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

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.

February 2nd:

The Tent: The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection 11:00am, BCBG Max Azria 3:00pm
The Salon: John Bartlett 10:00am, Marc Bouwer 5:00pm
The Promenade: Perry Ellis 1:00pm, Nicole Miller 7:00pm, Akiko Ogawa 6:00pm
W Hotel 594 Lexington Ave.: Yeolee
Roseland Ballroom: Baby Phat 8:00pm
Altman Building: Grey Ant 9:00pm

February 3rd:

The Tent: Lacoste 11:00am, Alexandre Herchcovitch 3:00pm
The Salon: Chris Han 10:00am, Alice Roi 1:00pm, Abaete 6:00pm, Venexiana 9:00pm
The Promenade: Maticevski 12:00pm, Atil Kutoglu 2:00pm, Sass & Bide 7:00pm
Showroom: Buckler 4:00pm, Cabbeen 8:00pm
Altman Building 135 W 18th St: Gustavo Arrango 5:00pm
Bumble & Bumble: Karen Walker 1:00pm
NYC Bar Association: James Coviello 2:00pm
Prince George Ballroom: ThreeAsFour 5:00pm

February 4th:

The Tent: Diane von Furstenberg 4:00pm, Naeem Khan 6:00pm, Matthew Williamson 8:00pm
The Salon: Lela Rose 10:00am, Twinkle by Wenlan 1:00pm, Terexov 9:00pm
The Promenade: Tadashi 11:00am, Tracy Reese 2:00pm, Tuleh 7:00pm
Showroom: Erin Fetherston 3:00pm
711 Greenwich Street: DKNY 12:00pm
Cunard Building 25 Broadway: Z Zegna 5:00pm
Exit Art: United Bamboo 3:00pm
Sony Music Studios: Luella Bartley 5:00pm
Waterfront Building: 3.1 Phillip Lim 6:00pm

Global warming has been on the minds of all of us for some time, it’s an issue we can’t get away from, although some still continue to debate it. Diesel, the hot Italian fashion brand, has decided to bring the global warming message to the forefront through their new ad campaign, “Global Warming Ready.”

The images are thought provoking, whether it be water half way up the skyscrapers in NYC or the beach vacation on Mount Rushmore, this ad campaign is sure to start a buzz. While Diesel says that the ad campaign is subtle, I think it’s very much in your face…and not in a bad way at all. The Diesel website hosts a global warming video that explains global warming and how it will affect our planet. At the end of the video a slideshow begins to play of the ad campaign, although it is somewhat slow, it is definitely worth it and gives you time to really look at each picture. They also offer you tips on 10 things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint, provide a direct link to StopGlobalWarming.org and encourage Diesel fans to watch Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth.” The ads get you thinking, almost to the point that you forget about the great Diesel fashion in the ads.

This campaign comes at a time when many beauty and fashion companies are either going green or collaborating with green charities and organizations to promote awareness of what we are doing to our planet, such as Lancome collaborating with Carbonfund.org.

What do you think of Diesel’s ad campaign? Is it exploitive or do you think it will get more people talking (and doing something) about global warming?

Runway Fashion Videos: By Coutorture

Diane Von Furstenberg Fall/Winter 2007/2008 Runway Video Montage


Matthew Williamson Fall/Winter 2007/2008 Fashion Week Video Montage


Naeem Khan Fall/Winter 2007/2008 Runway Video Montage

Tuleh Fall/Winter 2007/2008 Fashion Runway Montage Video

Erin Featherston Fall/Winter 2007/2008 Runway Montage Video


Alexander Wang Fall/Winter 2007/2008 Runway Video and Designer Interview


James Coviello Fall/Winter 2007/2008 Runway and Designer Interview


Backstage and Makeup at James Coviello Fall 2007

Lacoste Fall/Winter 2007/ 2008 Runway Video

It's -20 below zero and I am looking forward to warmer weather and the fashion that goes with it. To help you forget all about this deep freeze, here is a look at Diane von Furstenberg's Spring 2007 Collection that is available at Neiman Marcus.

H&M, who began their relationship with organic cotton in 2003, is ready to promote their new organic clothing collection next month. In the past, H&M’s organic cotton had focused mainly on their baby and children’s clothing line, but now it is being expanded into their women’s, maternity, denim and girl’s lines. Some say this is just a sign of the times.

Fashion and beauty brands continue to go beyond their product image and branch out into aspects that are eco-friendly. As I noted with Lancome and Diesel, H&M becoming more earth-conscious will be just one of the many brands that come forward this year with a greener focus. Whether they’re doing it to exploit a fearful future we all face with Global Warming or because they are truly committed to evolving their brand with a more earth friendly approach, being gentler on the environment benefits us all.

H&M won’t make their organic cotton lines a price point issue for consumers. While the H&M organics will have a special hang tag to clearly identify the clothing from regular H&M lines, the prices will not be much different, which will hopefully encourage more purchases from these lines.

Which brand do you think is next in the environmentally friendly trend? Stay tuned here for more fashion updates!

Kevin Aviance, known for his talents as an entertainer, is also a shoe designer. He currently has a Winter Collection that includes stiletto boots, glamorous pumps and evening sandals. His Spring Collection is one with that is flirty, fun and not without losing the essence of “Kevin.”

The Kevin Aviance Spring Collection, which debuts next month and is available online and at select stores nationwide, has a sense of female-inspired spirit. "Alive" are bright strappy heels meant for a glamorous night out. Kevin describes the woman who would wear Alive as: A confident woman who is able to act and live as she chooses, without being subject to restrictions. Adj: Not forced to rely on another for support. “Christina” is a wedged heel platform shoe meant to “punish the red carpet” and has the look that says it should be your choice of footwear when heading out to the dance club. Kevin describes this part of the collection as “Artistic, Inc. to the max. Adj: The showing of initiative and a willingness to undertake new, often risky projects.” It’s amazing how you can actually feel these words when looking at the new Spring line.

As if promoting his fabulous shoes were not enough, Kevin is also launching his Anti-Violence Tour that kicks off this month in NYC. The tour is as a result of a hate crime that he suffered last June at the hands of four men when they beat him and broke his jawbone, robbed him and accosted him with anti-gay slurs. Unfortunately, passersby did nothing to help Aviance during the attack. The newest shoe collection, musical sound and tour are Aviance’s way to show that he has come out on top and is a beacon of hope to others.

If his shoes are not an inspiration—he sure is!

Everyone knows who Levi Strauss is and their trademark arches that are patented, no less. We also know that the love of denim has increased and birthed many new denim companies because of it. So would you be surprised to know that Levi’s never really took notice of this denim craze until it hit them in their (back stitched arched) pockets with a 40% decrease in sales since 1996? Once they realized they missed the boat and were no longer the King of denim, they took a long hard look at the competitors passing them by. The common thread of success? Levi’s believes it to be their trademark logo making it onto behinds of non-Levi’s wearing consumers across the globe.

Since 2001 Levi’s has sued more than 100 companies, making their lawsuits over trademark the most of any other clothing company in the United States. Surely trademark has specifications as to how not to replicate their logo, yet even companies who made their own unique design and deliberately placed it on an opposing pocket were sued by Levi’s. So was the case with Rock and Republic, who was sued in 2005 and settled out of court despite Rock and Republic’s chief executive Michael Ball never conceding that their brand did anything wrong. Rock and Republic also happens to be one of the country’s most fastest growing denim companies. Could the frivolous lawsuit be to take a competitor down or did Levi’s truly believe there was basis for their lawsuit?

After looking at some of the “arches” stitched onto competitor’s pockets that Levi Strauss sued, there seems to be a fine line between their trademark logo, as some do look very similar, and that of a denim company being a sore loser.

What do you think?

Stella McCartney well known for her fabulous collections, amazing collaborations and four year partnership with Adidas, will be launching yet another sportswear collection to the Adidas line. McCartney already has designed clothing under her name for Adidas for sportswear in the categories of Swimming, Gym, Running, Tennis, and now Gym Yoga.

As Yoga becomes more popular among mainstream fitness junkies, it’s only natural to add such a line, especially as her Adidas sportswear collections continue to increase in popularity. McCartney’s mission statement for her sportswear collections is: “This collection is for women who take their sport and their style seriously. Why should we have to compromise one for the other?” McCartney brings forward a sentiment that women have been feeling for a while and one that is beginning to materialize interest in designing more fashionable yet practical fitness clothing such as the case with Bebe Sport and also Reebok’s collaboration with Scarlett Johansson.

McCartney’s Gym Yoga Collection, as with all of her fashion house and Adidas collections, offer an innovative style with femininity. Her Spring/Summer Gym Yoga Collection premiers at stores later this month.

If you love Juicy Couture’s lifestyle brand of clothing and you happen to have the pitter patter of little feet ages 0-24 months crawling around your home, then you will be happy to know that Juicy Baby will be launching this Spring according to WWD. Juicy Couture, a Southern California brand, signed a deal with Tawil Associates to make, distribute and market Juicy Couture boys and girls apparel for newborns and infants, as well as layette clothes.

Juicy Couture is known for their pastel velour and terrycloth tracksuits and casual wear, as well as their expansion into handbags, shoes, jewelry, watches, fragrance, sunglasses and soon enough cosmetics and home products however, I wonder what they would call their cosmetics line as there is already a cosmetics company in Canada called Juicy Cosmetics.

Juicy Couture continues to increase in popularity not only here in the states, but globally as well. In April of 2006, they opened their first flagship location in Tokyo with plans to open many more stores throughout Japan. Juicy Baby is an expansion of their current lines that include men, kids, their regular Juicy line and Couture Couture.

You can find Juicy Baby at select Juicy store locations and at many of Juicy Couture’s wholesale accounts such as Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom’s.

Luxury brand Jimmy Choo, who was recently sold to TowerBrook Capital, is looking to move beyond their infamous footwear and leather good lines and expand into eyewear and fragrance. With new ownership, Tamara Mellon alongside her Creative Director Sandra Choi hope to make Jimmy Choo one of the most treasured luxury brands in the world.

According to WWD, Jimmy Choo will launch an eyewear collection by the end of the year and launch it’s first fragrance in 2008. Another brand expansion in the works is a runway collection of shoes that will start with the fall season. Jimmy Choo, a popular brand among fashionistas, it is also one sought after by many major celebrities.

The history of Jimmy Choo is quite interesting and it’s two acquisitions valued in the millions over the last two years show the investment and growth of the brand under Tamara Mellon’s direction. Now that TowerBrook Capital has acquired the brand with 80% share holding and Mellon still involved at 20%, I think Jimmy Choo’s cult following will only gain momentum as Mellon continues to take the brand in an uphill direction.

Maryam, New York City- Today I am in New York working with a client and the media. With New York Fashion Week out of the way what else is a Fashion Public Relations Girl to do but pass along some trend info on what to look for this Spring. All these items are available at Neiman Marcus and other online shopping sites.

Looking for the top 10 next big thing for Spring? Here's a quick guide and some of the Designers who gives us the best this season:

Dresses: Nanette Lepore Print Shift Dress, Stella McCartney Ruffled Trapeze Dress, Cynthia Steffe Tunic Dress

Delicate Blouses: 3.1 Philip Lim Handkerchief Blouse, Jill Stuart Elizabeth Silk Blouse, Jovovich-Hawk Floral Print Blouse

Cropped Jackets: MARC by Marc Jacobs Cropped Jacket, Juicy Couture Cropped Pea Jacket, Valentino Red Lace Cropped Jacket

Flat Shoes: Chloe Candbury Canvas Flats, Marc Jacobs Stampede Leather Mouse Shoes, Jimmy Choo Jola Leather Flats

Something Silver: Gucci Silver Guccissima Leather Belt, Burberry Silver Patent Platform, Yves Saint Laurent Metallic Tote

Wide Belts: Michael Kors Waist Belt, Nicole Miller Ruched Ruffle Waist Belt, Avignon Soft Leather Belt

Patent Leather: Manolo Blahnik Strappy Patent Sandal, Miu Miu Patent Leather Flats, Calvin Klein Patent Leather Belt

Eyelet: Tracy Reese Eyelet Top, Nanette Lepore Ahoy There Eyelet Dress, BCBG Max Azria Eyelet Kimono Top

Above the knee hemlines: Lela Rose Belted Silk Halter Dress, Temperley London Folk Embroidered Dress , Miu Miu Oversized Above the Knee T-shirt Dress

Statement Rings: Roberto Cavalli Stone and Serpent Ring , Stephen Dweck Oval Carnelian Ring, Barse Oversized Turquoise Ring

Pinko, the young Italian trend-wear fashion brand for women, has announced Mariah Carey as the spokesmodel for their brand. Pinko was established in the late 80’s as a spin-off from CISCONF and has increased in popularity in the last 4 years. Mariah Carey says to have found the fashion brand while working in Italy and fell in love with their clothing. When she was approached by Pinko to be their spokesmodel, she gladly accepted.

Mariah Carey is almost unrecognizable on their website. I’m so used to seeing her in less than flattering clothing and pastel colored makeup that I was taken aback by how stunning and gorgeous she looks. When on the site descriptive words to illustrate the brand flash before your eyes: Glamour, Lifestyle, Irony, Sensuality and Seduction. All of these words can easily be related to Carey, as well.

Pinko has 410 retail stores in Italy, including 60 single brand shops, 100 corner stores, 250 multi-brand stores and 210 overseas sales points. While you can shop Pinko online, unfortunately the US in not included among the Countries that one can shop from. So for now, we can stand in awe of their very cool, very chic collection.

The designer brand superstore, Scoop, has opened a 10,000sqft megastore on Broadway that consists of a variety of categories to dress the family from head to toe. The store opened today while converting their previous space on Broadway into an outlet store called Scoop it Up.

The new home of Scoop is so large, that owner Stephani Greenfield will be adding categories to their current line up such as Scoop Home and expanding upon their beauty business, which will include skin care, candles and men’s fragrances. Scoop’s fashion brands include high end and low-end top designers such as Marc Jacobs, Lela Rose and Diane von Furstenberg. Price points meet all variations for these luxury lifestyle brands.

Scoop has a silent rivalry with Intermix, another lifestyle fashion store who is said to be upgrading their store to 5,000sqft. Now that Scoop is expanding into more than just clothing, such as handbags, shoes, jewelry and the expansions mentioned above, it will be interesting to see how Intermix will utilize and maximize their new space to compete with this megastore, which now appears to be a mega-competitor.

If you live in New York, Miami, L.A. or Chicago, then you've probably noticed more and more British accents as you go about your daily routine. With the British pound at the astronomical exchange rate of almost 2 to 1 to the US Dollar we've been holding a half off sale every day of the year!

The deals and steals going on in fashion are so tempting that British families are not only taking more vacation in the U.S, they are coming on long weekend shopping trips! Even if you factor in Airfare and Hotels, they are still finding bargains left and right. Remember, this is not like getting a discount at one store or in one category - its EVERYTHING. Restaurants - half price. Hotels - half price. Taxis - half price. I was in the Miami area a few weeks ago to pay a visit to what I think as one of the most luxurious shopping malls in the country. The Bal Harbour shops are an oasis in the middle of causeways, freeways, and no-ways that are so often part of the Florida experience. Once inside you are not in Florida anymore, you are in the state of Luxury!

Every major fashion designer in the world has shop there. The favorite lunchtime spot of the Madison avenue soial set - La Galoue even has an outpost there. There are palm trees surrounding Koi ponds that hold dozens are the most colorful koi you will ever see. On sunny days, you even find turtles sunning themselves on the rocks - all this while you contemplate that perfect shoe from Jimmy Choo or that dress in Magenta from Oscar de la Renta! It was on one of these perfect days that I strolled into one of boutiques that was having a Spring trunk show. The company is French and dominates the trunk show experience. I was in awe at the amount merchandise for sale, the amount of samples to pre-reserve, and just at the amount of people in the store - all excited to be previewing the new collection, all except one. I overheard a very pleasant sales associate being lectured by an unhappy British woman AKA Ms. London. She was telling the associate how she "never" saw anything like this in London. In London she informed the associate, the boutiques are always kept in impeccable order! The associate said she was sorry to hear that the customer was unhappy with the boutique and she explained that it was busier than usual due to the trunk show. Ms. London was not impressed and said she had been a model (must have been in the 50's!) and that things were NEVER This way. She pursed her lips for a bit and looked around and left. So Ms. London "Debbie downer" soured a moment of my perfect day.

I have spent alot of time in London myself and you know Ms. London was right. Boutiques on New Bond or Bruton Street or Brompton road are beautiful and they are luxurious - but they are not crowded! You see British women shop differently than Americans. British women are frugal. They typically go and browse for something once, twice, even three times before purchasing. The other major difference in London is that like it or not, there is still a definite class system in place. People who work in shops are treated as a lower class than the people shopping in such shops. There is distinct attitude towards sales associates and anyone that works in the service industry. The home of Big Ben can also be the place to find Big attitude by the ladies who shop for a living. The best example of the old school class mentality is found right in Harrods - the most famous department store in the U.K. - if not the world is owned by a non British citizen. Mohamed Al Fayed has been fighting to get citizenship for over a decade. Just log on to his website Alfayed.com to find out how he feels about the British establishment!

The Hot Hotness Of The Magazine Show February

The uber fabulous Kenneth Cole has signed a deal with Lanier Clothes to launch a men’s tailored clothing line in the US. While Kenneth Cole is famous for their handbags, accessories and most importantly (at least to me) footwear, Lanier Clothes is known for their innovative yet old-world style tailoring.

Lanier Clothes is also owned by parent company Oxford Industries who happens to be one of the largest apparel manufacturers in the world. Haven’t heard of Oxford Industries? You are most likely to have heard of the brands and private labels they craft: Nautica, Dockers, Geoffrey Beene, Oscar de la Renta among others. I happen to love Geoffrey Beene and found them to have the only jeans that understand my hips post-baby. They are the only brand of jeans I have worn since 1999, although their website shows no indication of women’s clothing, they do indeed have a women’s section in store. I can attest to the quality of Oxford Industries Geoffrey Beene brand. I still have those same pair of jeans, now 8 years old that have only slightly faded, but otherwise look brand new.

The deal between the two brands appears to be a match made in fashion heaven. What Kenneth Cole does for shoes, Lanier can deliver upon and extend into clothing. This is a great way for Kenneth Cole to expand upon their brand and keep up with the expectations and quality standards we all have come to know and love.

The new clothing line, which will consist of suits, suit separates, sport coats, trousers and rainwear, will be distributed under Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction and Unlisted, a Kenneth Cole Productions label in the fall of this year. You’ll be able to find it nationwide within tailored clothing departments at major retail department stores and select specialty stores.

Everyone has an opinion, you can count on that, and opinions on the designers and their fashion shows at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is no different. Here are videos from various designers from Fashion Week in NYC with reviews from fashion editors and fashion bloggers alike. Be sure to check out Chic.TV coverage of fashion week on You Tube, for all the videos check out Chic.tv website, it's some of the better quality fashion footage I've seen this year.

Oscar de la Renta Watch Video

WWD: De la Renta’s collection was, in a word, dazzling, and not only in its well-controlled embroideries. It shone as well in its security; its grounded, cross-generational appeal and its fabulous expression of sporty luxe.
Fashion Week Daily: Oscar de la Renta's latest collection was designed with dames in mind. It’s all the contradictions real women have been clamoring for since the babydoll dress came back into fashion. We say: vive de la Renta!
Godfrey Deeny, Fashion Wire Daily: Oscar de la Renta is twice the age of most of the 200 odd designers who will stage shows in New York this season, yet when it comes to the attitude of his classy fashion, it's probably fresher than any of them and more in step with the real world.
Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, WSJ Heard on the Runway: Designers may be collectively heralding a return to more polished dressing and tailored looks, but that’s probably not news to Oscar de la Renta, who has never veered far from his core mission of creating luxurious suits, ballgowns and accessories for the rich and famous.

Diane von Furstenberg Watch Video

WWD: Typically savvy fusion of the sensual and the sensible, but with a notable upgrade to the sophistication level, starting with the palette.
Fashion Week Daily: Though DVF's collection was decidedly dress-centric, that didn't equal a lack of variety. Even the black frocks, of which there were many, had an eye-pleasing uniqueness, and each one she sent one down the runway felt as fresh as the first time.
Nicole Phelps, Style.com: Her collection was singular in its focus on dresses. Many of the dresses came with matching coats, a nod toward the designer's sense of practicality, an asset that should serve her industry well in the coming months.
Godfrey Deeny, Fashion Wire Daily: Von Furstenberg’s fall 2007 collection was a swaggering tour through Iberian culture that inspired prolonged applause in Bryant Park. Though not exactly demure, it was ladylike, poised and entirely fitting for a stroll across St Peter's Square.
Rachel Michaela, Style Bites: The fall collection opened disappointingly with black on black. Sad, since DVF does color so well. At the worst moments (there was the linebacker-like jacket, then the metallic pewter monstrosity of a top and skirt, and at least one graphic dress nightmare) the models looked positively fat.


Doo. Ri Watch Video

WWD: The collection she presented on Tuesday wasn’t groundbreaking, but it showed hints of a step forward. The second half of the show, comprising variations on the jersey dress, often embellished with architectural crystal harnesses, felt a bit one-note and even lackluster.
Fashion Week Daily: Doo-Ri made a tentative foray into color, mixing a mellow, muted turquoise with burgundy and even a pop of lemon yellow. The collection seemed to find her in a transitional phase, gone were the cinched waists of seasons past, replaced by elongated torsos ending just above the hip.
Nicole Phelps, Style.com: The crystal cages and harnesses worn over her signature jersey dresses got a little complicated, and it would've been nice to see her work in colors other than bordeaux, emerald, and navy.
Suzy Menkes, International Herald Tribune: Doo-Ri Chung had a soft and graceful take on silk, draping it into a top over a bib of sequins and scooping up the sides of a jersey dress. The palette of wine, blue and peacock green made for a repetitive show, but its effect was youthful with a touch of romance.
Lauren Dimet, Second City Style: The bubble-hemmed jersey dresses and frocks began looking very repetitious, but the bordeaux and emerald printed Georgette dress with Swarovski crystal blew me away. She will do very well with this line. She is a crowd pleaser and so darn adorable and talented, you can't resist.

Carolina Herrera Watch Video

Fashion Week Daily: The designer seemed to be juggling a widening scope of references: a square, three quarter sleeve fur tunic worn over a straight plaid skirt paired with substantially spangled stockings for an almost grunge-like layered effect, adapted for the Park Avenue set; when the skirt's pattern showed up again in a bustier dress, the effect was nearer to Anglomania.
Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan WSJ Heard on the Runway: A polished collection featuring dresses made with perforated felt, coats with dramatic funnel-necked collars and tailored, slouchy jackets with wide lapels. Color-wise, she said her subdued palette of blue, “grape,” ash and bark was influenced by Edvard Munch’s somber portrait of Norwegian philosopher Hans Jaeger.
Nicole Phelps, Style.com: With dark menswear plaids and jacquards juxtaposed against the artistic detailing that has lately become a Herrera signature, the effect was altogether different from her confectionary-sweet spring outing.
Godfrey Deeny, Fashion Wire Daily: Herrera’s collection for fall 2007 oozed haute sophistication, from the remarkable jacquard coats to the stockings finished with jade.
Girlawhirl: Favorite new look are the pants, high waisted, slim through the hip and thigh and full through the rest of the leg to the ground where they flipped and flickered as the models walked.

Erin Fetherston Watch Video

WWD: Erin Fetherston showed froufrou dresses in fabrics that appeared a bit cheap, but her PYT friends are likely to find at least one star in the collection.
Fashion Week Daily: Erin Fetherston sent a sweet and lowdown little collection down her silver, star-spangled runway. For demurely divine, goddess-like evening gowns that closed the show, we'll be dreaming 'til they hit stores for sure.
Lindsay Sammon, Fashion Wire Daily: A memorable addition to this season’s collection was Fetherston’s use of the cape, shown with constellation and butterfly prints, and affixed to the back of dresses in a way that gave the garments lift and endless fluidity.
Meenal Mistry, Style.com: The collection occasionally ventured toward the less-sophisticated side of girlish with a couple of Lurex pieces, it was a solid effort that will keep the growing Fetherston fan base more than happy.
FabSugar: Erin Fetherston's designs are what little big girls dream about. Super feminine and girly, while remaining modern, here is a collection that wisks you away to a beautiful boudoir floating in space.

If there is anything that the whole zero model debate has done for the fashion industry, it is to slap them in the face with reality. The majority of the female population, at least in the US, is a size 12-14. So would it hurt anyone to start using models that most of us can relate to? One store in Britain has decided to start listening to its customers…make that size 12 customers.

John Lewis, one of the UK’s leading department stores, has hired a 5’8” size 12 model, Lauren Moller (pictured above), to promote their new 2007 swimwear collection in their advertisements. After an in-store polling of their customers, they found that 80% of women size 12+ purchases their swimwear. Since their customers can’t relate to a waif model, they decided to forgo the norm and use a model that was representative of their customer base. Quite honestly, I think this move alone may help them sell more swimwear. Their customers will begin to feel a connectedness with the store once they can relate to the woman wearing the swimwear they came to buy. If it is representative of them, they will be more likely to make a purchase versus a model several sizes smaller wearing a swimsuit that the customer may feel is an unattainable fit for themself.

With yet another model dying from “complications of malnutrition,” which is just a fancy way of beating around the bush to avoid saying she was anorexic, I can’t see how we can continue to ignore the fact that the majority of women are not size zero, yet models in the fashion industry starve themselves to keep up an image that is not at all representative of most of us. Certainly I am not promoting representing an unhealthy lifestyle, but since size and weight are subjective in a sense without knowing a person’s height and bone structure, I guess I am just baffled why size (larger than zero) is made into such an issue in fashion. I hope many retailers follow John Lewis’s lead and I bet they will be laughing all the way to the bank.

The Academy Awards is sometimes considered one of the biggest nights of fashion for the year. It’s a time when a dress can make or break a star’s image and when a sometimes virtually unheard of designer can be launched into the stratosphere. There are Oscar nominees that we know will wow us with their sense of style and who we wait with baited breath to see walk down the Red Carpet, and then there are the ones we know will just crash and burn. Occasionally, there is the celebrity whose notorious history of poor fashion sense surprises us with a winner and then there is that one dress that, guaranteed, will have us talking for years to come.

One such dress that seems to pop up every time you mention the Oscar’s is the black-and-white vintage Valentino dress that Julia Robert’s wore in 2001. When I think of the Academy Awards, this dress always comes to mind. Back in the late 80’s, Cher’s sheer Bob Mackie dress was hailed as gaudy and outrageous, but now it’s being looked upon as fashion forward. Celebrity news shows and websites have already begun to buzz, pondering which designer will get the most mentions on the Red Carpet and who they feel will be the best dressed celebrity.

As we are heading into the warmer months, the biggest complaint about wearing shoes is how uncomfortable they can be to wear when the temperature rises. Now a Chinese company called Guangzhou Tianfu Electronic Company has created several fashionable men's shoes that are meant to look great and feel great at the same time through temperature regulation.

Guangzhou Tianfu Electronic Co. is a professional high-tech enterprise, specializing in developing, manufacturing and marketing electrothermal series products. Their electronic shoe line known as CEO shoes has complementary-symmetry metal-oxide-semiconductor or CMOS chips, which controls temperature at a comfortable level. According to an article on Fibre2Fashion it, "Emits biological energy according to body temperature that helps in normal biological functions, improves endocrine balance, increases metabolism, stimulates cell activity."

While celebrities are honoring their own at the Academy Awards on Sunday, there seems to be a controversial issue brewing and one that appears to be a contradiction when they honor Blood Diamond. As with at the Golden Globes, A-list celebrities walking the red carpet are given gorgeous diamonds to flaunt through the Raise Your Right Hand campaign. Raise Your Right Hand began when the diamond miners in southern Africa felt the pressure from the issues Blood Diamond brought to light. Fearing that the movie will jeopardize their industry, they decided to use some star power to promote their trade. We all know that diamonds play a major role in the fashion of the Oscar’s, but during a time when a movie such as Blood Diamond is the talk of the movie industry, I would think diamonds would be played down being substituted by other gems or even smaller sized diamonds that won’t steal the show, but simply compliment the dress.

Sometimes it does take a rocket scientist…at least it did in the invention of Insolia, shoe inserts that were invented to distribute weight evenly when wearing high heels. With the help of a MIT-trained Rocket Scientist, Dr. Howard Dananberg a podiatrist, invented Insolia to help those of us who love our heels but hate the pain.

Insolia insoles are plastic inserts that are barely noticeable to your feet, until you realize that you are no longer wincing in pain while running around the city in your 3-inch heels. They work by preventing your foot from sliding down to the front of your shoe, which puts all of your weight on the balls of your feet. Insolia’s inserts create a 50/50 weight distribution between the balls of your feet and your heel. The result enables better ankle stability and gives you the feeling of wearing flats. Even DKNY and Ipanema are in love with the idea and have begun creating their shoes with Insolia built into their design.

This is definitely a product I could’ve used while in the city last July wearing my 3-inch espadrilles walking through Manhattan and up and down those subway stairs. By the end of the day I was in so much pain that I was ready to walk barefoot through the city. As I am only days away from being back in Manhattan again, I purchased 1-inch heels as to not make the same mistake of unbelievable pain to my feet. Certainly a product such as Insolia is one that sounds perfect no matter where you live and can open the doors to many who so desperately want to wear those fabulous heels in style and not in pain.

As always there is a best and worst dressed when it comes to the red carpet. Some gowns amazed me, while others I was amazed even came off the hanger in the closet. These are my picks for best and worst dressed with a few undecided’s thrown in for good measure.

Best:

Helen Mirren: Wow, she took my breath away. If she is not the signature for aging gracefully, I’m not sure who is. I absolutely adored her beaded gown by Christian Lacroix. It was elegant and tasteful and just made her look amazing.

Beyonce: Her Armani Prive' gown was exquisite. She certainly didn’t need to wear jewelry around her neck with her jeweled strap. The mint green color was amazing, as well.

Reese Witherspoon: Her Nina Ricci gown made her figure look amazing. It was the right fit, the perfect color and I loved the layering.

Worst:

Nicole Kidman: Nicole always looks gorgeous and while I thought her red gown by Balenciaga did look beautiful, I couldn’t help thinking the big red bow with long sash made her look like a present, like she was on a leash or even the back to one of those wind up dolls.

Cameron Diaz: It may not be the gown itself by Valentino, but the color. I just don’t think white is a color that brings out Diaz’s beauty. It also definitely did not highlight her figure. Also, the fact that she kept standing pigeon-toed on stage and on the Red Carpet took away from the look as well.

Sally Kirkland: Oh my. I was cringing and hoping she wouldn’t make a false move revealing what was underneath her sheer dress. Maybe she could’ve used her parachute to cover herself up better.

Undecided:

Jennifer Hudson: While her Oscar de la Renta gown was gorgeous, the silver bolero jacket should’ve been left on the hanger. I think the jacket completely takes away from the richness of the gown.

Penelope Cruz: The strapless Versace was gorgeous on top and was such a lovely color, although the bottom of her dress makes me think of Goose Down.

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