When Alex Wright, a Brooklyn-based artist and photographer, as well as, Co-Founder of Dripbook.com, launched his art and photography-focused social networking space in beta, we covered it. This amazing space that fashion and beauty editors should be paying attention to, has now officially come out of beta and is open to the public.

Dripbook.com is exclusive in that you have to be invited in or complete an application for consideration to have the ability to set up your portfolio on this social networking site. However, anyone can browse the amazing beauty, fashion and lifestyle photography within its pages such as the image here from Karl Rothenberger, a New York City photographer. Go check it out!

Tags: Fashion PR

I’m sitting at my desk with Blister Guards and my second round of Sponge Bob Square Pants band-aids and I’m wondering to myself, why oh why do women like myself have to wear high-heeled shoes? Where did this awful trend come from and when will it go away? My curious spirit gave way to researching Wikipedia and low and behold, I discovered that men where the first to wear high heels! How did we (women) get stuck with it?

Supposedly, high heels came about in the 1500s as a way to end rider’s slip while riding a horse. Alas, cowboy boots. Then, men in the French court decided it would be a good idea to start wearing them (as tall as 3-4 inches!) as a status symbol until Catherine de’ Medici decided she wanted to be the first woman in on the action.

Oh Catherine, if she only knew how much pain she has caused for the rest of us. But interesting history, no?

Days later, I still am in shock over the suicide of model Ruslana Korshunova. Yet, when this 20-year old beauty took her own life it puts things into perspective. No matter who you are, where you live, how much money you have or power...in the end we are all just human beings and life is fragile.

Are you one of those people who:

1. Love Priceline.com because you like to name your own price?
2. Bid on ebay because you like to control how much you pay for an item?
3. Love indie green fashion?

Then you will love CROW, a revolutionary eco-friendly fashion company that is changing the way you purchase clothing. This company is evolutionary in that they recycle, reuse and compost all of their fabric and scraps. Customers even send back their packaging for recycling to be repurposed for the next customer's order--they call it "upcycling."

But the part that really blew me away? They offer their clothing on a sliding scale. They give you a range to choose from, say $75-$125, and you decide how much you want to pay. They ask that you base it on your income, as well as your investment in environmental healing, social change, low-cost options and their Web-cafe of resources. So that gorgeous soy Trila Dress? You can choose to snatch it up for $75. I find that amazing and completely buzzworthy. Not only will their chic sustainable clothing catch the eyes of the socially conscious, but I pretty much guarantee that once the word spreads that you can buy their clothes on a sliding scale, that this indie brand will soon become mainstream.

Tags: Fashion PR 

This just in from WWD; the CFDA has announced its 2008 fashion award winners:

Womenswear Designer of the Year: Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein Collection

Menswear Designer of the Year: Tom Ford

Accessories Designer of the Year: Tory Burch

Swarovski Womenswear: Kate and Laura Mulleavy for Rodarte

Swarovski Menswear: Scott Sternberg for Band of Outsiders

Swarovski Accessories: Philip Crangi

Memorial Day Weekend has come and gone and summer has officially begun! Temps soared over the weekend, leaving everyone based in the city gasping for air. We all know how humid NYC becomes as the temperatures rise. Many New Yorkers will now start heading out on Fridays for long weekend trips to a summer home in the gorgeous Hamptons or even Fire Island.

So what should be packed in your weekend bag? What are the essentials you need to get you through days at the beach and cozy, intimate dinners as the sunsets? My key essential items to pack for a weekend ensure that you will have a capsule wardrobe, which caters for every occasion. Feel free to use this as a guide when packing your bag:

• Beach Towel
• Sarong
• 2 cotton T-Shirts (Black & White)
• 1 bikini/ swimsuit
• 1 Pair jeans
• 1 black dress
• 1 button down sweater (in a bright color)
• 1 pair of strappy sandals (in neutral color)
• 1 pair flip flops/ ballet slippers
• 2 cotton button down shirts
• 1 pair Capri pants
• 1 clutch bag
• 1 belt (to cinch in waist with little black dress and change the look)
• Selection of underwear
• Travel size versions of Cleanser, Toner, Moisturizer, Eye Cream
• Travel size version laundry detergent (to wash swimwear)
• Full size sun cream / SPF
• Brush, comb, toothbrush/toothpaste
• Shampoo & Conditioner

And you are all set. The perfect combo of items to take with you, to ensure all bases are covered. Whether it be a dinner, lunch or trip to the beach, you will always look stylish and chic!

Timi & Leslie, the leader in stylish diaper bags and a favorite among cosmopolitan moms, is super excited that Jessica Alba is wearing their designs. Jessica has the Toulouse Bag, from the “Luxury Leathers” Collection and the classic, quilted leather Femme Chic Bag. Timi & Leslie’s Femme Chic Bag was also featured on Christina Aguilera’s baby registry as well. Jessica, who is known for having superb fashion sense is a now a style icon for new moms everywhere.

Other celebrity fans of Timi & Leslie include Cindy Crawford, Britney Spears, Vanessa Williams, and cool dad, Jack Black (Daddy’s diaper bag).

* Photo Credit: She Knows The Buzz 

Recently, Pierce Mattie gave editors a sneak peek at the hot must-have accessories for the fall at the Fall Accessories Preview. As editors sipped wine and sampled desserts, Pierce Mattie’s fashion team presented the latest styles and designs in Guess handbags, Solidea shape wear, and STORM watches. Pierce Mattie also introduced editors to Carat luxury jewels, originally based in Hong Kong, while Timi and Leslie made their debut with their newest line of patent convertible diaper bags. With the help of Pamela Pekerman, VH1 fashion correspondent and founder of bagtrends.com, it was a fantastic evening of fashion trends to come—including lots of plums and magentas, an edgier take on ombre, over-the-top oversized clutches, and lots of glittery, eye-catching cocktail rings! The anticipation for autumn has never been so great!

If you’ve always been the bridesmaid and never the bride don’t get jealous, donate! Get rid of that dress so that another young lady can feel like a princess; it’ll make you feel better in the process! Young ladies can pay up to the price of a wedding dress nowadays for the prom or they can get a delicately used one for free because of people like you at one of several locations across the United States.

I attended my favorite boutique’s first prom dress giveaway this weekend. Kishana Holland is the founder of Operation Glam Chic. Ms. Holland wanted young ladies of Bedstuy Brooklyn to have the opportunity to attend their prom without having to worry about related costs. See how great the day turned out via her blog for her boutique Tres Chic Style.

To find a prom dress giveaway in you area or donate a dress, view any of the following sites below:
Princess Project
Enchanted Closet
Operation Fairy Dust
Donate My Dress

If you’re interested in purchasing any of the sexy halter gowns pictured above, visit YourProm.com for more information.

I am always excited for the red carpet events: the Oscars, the Golden Globes and sometimes even the Emmy’s. Although I am anxious to see who the winners are, I am most interested in the answer to the most overused phrase of the evening, “Who are you wearing?” Of all the big events throughout the year, none have the cache and fashion excitement as the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala.

Here are some of my favorite and least favorite fashion choices of the evening:
 

Whether you love her or hate her, Victoria Beckham is always a risk taker. I am sort of in-love with this unique and fabulous look! 

Christina Ricci has been looking so gorgeous lately and this dress fits her perfectly. 

I love Naomi Watts, but I am not so thrilled with this dress. I get that it’s Thierry Mugler and that the theme was “Super Heroes”, but the star isn’t working for me.

Regardless of my immediate reactions, I have to say that I would kill to wear any of those dresses for even 5 minutes. Last night the event definitely brought seriously excitement into the 2008 fashion repertoire.

Photo Credit: Just Jared

We all know that we are in an economic slump. The housing market has crashed and now with a US food shortage seemingly around the bend, families are limited by how much rice and flour they are able to purchase at the store. So this makes we wonder – how will this effect the beauty and fashion industry? After all, won’t women always strive to look their best no matter what sort of crisis the world is in?

The current situation brings up for me visions of World War II, when women had to ration “luxury” goods – one of them being stockings. The vogue fashion of having a line going down the back of the leg was faked in hard times by a hefty dose of liquid eyeliner. So – with history in mind, what will modern time hardships bring? Words of advice: start hording.

If you’ve never experienced bamboo, now is the time. ONNO’s bamboo t-shirt's are as silky smooth as cashmere. Not only do they feel luxurious, but bamboo is good for the earth, doesn’t deplete soil nutrients and grows faster than any other plant. These cozy bamboo t-shirts also provide UV protection, keep you warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter. Bamboo provides more oxygen than trees, but as a shirt, wicks moisture and is anti-microbial. ONNO cares about the environment and brings that sense of consciousness to their shirts. In an array of natural colors including moss green, sea blue and espresso brown, not to mention black, white and un-dyed, ONNO blends sustainability with style.

ONNO also offers t-shirts in other sustainable fabrics as well. Hemp is blended with organic cotton for a soft shirt that acts like wool, keeping you refreshed in the summer and giving a little extra heat in the winter. Organic cotton is just plain healthy for the earth. Usually a rotational crop, it keeps nutrients in the soil where they belong.

Not only does ONNO know care about the fabrics they put on your body, they also care about how they get them to you, which is why they buy carbon offsets for transportation, work with socially responsible companies and recycle their paper. ONNO wants you to feel as good about their t-shirts as they do.

Want to learn more about this eco-fabulous company? Visit them online at www.ONNOtextiles.com

When it comes to Prom these days, it seems anything goes. Everyone is always trying to outdo one another, sometimes with the most outrageous prom attire (ie. Duct Tape to the prom), but just when I thought I heard everything, I noticed flip flops on my teen aged cousin in her Prom picture. Flip flops? What happened to formal attire? According to Brittany (and the many other teens I have talked to) flip flops are the footwear of choice this Prom season.

While Cynthia Nellis at About.com mentioned just receiving a press release from a fashion expert stating that flip flops are over, she might want to point them in this direction, because I disagree. Not only did I hear it for myself, but I sat at a local restaurant and watched teen after teen walk through the door with a gorgeous gown on with flip flops adorning their feet (and I mean the plastic foam kind). While I could hardly imagine doing this myself back in the early 90's, it seems that teens love to mix casual with formal and bring an air of fun about to their Prom wardrobe.

So if you are looking for some great flip flops to pair with that Jovani gown, here's a few worth looking at:

Continue reading "Prom Trend: Flip Flops Are In" »

I couldn’t help but notice the recent media attention over Chloe Marshall, the first size 16 contestant to make it to the finals of the Miss England beauty contest. Last Wednesday the 16-year-old beat her other thinner competitors and was named Miss Surrey, placing her on the path for the national competition in July.

At 5 foot 10 and 176 pounds, Chloe definitely does not resemble your typical beauty queen but with or without the tiara, the modeling agency she recently signed with, Models Plus, insists her success with fashion companies is imminent.

Chloe herself is proud of becoming what she considers to be an advocate for curvier women, pointing out that there are more size 14-16 women in England than any other size. To some, however, this isn’t a fact that should be celebrated and many parents are quick to point out that a plus size model is just as dangerous a role model for their children as one that is a size zero.
Size 16 though she may be, she will still stand in her bathing suit later this year to be examined and scrutinized just like every other contestant in the competition, requiring a confidence that many size 2’slack. Chloe explains to the British Daily Mail that this inner strength came over time:

Something happened in my head to make me accept that it really didn't matter about a few dress sizes. I was happy with me.”

Whether Chloe’s entry into the Miss England contest is for right or for wrong remains to be determined, but if she truly is as confident with her body as she may say, then I can’t help but admire her. Is anyone truly happy with themselves anymore? Perhaps instead of looking at obesity as the problem plaguing our society, we should be looking at it as a symptom of a more severe diagnosis, societal insecurity. Some people are dealing with this by eating less, some by eating more, and many others have turned to the wonders of plastic surgery to attain what they’re sure is the solution to this low self esteem. Clearly, in today’s photo shopped world, any woman that can be comfortable with her own body is someone that should be celebrated.

Chloe, best of luck!