offers a very expansive collection of shoes and handbags, but they also offer apparel, bags (such as luggage) and fashion accessories such as belts, shoe trees and watches. Another perk is that they do not charge sales tax.

While Endless.com’s shoe selection may not provide as many varieties of brands and designers as Shoebuy, this can be forgiven because they offer free overnight shipping. So if you need those shoes by tomorrow, Endless.com is the place to buy them. I also love their clean layout and how the sidebar navigation makes color, size and brand selection easy. Actually, overall, I like Endless.com’s total web design layout. It doesn’t feel cluttered and is easy on the eyes.

It will be interesting to watch it grow and evolve, but also to see if it can become a true competitor in the footware market.

You know him from That 70’s Show and Yo Momma, he co-owns three restaurants (Dolce, The Lodge and Geisha House), but now Wilmer Valderrama is looking to do more. It’s reported that he will launch a men’s fashion line called Calavena this February.

Calavena is said to be a clothing line that is a mix of Latino-inspiration and Diesel. The line will consist of jeans, t-shirts and jackets. Valderrama joins the ranks of many celebrities that are launching their own clothing lines such as Tommy Lee, Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stephani. The trend seems to be progressing with celebrities launching not only their own clothing lines, but fragrances as well, with a positive money making track record to boot.

Will this trend continue to move upward and remain successful or eventually bottom out?

Things just seem to be getting better for the stars of Desperate Housewives. They have a PC game; dolls being made in their likeness and now Eva Longoria has scored a two-year contract as the first ever spokesperson for Bebe Sport. The ads will be launched on billboards and in magazines this March and are the company’s first ad campaign.

Bebe Sport is an extension of the Bebe brand and was launched in 2003. Bebe Sport’s tagline is “Where Fashion Works Out” and certainly by the appearance of it’s line of sportswear, Longoria’s look fits in perfectly. Bebe Sport’s top’s and bottom’s definitely put a sense of style into workout wear, making it entirely possible to even wear some of the outfits out running errands without looking too underdressed.

Now there are no excuses for going to the gym looking frumpy.

Marketers know that baby boomers are the largest consumer base with money to spend. So footwear retailers and manufactures are sitting up and taking notice of how Baby Boomer’s shoe buying habits are different from other generations. Baby Boomers do not see themselves as aging, and certainly don’t want to be reminded of it, so they want shoes that don’t look like they say “senior citizen,” yet want them to be as comfortable as possible for their aging feet.

They are looking past the trendy designers to find ones who meet both their needs of comfort and style. While they are still willing to open their wallets for a good shoe; they are less influenced by traditional marketing and therefore require designers and their ad campaigns to hit the drawing board to understand what style and effective marketing strategy will work in their favor.

Many more female Baby Boomers are also shopping online for their footwear needs. I spoke with She Finds back in mid-November, as they explained women’s online shoe buying habits. These same habits hold true for Baby Boomers and it’s no surprise to see that online retailers, such as internet giant Amazon, are capitalizing on this trend.

Baby Boomers, I would love your input. What do you look for in a shoe? What brand gives meets your needs?

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.

When I came across a news headline regarding Ali Spizman, a few things captured my eye. Ali is only 19 years old, but has already published two books and designed handbags for Claire’s to raise funds for Make-A-Wish Foundation, of which she is a National Teen Ambassador for.

While this is not breaking news, Spizman designed Handbag of Hope in 2005, I have to say first and foremost, how refreshing is it to see a teenager doing something positive and giving of themselves to others? Secondly, my very dear friend passed away from terminal cancer at the age of 23 in 2001. She was granted a wish through Make-A-Wish before her death and since her passing I have tried to faithfully make a donation to the charity on the anniversary of her death and birthday each year since. My friend Elke, who also had a good friend pass away from cancer at a young age, is involved in the Make-A-Wish Foundation as well, and as a Celebrity Makeup Artist is able to grant wishes.

If you have not heard of Ali Spizman or have seen her Handbag of Hope, you simply need to do so. Ali was inspired by a 12-year-old terminally ill child by the name of Hope whose wish was for all of the children in her area to be granted their wishes. A radio show interviewed Hope before her death, which resulted in the raising of $1.1 million dollars in 4 weeks for the charity. Spizman was inspired and decided to carry on Hope’s mission by creating her signature handbags. The handbags are sold at Claire’s with a minimum of 10% of the profit going to Make-A-Wish Foundation. To date, Handbag of Hope has raised $300,000.

I’ve been seeing a trend emerging lately and that is in the both the fashion and beauty industry regarding green and Vegan products. Although Vegan and green products have been around for a while, it seems to be picking up momentum, as more people are becoming health conscious and earth conscious. As we watch the glaciers melt and fall into the Ocean in the Antarctic, it’s bringing to light the issue of global warming and forcing people to take a look at how to make and use products all around that are friendlier for the earth and our environment.

In December I wrote a post on Eco-Fashion, which is clothing that takes into account the environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry. For a time there has been a handful of designers that have created their pieces to be eco-fashion friendly using hemp and other fibers to create earth friendly clothing, but as time progresses we’re seeing more designers venturing into this arena, most especially as vegetarians begin to grow in number and create a demand for more earth friendly products.

I know that personally, I’ve begun to choose more organic and mainly natural beauty products, but have yet to really try clothing made in the same way. If you have worn Vegan clothing, let me know what your thoughts are in the comments section.

Gap has hired Goldman Sach’s to explore strategic alternatives, or in Wall Street-speak, they are looking for a buyout. At first I was really surprised to hear about this, but thinking more about it has lead me to see that Gap did at one time shine and that star has slowly faded.

Back when I was in high school if you wore anything Gap, you were considered “in” and certainly from a family that had some money to burn on clothing. Gap is not necessarily high end, but they were pricier than a good amount of other clothing stores that were popular in the 80’s and early 90’s. They relaunched themselves into the spotlight when they had some really great commercials such as their Jump and Jive Khaki ad. That ad made me want to go straight to Gap and buy some khaki’s then enroll myself into a swing dance class.

Thanks to a fabulous post on Fashion Indie, I came across H.O.R.R.S., otherwise known as Habana Outpost Recycled Reject Shop (try saying that ten times fast). Although the name may be a tongue twister, the genius behind this shop will have you tongue-tied.

Lopeti Etu and Sean Meenan are the founders of this eco-friendly fashion shop which began with Meenan encouraging Etu to use the scraps from his friend’s silk screening company to create designs of his own. Etu, who studied design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, went to work and began creating one of a kind pieces mixing old with new.

Recently H.O.R.R.S. opened The Stroll, their retail shop located in Brooklyn to sell their designs. The Stroll is not only a clothing store, but also a community hang out. The Stroll has events such as Game Night, Knitting and Crocheting classes, a Book Club and Movie Night among other things (you can check out their calendar of events here). Etu and Meenan are more than retailers; they offer a sense of community, something that will bring them brand loyalty as a result.

If you are in the Brooklyn area, be sure to check them out!
The Stroll
109 S. Portland Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Just when I thought I heard it all, Godfrey Deeny at FWD reminds me that I haven’t. In an article today about Milan’s newest runway looks, he points out that leggings were the theme at the Marni Men’s show. I was hoping that the skinny jean look for men would fade out, but to have it transfer over to leggings; oh say it isn’t so.

While certainly the model pictured from Marni’s collection looks pretty good in his burgundy colored leggings, how many guys do you know with the perfect legs to wear such attire (and make it look good)? I supposed in a sense it would be like wearing jogging pants, except a little tighter and a lot more stylish. Somehow I just can’t imagine this trend will take off, but then again I am sometimes surprised at what makes it from the runway into my own closet.

What do you think of this new trend for men?

The Golden Globes had quite a few fashion trends going on, did anyone else notice? I was surprised to see so many bare necks, when flashing the jewelry has always been a staple of the Red Carpet. At least Heidi Klum didn’t let us down with her one million dollar diamond necklace, plus she looked positively radiant in her gorgeous Givenchy gown.

More trends were white gowns, black belted gowns and unfortunately multi-layer ruffle type gowns as evidenced by Rinko Kikuchi and Cameron Diaz (who almost looked like Snow White.)

While it’s split down the middle about Sienna Miller’s look on the Red Carpet, I think her gown by Marchesa was gorgeous. Despite many other’s nay’s, I also liked her hair. However, that “I just got off the treadmill” shiny look to her face was the least beautiful thing about her.

I think Drew Barrymore and Angeline Lily were the best dressed of all. They both looked stunning and had this beautiful elegant look to them. Worst had to be Rose McGowan, although she looks much better post-Marilyn Manson, and Vanessa Williams.

My biggest surprise had to be when I saw Sacha Baron Cohen with Reese Witherspoon out of Borat attire. WOW. Imagine my surprise at how absolutely gorgeous he is.

Many other Bloggers gave their input about the beauty and fashion gracing the Red Carpet, be sure to check them out:

Beauty Addict: Worst Makeup, Best in Beauty
Second City Style: Best & Worst Dressed
HiiFii Celebrity Entertainment: Best & Worst Dressed
LMNOP: Golden Globes Fashion Recap
Seamsters: Fashion Honorable Mentions

What were some of your favorites?

Blood Diamond, the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio with talk over possible 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.

One thing I have found about Indie designers and the places that carry their collections, are how down to earth and personable they are. Girlshop and its online companion sites of Guyshop and Totshop are no different. You get a great place to shop for indie fashion while being made to feel like you are part of a family. You are, in fact, part of the indie family when you take part in purchasing their special collections at places like Girlshop who only showcase and sell indie fashions.

From afar I have window shopped for a long time at Girlshop through their online store. Some of my current favorite pieces are the Secret Top by Marie Marie, LaRok Bubble Skirt and LaRok Carry Top I love the versatility that comes with browsing the collections at Girlshop. Each designer has their own flare that carries through each piece from top to bottom. Guyshop is just as trendy and fashionable, from Altru’s vintage inspired graphic tees to Kara Janx hip and modern style, Guyshop offers something for every taste.

Laura Eisman founded Girlshop eight years ago and its retail store became a reality in 2005. Since then Guyshop and Totshop have come to life online offering the best indie fashions at the best prices. Best of all, Laura and her husband Todd, have made the look and feel of their sites comfortable and fun at the same time. Their sites allow you to sign up for email alerts of the latest trends and sales, and who doesn’t want to be the first in the know?

You can visit Girlshop’s retail store at 819 Washington Street in the Meat Packing District of NYC or you can also visit all of their sites for your fashion addiction on the web 24/7, because who knows what time of day (or night) you will feel the urge to see what the latest trend is?

I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of all the knock-off handbags running amuck these days. You know there’s a problem when someone comes up to you and says, “I love your handbag, is it real?” I saved for months to be able to buy my large black Gucci hobo. I love that bag, and I worked hard to get it. Its real. You just hurt my feelings. You hurt my handbag’s feelings. Same thing goes for my friend and her Louis Vuitton obsession. She actually got in an argument over the legitimacy of her LV Damier Alma bag at a party the other night.

The source of the problem comes from two main places in Southern California. The Orange County Market Place (better known as the OC Swap Meet) and the Fashion District of LA . Both places are a fountain of phony designer items. From supposed Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses, to Louis Vuitton, Prada, Hermes, and Gucci handbags. A fake Birkin bag goes for $80.00. It even has a Hermes tag on the inside. Blasphemy!

There are many ways to tell a fake though. Louis Vuitton fakes are the easiest to spot at a glance. Louis Vuitton will NEVER cut off their logo. This means that a real LV bag will not have the logo cut by a seam of the bag. Fake Gucci bags are harder to tell… but the quality of the leather is usually the dead give away. The serial number underneath the leather tab on the inside of the bag is usually a sign too. Also, some of the cheaper fakes will have the G’s look more like C’s. Fake Pradas are easy because of the lining. The real Prada lining is very intricate, and the fakes don’t have it. Fendi has a gold metal plate on the inside of the bag. It is very hard to duplicate, and usually a decent tell-tale sign of a fake.

Counterfeiting is a real serious crime. The law punishes not only the counterfeiters, but the people that purchase those items too. This can include not only fines, but other legal actions. Counterfeiting of designer items can be associated with child labor and even money laundering. So even if you don’t mind wearing a phony bag… don’t do it. Even if just for the kids.

Stephanie Howell, LOS ANGELES, Monday at the golden globes there was a sea of black and white on several big and little screen goddesses. White is a gorgeous color, but few can pull it off as spectacularly as Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz. Some say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but I believe that “Black” is the absolute best friend and girl can have.

Black is slimming. Black is elegant. Black is comfortable. But, Black is safe. Was black too safe? Shouldn’t the ladies who govern the pages of Elle, Cosmo, People, InStyle and Vogue absolutely daring? A few ladies dared to be bold by wearing the jeweled toned jade, purple, gold, red, yellow and emerald. But, were they the odd ones?

Will the Black and White trend continue through the entire awards season? Is Hollywood going back to the olden days of B.T. (Before Technicolor), when they had had no choice but to be in black and white, or will the Black and White trend melt as quickly as the snow in Malibu? Will Black and White make a grand appearance next year, or will their love child gray make its debut?

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?

Ladies, what makes a brand a must-have for you? Is it the style? Versatility? Fresh take on fashion? Unique pieces? A designer that understands what you want? One that knows the lines of a woman’s shape? When I came upon Hale Bob, I felt like I had found my perfect fashion match.

Hale Bob, a collection of fabulous pieces of fashion, is the brainchild of Daniel Bohbot. If that last name doesn’t sound familiar, it should. Daniel’s brother, and co-founder of Hale Bob, is Marc Bohbot. Marc is also co-owner of Bisou Bisou, which he and his wife Michele run together. It appears that knowing and understanding what makes great fashion runs in the family.

Hale Bob fashion is one that is stylish and versatile; with many pieces being able to be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion. When I look at how well put together the designs are, I feel like I am looking at art. My favorite has to be the Silk and Velvet Burnout Baby Doll dress. Gorgeous design with a flair of elegance. Hale Bob sells mainly tops, jackets, dresses, cami’s and tracksuits. I love how they shout comfort and their shape can spice up different body types.

When Cynthia couldn’t find anything less than white cotton, she took matters into her own hands. She went to a manufacturer with designs in mind, although she had absolutely no training in design, and had them create what has now become one of the first lingerie lines for nursing mothers. Who says that we need to wear matronly undergarments merely because we gave birth? You can see my rant about this back in our November archives.

Condessa Inc., which is based in Los Angeles, launched its first lingerie nursing line Condessa Cassandra to international acclaim. The line has no underwire, 18% spandex, lace cups, pearl snaps and satin shoulder straps for support. The Condessa Veronica line boasts beautiful colors, underwire support and drop down cups. The bras are made of Milliskin, allowing stretch while maintaining true cup size and support. The newest collection, Condessa Veronica, was shown this week at the Mom 2 Be show in Los Angeles and will launch here on the East Coast at Lingerie America February 7-9th. Each collection also has matching panties that come in a variety of styles.

I cannot help but want to send a personal letter to Cynthia expressing my sincere thanks in taking an interest in the part of fashion that most of the industry pushes aside. Many don’t think there should be anything sexy about motherhood, but beyond being a mother (and nursing mother at that) we are still women who crave to wear something sexy, yet comfortable and functional. More designers should follow her lead and they will soon find that they will be coming upon an untapped market desperately waiting for them.

It seems that each Country (except our own) seems to be trying to outdo each other in how they can energize the fashion world into promoting beauty as a form of being healthy. Spain was the first to mandate that fashion models have at least a BMI of 18.5, then followed Milan and Brazil’s ban on underweight and underage models from walking the runway and required them to present a certificate of good health from a doctor and now Spain is taking the lead once again by standardizing sizes in women’s clothing.

Spain’s government has signed an agreement with top fashion designers to reflect the actual sizes of women in their society. They do this in an effort to promote a healthier image in the hope to reinforce the idea that good health is beautiful. The program also mandates that clothing, no smaller than a size 38 (8 in the US, be shown in fashion store windows. Although a WWD’s article stated store mannequins would be “plumper” due to this regulation, I hardly think of a size 8 as being plump at all.

I have to admit that I love watching each Country basically challenge each other in who can be the most innovative when it comes to promoting good health through the fashion world. Obviously I don’t think this is the only industry that deserves regulation to promote health and educate women about eating disorders, however fashion is a major part of our lives and many times, seems to make the most impact.

What do you think? Will the trend of regulations continue in the fashion industry among each Country?

I grew up in the 80’s and I can say we had some good fashion and we had some really bad fashion. The styles that I loved most seem to be coming back slowly but surely. Belt’s for one, are everywhere again. Whether they were small or large and worn over your clothing; belts have become “the” accessory to have. Scarlett Johansson designed Reebok’s newest fitness line with 80’s flair and now the masterful Stefano Pilati, has infused it into his men’s fashion runway show in Paris this past weekend.

Can you say peg leg trousers, over-sized jackets and roll-ups in pants? I am honestly excited to see trends from my youth make a comeback. We definitely need some fun back in our wardrobes, but this time with a little more fashion sense than before. Yves Saint Laurent’s picture slideshow of the men’s Fall/Winter 2007/08 collection makes me feel confident we are on the right track to re-emerging our youthfulness, but without the over-sprayed hair and fluorescent colors.

When you work for a designer with such creativity as Betsey Johnson, how can you not be inspired to venture out on your own and show the world your own talents? That is just what Jordi Scott is doing. Scott is a former designer for Johnson and decided to launch her own clothing line, which will debut on February 5th at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NYC.

The clothing line is inspired by modern art and punk rock and Scott says that the collection will be unlike anything else out on the market. You get a sense of that rock and roll feel from the minute you land on the homepage of her website with the Rolling Stones-like logo on the center of the page. The motto for Jordi Scott’s line is, “Trends come and go, but your spirit will always remain.” It will be interesting to see the styles and colors of her line, as her picture on her website reminds me very much of that punk rock look inspired by The Sex Pistols and The Clash back in the early 80’s.

You can keep up to date on Jordi Scott through her MySpace page and website. Her fashion show takes place on February 5th at Arena, located at 135 West 41st Street, at 9pm.