Pictorial - Jan 2-9 - Getting Into the Groove of 2011

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

It was a slow start to the New Year - a nagging sinus infection kept me close to the CT Home Office but it wasn't a total wash.

The highlight - we're fostering a baby - a 6 month old Cairn Terrier, named Jacqueline ["Jackie-O" in our house, in honor of said fashion icon]. It's COOOLD out here in the Country so a shopping trip was required to beef up her collection of winter sweaters. Saturday, after much discussion about whether pink or green would be best, we compromised - on a pink and green sweater with a large embroidered strawberry on the back.

It was also a week to see what new fashion books there are out there. After a trip to Borders' Book Store in Stamford, it seems the pickings as far as fashion books go is slim. The notable exception was the self-titled coffee table beauty, Tom Munro, with the introduction by Madonna and a gorgeous black and white image of Madge on the cover warrants further investigation. Another book to look at is Locals Only, with a great cover of two quintessential Cali Girls - all real, no lipo. Must have been what the Beach Boys were crooning about in all those early songs of theirs.

We made the obligatory trip to the mall, stopping-into Forever21 and Charlotte Russe, just to see how desperate retailers are in January. I bought a joke-riff pair of purple knit Ugg-style slipper boots at Charlotte Russe for $5. NO, it's NOT a typo - Five Dollars.

Last but not least, I continued my on-going investigation into how to get the most durable AND hassle-free nails currently available. This HUnt started in Orlando, when bored, I hopped into my rented Sebring convertible and went to the nearest nail salon. Once there, I quizzed the nail tech on the various options - gel or acrylic. We decided on a full set of acrylics for $30 and I was one happy camper for 4 days.

After the initial honeymoon period, the ugly regrowth bump emerged and I got a poor set of fills at the local CT mall which set me back $30.

Disillusioned, I paid $15 to have them take off after an unsuccessful 3 day attempt to soak them off at home. The removal process was the nail tech drilling-through the acrylic and then removing the left-overs with a Metro Card. No kidding, really! He managed not to hurt me. Once I arrived home, I applied a coat of Sally Hansen's Gel. The alternative is to pay $42 at the Adam Broderick Salon for professionals to apply the CND [Creative Nail Design] gel - mixed with a nail color] on me for $42. For now, the cheapie at-home experiment continues. Results in - sometime next week.

Pictoral of the Week: Orlando, NYC, CT

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY


This week included time at the Orlando airport, where we saw a Christmas Tree that rivals the one in Rock Center, followed by time in the CT country home office and a visit to McGeorgie's Antiques in Newtown, CT, where Carl let me have the two piece turquoise silk an pearl embroidery creation of my dreams for $50! I'll be talking about that some more later next week in "the Hunt", and will wear it to a New Year's Eve Black Tie in the country.
After recovering from airplanes and hotel bar food, I got my crazy-fun day in NYC, which included lunch with the Duckies
down in MeatPacking, trolling through Chelsea,
and being dropped in the fantasyland aka Camilla Dietz Bergeron’s office.
Camilla’s “office” is what I love about the fashion world. On the outside, it’s an imposing white façade on Madison Avenue, but the inside is the real treat. It's like the NYC clubs I loved in the late eighties - you had to know where they were and once you were in, it was a whole world of its own. Once upstairs at C.D.B., after getting out of an old time, rather scary Parisian style cage lift, you’re transported to a gracious home, with thick carpets, shiny glass cases, fine Estate jewelry everywhere, and best of all, Camilla, Gus and the rest of the staff’s unerring Southern Hospitality.
Today, some pics that best represent the week, and a peek into Camilla’s world.

Tomorrow, my chat with Camilla about a very special collection of unique pieces she has by Aldo Cipullo, complete with a mini history lesson, courtesy of Camilla herself.
I'll give you a teaser - a little-known fact: Cartier takes the credit for inventing the iconic "Love Bracelet", but it was actually Aldo Cipullu's who created it for them in 1969. When you study the pieces [sneak peek here] and in tomorrow's video, you'll notice his signature look is evident in the pieces in Camilla's collection.

SpotLight: Mary Alice Stephenson -Style Expert and Celebrity Stylist

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

To outsiders, Fashion has the bad rap of being an industry rife with snotty anorexics who are heavy on drama and who could use a little dose of nice. That happens to be untrue and I'm devoting a series of Q&A's to dispel that notion, which starting next week run on Mondays. Every Monday, I'll be Spotlighting a fashionista who is talented and personable.

First up to kick-off the series - Mary Alice Stephenson, Style Expert and Celebrity Stylist. We met years ago, when she was an Assistant Editor at Allure Magazine. She was one of the nicest people who walked into the Michael Kors showroom I worked in and most definitely not "flaky"in any way shape or form. I first noticed her because she looked like a model [height and face]. After talking to her, I picked-up on her irreverent sense of humor about everything [self-included] and her razor sharp eye for fashion. She had me laughing five minutes into what would have otherwise have been a routine ho-hum market appointment.

She worked with some of the coolest photographer in the business: Matthew Rolston, Peter Lindbergh, and Richard Burbridge, trained under styling legend Polly Mellon's watchful eye while at Allure, and been a fashion editor at Vogue, Marie Claire, and currently, Harper's Bazaar. On the commercial side of the business, here's just a partial listing:

-MAC Cosmetics,

-Swarovski,

-Saks Fifth Avenue,

-Mastercard

-Calvin Klein

- Victoria’s Secret Beauty

-Talbots

-Old Navy.

M.A. is a concept person who has the knack of being able to be an "incisive yet approachable personality", meaning you can count on her to tell you the truth, but in a nice way."While searching for truth in fashion on the Tube, you may have caught her on any of the following: MTV, VH1, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’ Early Show, Fox News, Entertainment Tonight, Extra, E!,The Style Channel - the list goes on.

It's this combination of editorial and commercial work in the fashion world topped with lots of experience as a top celebrity stylist that gives her real street cred.

The list of stars Mary Alice has styled reads like a "Who's Who" of Hollywood.

On the List:

-Jennifer Lopez

-Sarah Jessica Parker

-Halle Berry, Beyonce

-Renee Zellweger

-Drew Barrymore

-Nicole Kidman

-Cate Blanchet

-Scarlett Johansson

-Jennifer Aniston

The hardest and funnest part of putting this post together was deciding which images to run.







There are so many that they may spill over into their own photo pictorial, which I've got scheduled for the weekends.

I was impressed at the work portfolio she's put together in the last decade [How could I not?] and recently got to ask a few questions as she sped home in a taxi.

As we were crunched for time, I focused on the recent "I Remain You Desire" Photo Exhibit Party, staring herself, supermodel Lindsey Wixson and photographer Gabrielle Revere.

Gabrielle Revere, like Mary Alice, works in the celebrity and fashion worlds. She shoots for clients such as Sony Music, Entertainment Weekly, New York Magazineand Life.

Mazdack Rassi is referred to as "the Milk Man" by industry insiders, appropriately so, as he's the founder of the 80,000sq. ft. studio in NYC's Meatpacking District that's the go-to place for fashion editorial shoots.

TheFE: What was special about this particular party? There are so many.... You said earlier that it was a more intimate gathering?

M.A: The timing, location and who was involved in it. It was during Fashion Week and Sotheby's understands how fashion permeates pop culture.

What's always amazed me about Mary Alice is that she has the knack for speaking really quickly yet so clearly that you don't miss a word. She also always has a huge smile on her face and engages - nothing phony hear. Talent aside, this is why I like her so much.

I’ve worked with Gabrielle in the past, think she’s talented and Lindsey’s a star. I think it was smart of Sotheby’s to have these little intimate soirees – it was sweet, it was good. I’d love to do a series on this. In the past, Sotheby's have had great exhibitions such as [the one on] Resurrection, the Vintage store.

Lindsey is ranked #12 of the top 50 models according to www.models.comand has representation in NYC [Marilyn Mgmt], London [Storm] and LA [Vision LA]. In addition to all of her editorial work, she walks just about every show in the bi-annual fashion week trifekta, most notably Miu Miu, Balenciaga, and Louis Vuitton - in Paris, New York - Jason Wu and Marc Jacobs, Milano- Iceberg and Missoni. Although this is an impressive lineup by any standards, editorial "stars" tend to have the life expectancy of a fruit fly. I wanted to know if Lindsey was different.

TheFE: Before I flipped through your electronic press kit, I knew you'd worked with pretty much everyone in the world of fashion and celebrity. I'm still a die-hard fan of the original "Supers" - Linda E., Christy T., Naomi, Kate.
[From Left: Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Polly Mellon, Christy Turlington]
Most girls [models] just don't stand out like these larger than life stars. What's special about Lindsey? These photos Gabrielle shot of her?

M.A: Lindsey is really current, kind of this girl who’s on the cusp of becoming a supermodel and yet on the cusp of becoming a woman. She still very much looks like a kooky little girl within the Glamazon, a Lolita.

Gabrielle has so much exuberance and personality and she gets that from her subjects. It was just about Lindsey being Lindsey and you get about whom she is.

Her imperfections [are what] make her perfect.

TheFE: Thanks for squeezing this in - in a car ride, no less!

Photography Credits

Exhibit Photos, Gabrielle Revere

Party Event Photos, Andrew Rothschild

Photos from Mary Alice's Portfolio, MICHAEL FLUTIE’S OFFICE

TALENT BRAND MANAGEMENT

Cecil Beaton - The Art of the Scrapbook, launches Monday, November 22

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

Over the years, I've developed a lasting obsession with coffee table books published by Taschen, Abbeville Press, Abrams, and most recently, Assouline, after meeting M. Assouline at Book Expo in LA. two years ago.
Although I will always love fashion and continue to report on it, my taste for clothes has veered to classic "basics": cashmere pullovers, oversize turtlenecks, LaCoste shirts, moccasins, dark jeans and lots of well cut navy and black jackets.
What really interests me on a personal level now is fine jewelry and books. Those items are always on my list to Santa.

Sometimes, I can't wait for Santa to check his list and I throw caution to the wind. The home office book shelf is groaning under the weight of the books I've collected. It all started when my friend, Laura Wood, my agent at Fine Print Literary Managment, gifted me Pucci - A Renaissance in Fashion, by Shirley Kennedy. I've consigned many designer bags, shoes, and clothes over the years, but I have never parted with a single of my precious coffee table tomes. In a recent conversation with Paul Wilmot, we reflected on the decline of magazine print, but cheered up when we began discussing the tactile delights of spending time with our favorite coffee table books.
Last year, I went through an interiors book kick, spurred by a conversation with Interior Decorator friend, Demi Schimenti, who thought my newly decorated home was "a little bit Bunny Williams". That evening, I ordered: Bunny Williams' Point of View, by Dan Shaw, New Paris Interiors, edited by Angelika Taschen, Eileen Gray by Philippe Garner.
The year before, it was jewelry: Verdura, by Patricia Corbet, Seaman Schepps by Amanda Vaill and Janet Zapata, and Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair With Jewelry, by Francois Curiel.

2010 is about fashion designers and fashion icons. The chase started with my coming across Brendan Gill's Tallulah [Holt, Reinhard and Winston, Inc.], which was in an antique dealer friend's [Cromlix & Co.] delicious cache of treasures he sells from his barn-showroom. I was there to pick up a vintage Little Red Riding Hood Cape I'd fallen in love with on my previous visit and had come back to buy. Bending over to inspect an emerald green chaise longue, I saw the Tallulah Bankhead book on the shelf and grabbed it. Tallulah's one of those style icons fashion designers never tire of referencing and flat Internet images were not enough for me.

Although she Tallulah Bankhead was undeniably a talented actress, it was the images that had me captivated, especially those of her shot by Cecil Beaton, one of fashion's most stylish photographers ever.

Mr. Beaton had a dream career which included working as a staff photographer for Vanity Fair and Vogue, photographing celebrities in Hollywood, and later serving as the official photographer to the Royal Family. Assouline has published a book that will be the perfect choice for your most discerning fashion friend, just in time for Christmas.As the Assouline press release states,
"Mr. Beaton was instrumental in inventing the cult of the celebrity image while pushing the boundaries of his art form with innovative techniques and staging".

Inside this book, are Beaton's clippings from magazines, newspapers, and playbills, which give you insight into this remarkable photographer's creative process. THis is the first time they've been reproduced.
"To flip through the pages is to enter a fabulous and surreal party where Tallulah Bankhead rubs shoulders with a bust of Voltaire and a portrait of Stravinsky; where Beaton’s first trip on the Queen Mary coincides with Queen Elizabeth’s coronation."

The book is more than just a collection of great images. What sets this one apart is that flipping through, you see how Beaton’s scrapbooks allowed him to play with pictures he had taken (and perhaps those he wished he had) "in the dreamspace of artifice that was always his favorite setting." It really is the precursor to the modern day "mood board" all fashion designers have in their studios.
To view inside the Beaton book, cut and paste this special hotlink into your browser:
http://www.shopassouline.com/9782759404728.html
A handbag or cashmere sweater is all well and fine, but a book such as Cecil Beaton - The Art of the Scrapbook, like a diamond, is forever.

Details and Where to Purchase

Cloth over board in slipcase • $250 • 210€ • 170£ • 392 pages • 11.5” x 14.4” • 29 x 36.5 cm • 218 illustrations
ISBN – 9782759404728

Available on www.shopassouline.com and at Assouline Boutiques.

SKINCARE: INDIAN SUMMER BEAUTY With FEMME SCIENCE, SHU UEMURA, LOLA , POP, CHANEL, and ANASTASIA's BROW KIT

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY
Labor Day's around the corner, and with it comes Indian summer. While I absolutely love these last few weeks of warm weather, it always gets me thinking about how to fortify my skin for the tough winter ahead, and what kind of makeup I should wear for fall, once my skin’s in tip top shape.

Before even considering color trends, start with EXFOLIATION. This is especially important if you’re guilty of having indulged in too much pool time these past few months. EXFOLIATION is 1st + foremost. I love FEMME SCIENCE’S NEW FACE MASK. It’s got green tea [a trendy ingredient], Kelp, Tea Tree, Rosemary and Witch Hazel in it. The antioxidants did a very nice job clarifying my skin. After 2 treatments, I looked as if I’d just had an hour-long facial. Women’s skincare is new to the more established MENSCIENCE ANDROCEUTICALS Co, but if they keep rolling-out products as good as this mask, FEMME SCIENCE will capture a slice of the women’s market as effectively as MENSCIENCE did in the mens' grooming arena. Free shipping for orders over $40 and their rapid-fire shipping policy is a big plus. www.menscience.comand www.femmescience.com

NEXT, even though your skin already feels great, it’s time to start using a heavier moisturizer, to prep your skin for the coming weather. My new fave in the MOISTURIZING department is SHU UEMURA’s PHYTO-BLACK LIFT FIRMING ANTI-WRINKLE CREAM. It’s rich and you feel the moisture, thanks to the plethora of natural oils in it. If you’re ultra-dry like me – or have “normal skin”, this is the one to get.
I discovered PHYTO-BLACK thanks to a summer visit to Farmington, CT, home of MISS PORTER’S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS. While desperately seeking a Starbucks, I stumbled onto this beauty junkies’ nirvana. KZEN BEAUTY is THE PLACE to go if you’re seeking quality skin care, fabulous makeup and top shelf customer service.
Better yet, KZEN BEAUTY is running a huge sale so don’t waste any time and start picking up some deals right now. Their summer clearance is on – how does 75% off sound? Also, spend $30 and you get a jar of SHU’s PHYTO BLACK for FREE.

Another fun feature – and why I spent close to 2 hours there on my visit, was that they’re always running little events that are too good to say “no” to. The next round of events conflict with NY Fashion Week, but if you’re not at the Tents, make it your mission to get over to Farmington if you can or at least visit their site at www.kzenbeauty.com.
Coming up at KZEN: Appleseed resurfacing peels, facials, microdermabrasion and much more.

Now that my skin’s feeling up to snuff, after poring over the big 3 [Vogue, Harper’s, and W], I’m going to go for the red lip as my fall makeup statement.
W’s September “TRUE BLOOD” spread shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and featuring LINDSAY WIXSON’s delicious gap-toothed smile, is visual eye candy, but I’ll be keeping it on the lighter side.
I’m leaning towards dropping into BEAUTY 360 and trying on LOLA’s PLUMPING LIPS “MARILYN” lipstick, in a bright cherry red for the days I’m feeling a little “MARILYN” and am going for fall’s LADY LIKE TREND
For TWIGGY days, I’ll go with my new spiky POP falsie lashes and a dash of CHANEL sparkly nude gloss in #93 and it’s a more MINIMALIST TROUSERS AND SOFT SHIRT day.
For days [and there’s always one] during fashion week, when I just wear jeans, a tee and a blazer, either of these two classic beauty looks work. Whatever look you go with, don't forget to always have your BROWNS perfectly groomed. Beauty gurus have been going on forever about how "brows frame your face". Just look at how much attention has been paid to famous brows over the years: Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Liz Taylor, Brooke Shields. BROW QUEEN, ANASTASIA [Soare], MAKES IT EASY TO ACHIEVE PERFECT-LOOKING BROWS WITH HER EASY TO USE 5-ELEMENTS BROW KIT. She's debuting it today, on HSN at 2:00 and 8:00p.m.EST.

Beauty 360 products are available on their parents’ website, www.cvs.com
NEXT UP: MEN'S GROOMING TRENDS FOR FALL

MADONNA – THE MATERIAL GIRL COLLECTION - Where's the Grit?

TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

Yesterday, a whacky turn of events landed me at that most dreaded of destinations- Macy's Herald Square. I say dreaded, because I fear overly large places, such as Macy's H.S and any Home Depot or Lowe's.
As usual it was chaos in and out, but I was dying to check out the MATERIAL GIRL line Madonna and Lourdes had whipped up for Macy's and Iconix.
Once there, I started to wrap my head around just how huge a gamble the ICONIX Group is taking on this line. It"s priced to sell to the teen crowd whose mamas were sneaking into clubs when the Mat Girl came out w/ 'Everybody' in 1982
There were my old eighties youth closet faves: lowcutsnakeskin flats, lots of cobalt blue, the rippedup 1 shoulder gray flashdance sweatshirt,the lace tees and gray jean jacket w/ stud detail, like the one I spent my week's food money for back in 1985. I'm not sure how the lame bags fit in and the lame seventies boob tube tops, but it's inspired by - not a literal walk thru her East Village closet back then, right?
I can't fault their pricing strategy either. An entire outfit comes in at $64: plaid shirt, bandeau, leggings, tutu skirt.

WHAT WAS MISSING WAS THE GRIT AND HUNGER THAT GAVE MADONNA THAT EDGE WE ALL LOVED AND COULD RELATE TO WHEN SHE BROKE OUT WITH 'EVERYBODY' and then 'LUCKY STAR'. A BLOGGER, 'SHANK EXPOSE' PUTS IT BEST, "

I love how Madonna was so so hungry here. She's giving it! She's like...I'm gonna be a star bitches! And that [what] she became!

To give Iconix and the Madonna-Lourdes team some credit, HOW CAN you bring-back a moment and the feelings that were part and parcel of the person Madonna was then? YOU CAN'T. Because this is so, what you end-up with is a shadow of the IN-YOUR-FACE persona that thousands of young girls [including moi] couldn't get enough of back then.
As far as the shopping experience, one suggestion is to play early Madonna tracks on a continuous loop in the shopping area and to have video screens scattered around playing the early raw concert videos such as 'Lucky Star', I've posted here.
[Hey, maybe this was all being done, but when I walked-in yesterday, there was a forgettable [not Madonna] soundtrack in the background.






THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PART OF THE BRANDING EXERCISE IS HOW WELL TAYLOR MOMSEN AND PHOTO FASHION GENIUS, TOM MUNRO PULL -OFF MADGE'S EARLY-YEARS 'TUDE IN THE ADS. Tom's one of Madonna's long-time collaborators. Check out their joint exhibit on www.allaboutmadonna.com
I'm passing on the Material Girl for Macy's line. Instead, I'm doing my own hommage to this extraordinary woman. I'm off to an Ashtanga Yoga class and I'm wearing a few black rubber bracelets I dug up from back in the day.

*For a yoga class that's starting to get me towards my goal of Madonna-like arms, check-out one of the classes at www.buddhimatyoga.com