Carve Your Feet With Knives

Hong Kong's Mandarin Oriental has upped the ante on pristine pinky toes. The Barber Shop has resurrected the 1920's Shanghai Pedicure, which uses sharp, straight edge razors to cure feet of calluses, cuticles, and rough nails in 90 minutes (at nearly $1 per minute!). One client was quoted "The knives look scary but you feel absolutely nothing, its like handing your feet to a sushi chef". Sounds like these little piggies are all going to heaven.

Paris Rogue Scent

Now this doesn't sound excessive at all: Perfume hailed from various sized colored diamonds and one big crystal (that have been "zapped" by the positive romantic charge of the full moon) being submerged in perfume oils for 6 to 8 weeks and mixed with tones of jasmine, heliptrope, and tonka bean.

Creator Hans Beuringer says the scent "enhances the attributes of a woman; it amalgamates and synthesizes with her vibes, like a tuning fork" and that the "final note is given by the perfume's wearer". Digging up the price on this lucrative deodirizer has proven difficult, but makes me wonder, What do they do with all the extra diamonds?

Glen Hansard Performance on the Oscars (And I Know Him!)

Glen Hansard, frontsinger for Irish band The Frames performed tonight on the 80th Academy Awards for his nominated song "Falling Slowly" from Once. The song and short film COULD WIN and that would mean that I, ladies and gentlemen, sort of know slash touched the hand of an Oscar winner. Let me clear this up a little:

At the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2005, I scored a lucky music journalist gig and met the singer backstage in the press tents. The discussion brought up by a Rolling Stone reporter was about concert security and when I asked whether security guards in front of the stage messed up the ambiance of stage diving, Glen answered, told me he loved the question and high-fived me after the conference. He was really a genuine, kind guy, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Slushing in the Snow

Whether the weather is rain or snow, wellingtons are the way to keep your feet dry and your spirits up when the sky may be a bit grey. Fleece lined, traditional Hunter boots keep the Olsen girls warm, but you can also find an amazing selection at Piperlime or the affordably chic collection at Target. Either way, its much more fun to jump in puddles and squish snow mountains than to dance around them in shoes you are afraid to ruin, so pack your office attire in a bag and suit up your feet for an all-weather adventure commute to work.

Gryson for Target

One time "It Bag" company Gryson has announced a collaboration with everyone's favorite affordable retailer, Target. This strikes the question of whether this luxury line was ever luxurious enough to maintain its status while being mass? Or will its new mass appeal become what it is known for. Joy Gryson, formerly of Marc Jacobs, is combining style and function with roomy pocketed totes starting at $19.99. Gryson's chic celeb clientele has included Sophia Bush, Jessica Biel, Hilary Duff, and Rebecca Gayheart, and now it can include you! On the flip side, a brand that once strove for luxury and status may now stand for being affordably licensed.

P. Diddy is Stalking Me

Dear P. Diddy,
I know you have been tossing and turning over the fact that you couldn't find the courage to say hello to me at Charlotte Ronson's party. I understand, I'm pretty intimidating. But come on, following me to the Lincoln Square movie theater last night? Oh Sean. It is beyond obvious, you have to stop following me around. I know it may have seemed as if I stopped in MY tracks and pulled out my cell phone and giggled when I saw you for the 2nd time in two weeks, but I was really just trying to make it less awkward for YOU. And there's no sense in denying it, but I saw you mouth "hey that asian chick from Butter is at the movies" to the person you were talking to on the phone. If you were even talking to anyone. Its ok, I know I might seem too famous for you, and you really want me to make your band, but why don't you just come say hi, and we can start from there. Besides, I promise if you invite me to your White Party I would at least consider going.
See you around!

$295 Baby Gums

Tory Burch CEO Brigitte Klein gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Luca Alexander last week and accordingly, my office has sent him the practical, useful gift of hand engraved, sterling silver, $295 rattle from Tiffany & Co.. The salesman emphasized how it was actually beneficial for babies to teethe on sterling silver (although Wikipedia has not confirmed this for me so I do not know if I believe him) and that this particular rattle is a classic and timeless gift. Last time I checked, classic for baby gifts meant things the baby could actually use, and timeless I understand, but who needs a 90 year old rattle? Well, I guess baby Luca could start to reuse the rattle in old age... what a revelation! Either way, my idea for a diaper cake just seems much more practical, let me know if you agree.

Blog.Mode: Addressing Fashion at the Met

"Everyone is invested on some emotional and conceptual level in how they're dressed. As fashion discourse has become increasingly sophisticated, it seemed high time to engage with our public on a new level" - Harold Koda, the Costume Institute curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

View and blog about the Costume Institute's 65 piece exhibit and blog bar. The Met, 1000 5th Ave. NY NY

Christian Louboutin's For Life

Christian Louboutin's trademark was approved for his signature red soles on shoes. The registration consists of "lacquered red sole for high-fashion footwear only". He has had several failed attempts at protecting his red soles from being copied and although this trademark does not protect him from copy-cats like Nine West or Aldo, at least he will never have to sit by another red bottoms Manolo or Choo on the Saks shoe floor again.

Show: Cynthia Rowley

The already fairytale-like Gotham Hall turned even more so at the Cynthia Rowley show last night. The MisShapes DJ'ed psychedelic sounds while people took their stadium seats sipping on personal bottles of Prosseco or Fiji. As the lights dim, a giant white wall fell open to a crash as a navy blue forest appeared pop up book style. Through the trees emerged ethereal models wearing long sleeved, floor length dresses in navy blue. The girls had massively teased hair and floated up and down the runway in flowy chiffon and silk. The colors transitioned into purples and the materials into fur and metallics. A notable brown, half sleeve leather jacket is worn over a long chiffon dress. A flower print gives the otherwise solid line some texture, and a long grey coat held its shape considering the deconstructed trend of the season. All in all, fall seems to be the season to cover up from head to toe, but show a bit of skin through sheer patches and side cutouts.

Show: Marchesa (and the Jennifer Lopez Fairytale Land)

I enter the Chelsea Art Museum to a dimly lit room with heavy dove gray drapes creating walls and separations. Soft jazz music plays while everyone sips on white wine with strawberries, martinis with flower petals, or personal mini bottles of Moet champagne. Models are standing in sets of twos and threes depending on the color scheme of their dresses and the majority of spectators are in all black or something fabulously sparkling, myself in the former. Two red dresses open the presentation, they possess gorgeous Grecian draping and mini rosettes all around, Marchesa staples. The next dress is all black, sporting a phenomenal pair of satin Christian Louboutins. There are clusters of models in eggplant, greys, blacks, metallics, and dust blues. A finale dress is made almost entirely of black suede rosettes that apparently Georgina Chapman makes herself! Their handiwork is amazing and detailing sublime. Astonished by the dresses I forget where I am, but the quiet rumbling of hundreds of cameras quickly remind me: a celebrity must be in our midst.

It is the Marchesa princess herself, the exremely pregnant Jennifer Lopez. With husband Marc Anthony in tow, who is significantly smaller than she, they admire the dresses and Mrs. Anthony does not hesitate in grabbing and feeling the garments as if the models were mannequins. She seems very sweet and looks just like she does on the big screen. I turn the corner and run into Christian Slater. He is swept away by now-girlfriend Tamara Mellon (my idol!) in a patent black trench and black Jimmy Choo flats as they chat up about the scene with Harvey Weinstein. Georgina Chapman is a gorgeous little pixie in hot pink Marchesa and long dark curls. She is breathtaking, although from my eavesdropping I did not pick up on a British accent. I see Miss America in a royal blue wool coat admiring a metallic gold and black long sleeve floorlength dress with an asymmetric neckline. She looks much more sober than she did at Butter Monday evening. Other fashion royalty present was Margharita Missoni, Cathy Horyn, Michael Fink, Fabiola Beracasa interviewing for NY Magazine, and at least 3 other camera crews shooting segments for Fashion Week TV. I meet smiling/sympathizing eyes with one of the models, who looks into my humdrum normal camera in the sea of massive photographers and fashionably elite. For a split second, although both dressed in designer, I connect with her about feeling a little mentally under dressed.

Before I step through the curtains, out of fantasy world and into reality, I recognize but cannot place the name of this phenomenal older woman in a flower print dress. She is raving about the show while smoking a cigarette and leaning on a skinny black cane that is bedazzled with rhinestones. She rolls her eyes at a security guard who asks her to step away from the door while she smokes and I swore she was going to poke him with her cane. I want to be her. For now, I simply get lost in Chelsea, strip off my silk shirt and high heels and trade them in for a tshirt and a beer, and meet up with my real life friends. Doing the more age-appropriate thing, I head to the nosebleed section of the Knicks game and wait for the halftime show.

Show: Tory Burch

The atmosphere is sparkling like the champagne in my hand and I the variety of Chanel quilted bags is on par with a sample sale. "I Like Candy" is blaring as I enter the prim, proper, and airbrush tanned gallery at Christie's in Rockefeller Center and am blinded by a massive Tory Burch gold emblem hanging on the wall. In true Tory fashion, these huge symbols hang on each wall as I enter. The crowd is so posh its almost uncomfortable, and I feel like I'm at afternoon tea except that I'm boozing. Designer sighting across the way, Tory Burch is Nicole Richie skinny this week and would be stretching to claim she was more than a kid size ten.

Just when I think this crowd is too chic for drama, across the room I spot: Ex-lover Lance Armstrong eyeing his lady friend from across the room. Tory looks around in an awkward panic while an older looking Tory (everyone here is either an older, younger, or less attractive look alike of the fashion mogul) sweeps in and escorts Mr. Armstrong into a more discreet room.

The show is presentation style, and ten stunning models walk onto an orange hued light up stage showing the cohesion of their outfits. The fall colors she chose are more subdued cool tones but maintaining the staple blacks, creams, silvers, and eggplants. I love a black cardigan with cream horse shadow prints and an eggplant trim black graffiti print cardigan. Second round of models I spot a great quilted brown three quarter jacket and another horse print charmeuse shirt. She tries a new T logo that is reminiscent of the Fendi F on a large handbag that works pretty well. Gorgeous boots and shoe line makes me wonder who handles her licensing. The clothes are much more subtle with the logo than most boutiques ever make her seem. The pieces have a certaom maturity and sophistication; it is clear she is growing as a designer.

After Party: Charlotte Ronson at Butter

With a +2 in hand, I invite Irina and Sonya to the Charlotte Ronson after party at NY hotspot Butter. Pink Vodka sponsors our fun as we dance around stalking Nicky Hilton and anticipate Marc Ronson's appearance. We get all three sisters and Mommy Ronson, but no Marc (insert sad yet hopeful faces). Around midnight security clears the party but our keen eyes notice that the two VIP tables are not budging. Therefore, neither do we. Shifting to various sides of the room while security ushers us towards the door, we manage to stay and convince people we belong with Charlotte or Nicky. Then the actual party begins.

A touch disappointed there is still no sign or sound indication that Mark Ronson is blessing us with his DJ skills, Sam Ronson and Nick Cannon (random) get on the turntables while show guests and fashion insiders were replaced with hot models and celebrities. Little Sister Annabelle who previously sported a "Say No To Fur" button has shedded the button and is wrapped in a massive white fur jacket. Nicky Hilton who was glued to her blackberry is now chain smoking and having drinks. Charlotte is mingling in the crowd and no longer confined to her VIP table. This is a very different party.

Just as we think something fabulous is about to happen, two massive security guards walk past with no other than mega mogul P.Diddy/Sean Combs. I had a mini heart attack. He sits at a table with someone gorgeous on his side, Ellen Pompeo (who looks like she loves to party) and husband, Miss America, and others in his entourage. Dancing with a Gastineau girl for a minute Diddy accidentally touches my arm (slight faint!). This slight hope at befriending seanjohn makes us dance in front of their table for about an hour, convinced that we did not look like those other desperate girls also dancing in front of their table... although I mean...

Either way, we had a blast, and congratulations to Charlotte, whose show and party both exploded tremendously from last season.

Show: Doo.ri

The fashion crowd here could pass for an art crowd. I am at Milk Studios in Chelsea and 90% of the room is shrouded head to toe in black. Two walls are milky white and the two others made entirely of glass. Four sets of three rows of benches, plus standing, plus photographers section fill the loft space, which seems to exist for nothing other than fashion shows.

The crisp scene feels very elegant and glamorous. Upbeat, not quite Michael Jackson is playing as we all take our seats, and by that I mean I'm leaning against the wall with the other fashion serfs. Sophisticates of the older crowd, lots of suits, perhaps courting investors(?) fill the room. Maybe this famed jersey draper has begun to dip her toes into the more luxurious side of town. Linda Fargo with her meticulously coiffed silver hair is in the front row seated close to Michael Fink. Friend and supporter, designer Erin Fetherson looks on from the third row with her platinum blonde hair.

A white wall in front of a white wall is illuminated from behind like a halo. The beat changes and gets louder as models emerge from behind the wall wearing mink hats, and lots of blacks and greens. Perfectly pitched luxe fabrics and blunt, asymmetric haircuts set a clean and sophisticated tone for the show. Bold greens! Leather pants! Gloves galore! The music transforms once again, becoming mellow and heavy, its the kind of music you think you're hearing when you're drunk, and its making a major impact on the outfits. Another knit hat. Another Mink hat (who actually wears these?). Megawatt size jewelry by Swarovski jazzes up somewhat plain garments (making me wonder how fab they would be without the gem decor). A brilliant Iris Grey Mink shrug was brilliant. Her finale piece was an outfit that comprised a little bit of all the looks, tying together the entire collection. Although I will never look good in a mink hat or kelly green, Doo.ri did gorgeous and luxurious job combining her draping reputation with a bit more structure.

Show: Charlotte Ronson

If there is someone that can capture celeb interpretations of boho chic it is social butterfly herself, Miss Charlotte Ronson. The front row for her show at the Altman Building on the West side displayed Nicky Hilton (who is air kissing everybody and posing for countless Japanese women and their digital cameras), model Jessica Stam, the girls from WhoWhatWear Daily, and mega retailer execs. Sitting two rows behind Marc Ronson I get the chills (he is so rad) as he sits and chats with his mom former/current socialite Anne-Dexter Jones. She is busy acting fabulous and getting pictures taken of herself taking pictures. I give a quick hug to Aaron Nir and take a seat next to an Ali Hilfiger look alike with an attitude **UPDATE, apparently this really was Ally Hilfiger, probably sporting the attitude from having to sit in the third row); whatever, she is soo not blocking the potential of Marc Ronson bumping into me.

The show was upbeat and the flow was perfectly pitched: plaids, stripes, and lots and lots of casual "I'm not trying but I'm really put together" looks. There was particularly great styling and little sister/posterchild of the brand Annabelle had a couple great cameos down the runway. Two girls to my right were either editors catching trends or they were punching mega shopping orders into their blackberries, and the girls to my left were clearly versed in the social scene at the shows. Very different than the posh crowd I saw at JS, this was more of a downtown cool crew of models or rebellious rockstar kids. The goodie bags are stuffed with stilla cosmetics, save furry animals pamphlets, and a faux leather wallet I'm sure I will be making use of.

Show: Jill Stuart

"Darling I have a car waiting for us outside for right after so don't worry, what is this, why are you not seated, you cannot stand in mink, you must be seated, let me call Stefano" was what I walked into at the Jill Stuart show this morning. An overly tanned European woman with a hip length ponytail accessorized her shorts with so-oily-they-were-almost-patent orange legs. Friend 1 was decked out in aubergine tights and a grey dress and Friend 2 was in a mink vest, black skinny jeans, and perfectly trendy bangs.

With this being the standing room attire, I was not surprised when camera bulbs went crazy at the appearance of Miss America (who could have been a supermodel herself), Tinsley Mortimer (who had perfect blonde curls in this rain), Hilary Swank (who is stunning in real life, not to mention the perfet Jill Stuart muse), and Tyra Banks (who is literally...larger than life).

No one was as cute however, as Miss Jill Stuart Jr., the designer's daughter. She was running around with long blonde hair, a Christmas'd-at-St.Barth's tan, and a a perfectly tailored black strapless party dress straight from Mommy's closet and miniature sized. Her partner in crime was clearly ditching private school, made clear by the rebelliously untucked polo and rolld up tights. They were perfect Gossip Girl's in the making.

The show itself was great, tons of navys, blacks, and oceany greens to keep us calm next fall. Black sparkles dominated the evening wear as well as black floppy hats and leather jackets.

Show: Organic Clothing

Organic's design team took the Bryant Park Hotel Loft and transformed it into a stark white, heavenly shelter from the rain. I perched in the front row atop a wooden bench with an organic cotton pad, making me feel down right earthy. They took leaps in making organic textiles look soft and luxurious, however the entire show was a bit all over the place and there is major competition in the eco-friendly industry right now. The 3 jackets were structured and flattering on the impossibly thin models, and were the forte of the show. Skirts displayed thoughtfully placed exposed zippers and cut out details, which was also a nice touch. Women's bottoms however lacked any shape at all, giving them a balloon thighs circa 1984 farmers. Men's clothes were a bit shrunken rounded, and unstructured, not my first choices for the ideal man, no matter how many people say that deconstructed is back in style. I'm all about pro-green clothing, but maybe not until they make my butt look cute.

Fashion Week Diary - Day 1

Stress, Stress, Stress! It is the official start of NY Fashion Week and as predicted, no amount of preparation has prevented everything from going wrong. It is barely past noon and 3 Diet Cokes in I have already: crashed a conference call, missed a deadline, jammed a lookbook in the printer and (to top off the morning) submerged my peep toe patent in a giant puddle right before walking into the Bryant Park Hotel Penthouse. On the plus side, I have been pretty consistent at not meeting my boss's expectations and chasing his unrealistic demands, all in 5 inch heels, so at least I've got that going for me. Curse me for saying I wouldn't have it any other way. Happy Fashion Week!

The Fall Blues

The Top Ten Most Purchased Colors list came out and it looks like we're in for a cooly colorful Fall season. 13.5% of designers bought the color Blue Iris for their fall collection garments, a color that was also named Pantone's Color of the Year for fashion, home, and cosmetics. With rankings 2-5 being different cool shades of Royal Lilac, Shady Glade Green, Caribbean Sea Blue, and Twilight Blue it seems as if designers are pushing for a calm, relaxed state of mind for the latter (and hopefully less volatile) half of 2008. The bottom 5 consisted of more traditional fall colors such as Aurora Red, Ochre Yellow, Burnt Orange, Shitake Brown, and Withered Rose.

Dressing Your Stems

Who knows how quickly it will catch on, but have no doubt that by summer's end we will all be donning gladiator style leg jewelry. This new trend will certainly make for some interesting summer tan lines.