Feb 18, 2010 | Fashion
(handmade cropped topper with cutout, flap shoulders, and snap tape detailing; handmade drapey viscose tank; Forever21 2-finger ring; handmade bead ring; studded leather wrap bracelet; Forever21 shorts; Spanx tights; GoJane slouchy boots)
I have to apologize for the bad photos; we didn’t have a lot of time to take shots; had to take the photos inside, hence the bad lighting; and the camera I brought with me is just awful.
On this day (Sunday, Feb. 14), I went backstage at Luca Luca and interviewed the designers of Dannijo Jewelry (who provided the jewelry for the show), and Luca Luca designer Raul Melgoza [so behind on my write-ups and transcriptions! ugh.]…went to the show…met some friends (from Hawaii no less!) at Le Pain Quotidian for lunch…headed out to Brooklyn to spend the afternoon with one of my best friends from high school…(it’s his room that we shot the above photos in)…visited the
Century 21 department store in the Financial District where I tried on that ruined Vivienne Westwood blouse…and had a Valentine’s Day dinner at some random Italian place near Times Square.
The topper and drapey tank are part of the mini-collection I’ve been working on the past few weeks and brought with me to show around at Fashion Week. I will definitely take some better photos of them once I’m back and with my nice Nikon 40D!
The ring on the right I made – it’s a huge acrylic bead with rhinestone trim running through the center of it.
Another photo of the outfit from my seat at the Luca Luca show.
I’m at Fashion Week!!! So thrilled! (I look more scary than thrilled; I know:-)
xoxox
Carly
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Feb 18, 2010 | Fashion, Life
LAST DAY! So sad.:-( Once all this is done, I’ve got some WORK to do!! (write-ups and postings, I mean)
hanging out in the tents to try and catch some stylish people / checking out metalliferous / lunch with a friend / Leifsdottir show / Tommy Hilfiger show and interview / crying myself to sleep once Fashion Week draws to a close
And that’s all folks!
xoxox
Carly
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Feb 18, 2010 | Fashion
Last show of the evening, Tuesday Feb 16. Walked away with my jaw permanently unhinged.
Not necessarily because of the extravagance of it; quite the opposite – the clean, minimalistic lines evoked Star Trek and a strong, sensuous woman who was anything but demure.
Strong shoulders, inverted pleats, spliced fabrics, the juxtaposition of shiny vs. matte – all created a seamless progression of sleek, covetable pieces. The collection, entitled “Artificial Life,” was “based on an androgynous image, where man and technology are combined.” Consisting of cotton, viscose, and silk, the fabrics used were modified through color-fading processes to recall rusted metals and industrial elements. Hair was lacquered and shaped into semi-coneheads; the silhouettes and shapes evoked references to science fiction films.
Although he has been showing at Fashion Weeks around the world since 1987, this was only the second time the designer has presented his collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
I personally loved so many pieces – they were simplistic but elegant; sleek but sassy; retro but futuristic. And I had I the chance, I would have stolen that little black vest topper from Look #8 right off the model!
How do you respond to these pieces?
Wish you could have been there!
xoxo
Carly
P.S. I’m sorry about posting all these photos from Getty Images from a show I was actually in attendance at. I wasn’t able to bring my professional camera to take photos at the shows – and my digital camera doesn’t seem to take very good photos in the dark (it’s reeeeeallly old). I’m finding my Blackberry seems to take better piccies! But in the dark, from a couple rows away, these are the quality of the photos I’ve been able to take with the BB:
I know, right? Hideous. And I dare to call meself a blogger! Sheesh.
professional photos source
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Feb 17, 2010 | Fashion
Sorry – I keep forgetting to post these.
free massage at The Daily Beauty Bar / meeting some friends / deux fm show / c. marchuska show / my long-awaited cupcake from Crumbs Bake Shop / shopping at a couple stores
I normally hate massages (there’s nothing that stresses me out more than a massage…except an hour and a half of yoga hehehe…I think it’s me being uncomfortable with someone I don’t know touching me) but I am so sore my back is screaming out for something!
Only 2 days left of fashion shows!!! I can’t believe it.
xoxo
Carly
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Feb 17, 2010 | Fashion
More stuff again today. Gift bags at both Samantha Pleet and Toni Francesc, and then someone on the street outside handing out little pouches from musthaveits.com.
Here were the contents, if you are interested:
*Weleda Almond Moisture Cream
*kms california colorvitality heat protection and shine cream [for hair]
*Weleda Skin Food cream
*Lulu Organics Lip Balm Organique
*Venus Embrace Razor
*john masters organics blood orange & vanilla body milk [I guess with all these body creams, I’m going to be super-moisturized!;-)]
*Lulu Organics Lavender-Clary-Sage Hair Powder [dry shampoo]
*Olay Total Effects Body Wash
*CoverGirl ShineBlast Lipgloss in smolder chocolate
*Salerm Cosmetics Homme facial products sampler set
*Secret Flawless Renewal Deodorant sample size
*Salerm Crema de Manos hand cream
*mehron Glosstone and E.Y.E. Cream [makeup]
*Salerm Cosmetics Homme Parfait Systeme Rasage clear shaving gel with regrowth inhibitor
*Salerm Hi Repair Shampoo, Mask, and Finish sample sizes
*Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye-Roller [score! I’ve been wanting to try this out for awhile since I’ve found the Olay Regenerist line works really well for me]
*Salerm Cosmetics nailpolish in red
*musthaveIT branded makeup pouch
*Toni Francesc CD [press releases, company info, some images etc. I’m sorry, but I think this is a waste of resources to hand it out to everyone seated at your show – only a fraction of people are press people who will need this information…but I guess he’s just covering his bases.]
Now I don’t feel so guilty about accepting these things – I’ve at least mentioned all these product sponsors!!;-)
I’m getting burned out with all this stuff…are you guys sick of looking at it yet?
xoxox
Carly
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Feb 17, 2010 | Fashion
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Feb 16, 2010 | Fashion, Media
My first video for my little bloggety-blog. They’ll get better! (I majored in Film/Video for goodness’ sakes!)
Thanks for coming along with me here to Fashion Week! There’s TONS more to come as I find the stamina to post everything:-)
xoxox
Carly
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Feb 16, 2010 | Fashion
This year is waaaaaaay better than last year! (A sign the economy is on the upswing…maybe?) Incredibly generous and overflowing to the max, gift bags are a huge perk of being a registered member of the press for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. There are a lot of cards, postcards, coupons, pamphlets, leaflets, and other extraneous papers about various brands and stores and events – but there is also product – and a lot of it! You also pick up gift bags at various events, conventions, and private parties that you go to. If you are really important and sit in the first couple rows at a well-established brand’s runway show, there might be a gift (or even a bag of gifts) on your seat. The contents of the bags are from companies and sponsors wanting to get the word out about their products. There’s good stuff, there’s useless, untargeted stuff [that I usually pawn off on my inlaws, hehe], and sometimes there’s stuff that makes you go wha…..???
Below is the contents of the gift bags from: the IFB blogging convention / Robert Verdi’s Retreat / official Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week press gift bags (4 bags total; sorry, I don’t remember what was in each individual bag):
*L.L. Bean tote bag
*Madame Paulette Professional Stain Remover Kit [score!]
*Maidenform Lacy Blue thong in M
*Popcorn, Indiana Kettlecorn bucket
*4 oz bag of Popcorn, Indiana Kettlecorn [sooooo good!! totally addictive]
*Chambord Black Raspberry Liquer – colored nail file set (?!)
*music CD compilation from G-Star RAW
*an eco-conscious blank greeting card from loop
*2 boxes of NOZIN Nasal Sanitizer (they only had one of these in the press gift bag last year – definitely the economy is on the up-and-up now that there’s TWO in there!;-)
*O.N.E. Natural Spring Water
*pair of We Love Colors neon yellow tights [yay!]
*G-Star RAW rhinoceros head denim keychain
*Revlon Fantasy Lengths false eyelashes & glue set
*2 sample sized Honey Bee soaps
*sample size of Forever perfume by Mariah Carey
*voucher for 1 day’s worth of cleansing juices from BluePrintCleanse
*jouer locking lipgloss, eyeshadow, bronzer, and tint palette
*Shatobu waist-to-knee shaper
*Rums of Puerto Rica case for…something. Maybe it fell out?
*Maidenform seamless collection boyshort and cami set [another reason to put off doing laundry:;-)]
*Glaceau SmartWater [the kind Jennifer Aniston was the spokesperson for]
*Diet Coke heart health pin
*maroon scarf from Affordable Scarves
*Degree UltraClear deodorant in Red Satin
*Phyto shampoo and conditioner sample sizes
*Martini Gold decanter spigot [since I don’t drink alcohol, I have no idea what it’s really called]
*Mercedes-Benz orange croc leather keychain
*purple folding umbrella from Vevant
*map and restaurant/bar guide to Lincoln Square
*mini-sketchbook from Designer Footwear from Spain
*AOL-branded earbuds
*gift set of Cambria Cove french-milled soaps [something nice for my mother-in-law, I think:-)]
*frappuccino-branded purse-hook
*pack of Zone Perfect Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse bars [my breakfast tomorrow hehe]
*VKi Armada Lotion [because my armada is quite dry, come to think of it]
*Rowenta Travel Iron [yes! *pumps fist*….thinks for a moment….this is damn heavy. hmmm.]
*Maybelline new york eyestudio palette in Copper Chic, Stiletto Voluptuous Mascara, and Shinesensational lipgloss
*Tresemme FreshStart dry shampoo and shampoo/conditioner samples
*DHL-branded zipper garment bag
*plastic Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week tote
Can one say holy *&#*$* that’s a lot of stuff????!
Suffice it to say I probably won’t be getting anything else for the rest of the week…
I think some of these things I’ll do a giveaway of once I’m back from all this traveling!
I just have no idea how I’m going to fit the popcorn bucket into my suitcase…:-/
xoxox
Carly
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Feb 16, 2010 | Fashion
Stuck in the hotel room recuperating from a bad reaction to the sleeping pills I took on the plane, I unfortunately ended up missing all the shows I had intended to go to Saturday. Even though I wasn’t there, I thought since the kind companies sent me an invite; the least I could do would be to post some coverage for them.
From the PR company:
“Irina Shabayeva, the season six winner of Project Runway, debuted her Fall 2010 collection on Saturday, February 13th during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at SIR Stage 37. Freedom and the un-tethered journey of flight set Shabayeva on a course to create a fantasy of intricate beading, textile construction and exotic materials. Hand sewn creations of soft cashmeres, silk-screened and hand- painted wools were showcased side-by-side with structurally sculpted bodices and flight inspired flounces.
(read on for more…)
“Materials ranged from natural to industrial as creations were swirled in feathers and patterns only born in nature. Tupperware-engineered materials provided the hard edges and solid structures delicately balanced with luxurious materials like cashmere, supple leathers, double faced wool and fur. An unusual partnership with an alternative view to fashion and design allowed Shabayeva to join Tupperware’s effort of inspiring women around the world through confidence and empowerment.
“Knowing that Tupperware is so passionate about empowering women, it was easy to implement an element of determination into the clothing,” states Shabayeva. “To me, fashion and the design process is liberating, fun and empowering.”
“When we saw Irina on Project Runway, we were simply in awe of her of talent and vision,” said Tupperware Brands’ Chairman and CEO Rick Goings. “As a company that has long been focused on innovative design, we’re thrilled to work with someone who is forward-thinking and whose work is so inspiring.”
Highlights from the Fall collection include intricate hand-painted prints, pheasant feather dresses and custom made aviator hats. A strapless white cocktail dress made from 8 different wings of Tupperware materials impressed attendees along with a black glider with hand carved leather wing paired with leather panel pants.
I personally love her stuff; I’m amazed at her versatility and range – and how much of this is incredibly wearable. And to think Tupperware is incorporated into the pieces?? (It ain’t your mama’s plastic any more!) I can’t wait to see how she grows and matures as a designer.
What do you guys think?
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Feb 15, 2010 | Fashion
The February wind whips through the tall buildings here. You walk further than you think you could ever walk, then you walk some more. You go to show after show until they all blend together. You see thousands of faces inside the tent, until they all start to look familiar and you think you’ve met everybody before. You’re checked out by men and women alike: “Do I know her?” “Is she important?” “What’s she wearing?”
Depending on where you are seated/standing, people may or may not talk to you. At the night shows, hundreds of yahoos who managed to score an invite push past the industry people politely lined up, insisting they’re important and need to go in first. Being herded like cattle; stumbling over the cobblestones of the park[in the tents there’s no floor- just the open stones of Bryant Park]; taped-down wires, risers, platforms you can’t see in the crush. Waiting in line 20 minutes to even get a seat assignment; waiting in line 15 minutes to get in the door; waiting in line 10 minutes to find your seat; waiting for the show to start. Pounding music inside the shows; deafening.
On the streets: people of multiple races, creeds, heights, body types, tourists from foreign lands, locals who can’t speak the language, couples locked in PDAs (it is Valentine’s Day after all), everybody on their Blackberry; so many people, all crammed together. The sheer number and types of different people is staggering.
Cold. Sore. Tired.
Back at the hotel, strip off multiple layers to take a shower and survey the Fashion Week casualties (chafes from unfamiliar clothes, scrapes where my 1000-lb bag hits my legs, pulled muscles, stubbed toes, lost buttons, rips and tears, running mascara, smelling of cigarette smoke and the streets, the carpet burn under my eye from the airplane aisle I was dragged through by well-meaning attendants).
Roll creakily into bed, managed to bang something out on the keyboard, then realize you still have 4 or so events to cover and about 50 photos to yet post.
Tomorrow, dear readers; tomorrow.:-)
If you’re not following already, please follow me on Twitter and get up-to-the-minute tweets as I hit shows, shopping locales, and other events during Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week!
xoxo
Carly
Tomorrow: IFB Blogger Conference – Jill Stuart Show – The Robert Verdi Retreat – Ecco Domani show
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