Blast-off into summer with GILT GROUPE Summer Shopping!

TEXT, VIVIAN G. KELLY-VAN ZUTPHEN
Images, Courtesy of LaForce and Stevens
We love the Gilt Group. The concept's a winner - exclusivity [invite-only], the best brands, and budget-worthy pricing.
The only catch is that you have to hover at your computer at 11:50a.m. EST so that you can jump on top of the items you really want - before the other guy out there does.

Granted, this is a BIT easier on the weekend, which is probably why GG is running their “Get Set for Summer” sale, running from Friday, May 14th – Sunday, May 16th.


WHAT: The members-only online retailer will be offering everything you need – from apparel and accessories to kids and home – in an all-encompassing shopping experience to ensure you are prepared for every summer adventure.

We trolled-through and picked-out our favorites.

PICK 1: Accessories [the right summer hat]
WHO: Aussie designer Helen Kaminski
WHAT: raffia-straw fedoras, caps and floppy sunhats that perfect for the summer. Handmade in the tropical paradise of Madagascar, her collection also includes a variety of woven totes, satchels and clutches.
Added bonus: she's a resource for cute leather purses with buckle and studding details.


Pick 2: Men’s:
WHO: Park & Ronen
Parke & Ronen’s swim trunks have been on our radar screen since attending a long-ago show at Mercedes Benz Miami Swim Week.

Pick 3: Everything You need for AT-HOME ENTERTAINING
WHAT: Gilt HOME. The list includes: Missoni Home beach towels, Loll Designs outdoor furniture, Hampton Popcorn, and Omaha Steaks.

ADDED BONUS: In addition on Thursday, May 13th, guest Gilt blogger designer Malia Mills will offer tips on bathing suit shopping and the best suit for your body type.

We've just touched on what you can score this weekend, so be sure to reserve some computer time and loginto www.giltgroupe.com to have your summer act together by Memorial Day.

AGENT PROVOCATEUR'S Sexy Swim Line for summer 2010

TEXT, VIVIAN G. KELLY-VAN ZUTPHEN
Images of the Agent Provocateur Collection, Courtesy of Peoples' Revolution

One of my major pastimes as a teenager growing up by the beach in Old Greenwich, was to hit Tod's Point at every available opportunity, and hang-out with other teens and people watch. While the other girls' were busy criticizing the nearly "10" figures of fellow classmates, I was busy dissecting the bikinis and one-pieces they were wearing.
One of the most popular styles back then was the keyhole bikini halter, popularized by the iconic BAIN DE SOLEIL woman. Naturally, I had to have one too, in that same chocolate brown. Since then, swim styles have veered from the cheerfully sleazy BodyGlove to bikinis the size of dental floss to one pieces that have so many cutout that they look like a block of swiss cheese that's been attacked by a mouse family.
I gave a big sigh of relief when I took a look at the images Peoples' Revolution [the NYC PR firm headed up by Kelly Cutrone of Bravo's "Kell on Earth"] sent. For summer 2010, Agent Provocateur presents a bold swimwear collection in punchy tones and figure-defining forms. Hopefully, these are a portent of what's to come once we make our annual trip in July to cover Mercedes Benz Swim Fashion Week at the Raleigh Hotel in South Beach. *

THE COLLECTION STARS

The ‘PORTIA’ swimsuit and bikini relive 1970s glamour. These slinky black and silver wet-look snake-print numbers are made for lounging about poolside. The chic bandeau bikini top has a halterneck rouleau that can be tied under the bust or around the neck, and is paired with a ruched hipster brief. If you think a bathing-suit doesn't need to have any construction features, forget it. Only the most perfect of bodies don't need a little bit of help in this department. Both of these have inner wiring that help to create and enhance shape.

For you more tailored types, there's the ‘TATUM’ - a cut-out matte black swimsuit with a waist belt that creates an hour-glass illusion. Gold ring detailing adds further glamour and is placed strategically on the bust apex and breastbone. If you're wanting color, try the ‘TATUM BIKINI’ in shocking cerise pink.

For classic and classy vamps, there's the matte black ‘RISA’. The combination of a plunge-line bikini top and hipster hot pant make it a figure-fixing classic. The pink stitching and gold Agent Provocateur buttons are nice signature details.

If your M.O. is to make an entrance, you're going with ‘ZAHARA’. This is" one of Agent Provocateur’s most seductive silhouettes to date." This look-at-me suit has laced corsetry down the front and a ferocious red underlining. Throw-in cleavage enhancing collar-style bust cups, a boned structure and a vampy back zip detail. Yoohoo, Kim Kardashian, we'd love to see you in this one!

Regardless which style is "you", don't forget to spritz on some Agent Provocateur fragrance to complete your look. As Rachel Zoe says, fragrance really is "the finishing touch to your outfit".

www.agentprovocateur.com

TRUE RELIGION – THE JEANS CO. THAT BECAME AN EMPIRE

TEXT, VIVIAN G. KELLY
Runway Images, Dan & Corinna Lecca


Time & Place: Mid-July at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim week,
In the tents at the Raleigh

While we were there for the purpose of covering swim, CEO and Head Designer, JEFFREY LUBBELL gave us pause. It’s rare that a company has the fortune to be headed up by an individual who is: glamorous, a good designer, has a strong a vision, and can talk knowledgeably about the numbers.
Admittedly, we had to mentally kick ourselves to avoid falling into the temptation of pegging T.R. “just another LA jeans company”. That was BEFORE we spoke with Mr. Lubell backstage ½ an hour before the True Religion Swim show went off.

BACKSTAGE WITH CEO AND FOUNDER JEFFREY LUBELL –
FE: What’s True Religion all about?

JEFFREY LUBELL: My inspiration is the seventies, the [Grateful] Dead. I’m living in that time.

FE: What are some of your products’ biggest selling points?

J. LUBELL: Our aesthetic is reflected in the fit, the comfort, the fabric, and the styling.


FE: You’re really a big business. How many stores do you have?

JL: WE have around 200 stores. We’re a publicly traded company. Wall Street has guidance for us to have 67 stores by year-end.

A STRONG RETAIL BET/ON THE FLOOR
We did some investigating and turns out T.R. has held up pretty well in what amounts to a financial tsunami in the retail sector these last 24 month.[see chart].
The sales associate manning the groovy SUBURBAN COUTURE boutique in Ridgefield, CT stated that she and her “very curvy” Mother both have found “a perfect fit” and only wear T.R. jeans. [No, the store carries quite a few lines other than T. R. so we didn’t view this as a sales ploy – at all.]
At Saks Fifth Avenue in Stamford, CT, there were some T.R. lace front jeans on the sales rack, but we dare you to mention any brand that HASN’T been on sale [other than Chanel or Louis Vuitton – maybe].
Our last stop – Macy’s, at the Danbury Fair Mall [CT]. We hit the fragrance counter, sampled T.R. men’s and women’s and purchased the men’s roll on deodorant. Cost, $15 for 2.75 oz. The woody fragrance brought back memories of s our friends’ cooler than cool older college brothers on their way out to a round of parties, as we looked on wishing we were @ 5 years older.

To read more about this brand, visit the official website, www.truereligionbrandjeans.com

JILLICIOUS Cosmetics’ NEW LOOK

Text, Vivian G. Kelly
Portrait of Jillian, Richard Spiegel

JILLIAN ALTIT, the brains behind this little line is a makeup artist with 15 years experience. She’s a former Bobbi Brown protégé and like her famous former boss, she’s got plenty of celebrity clients: Gabriella Union, and Jennifer Garner to name just a few.
In an article that was syndicated in the
Knight Ridder Newspaper chain, writer Madeleine Marr wrote,
“If you want ... Jennifer Garner's lips: Jillicious has its own version of the increasingly popular lip plumpers that increase blood flow. Bada Bing Tinglers ($12.50), nonsticky flavored and scented balms that do the thickening with menthol. The downside to most of them is that they tingle AND burn. One even gave us a rash on the inside of our lips.
Happily, Bada Bing Tinglers let you have the Garner/Jolie lips MINUS the pain.

We met Jillian at the Press Lounge at the Ritz Carlton, just down the block from the Raleigh, during Mercedes-Benz Miami Swim Week. We walked into the plush lounge around 2p.m, to escape the 100+ degree heat. We were more than happy to plop down in a chair and let Jillian do her magic and to hear about her line.
Jillian gave us a few tips as she expertly applied it on us.
1. “You won’t need breath mints with this. Bada Bing leaves you with a cool feeling AND freshens your breath.”
2. “Start with a neutral colored lip liner, as close to the contour you were born with. Put the balm to the center of top and bottom lip, not all over.”

JILLICIOUS is a micro line, which like the wildly successful BENEFIT line, only got the key elements in it. In other words, just the items you’d carry in your purse. We road tested the BADA BING TINGLERS– for fresh breath and that patent leather-like wet look you usually only see in beauty photo editorials in foreign Vogues.

REVAMP in the works
Jillicious is going green AND Jillian’s she lowering the price point as a response to the economy. Seems everyone’s doing the same in this rocky economy. Unless your brand is called Hermes or Vuitton, you’d be smart to do the same.

ROAD TEST –
Jillian used Marshmallow highlighter and khaki shadow and liner and Lemon twist lip-gloss.
HOW IT PERFORMED: 10pm check – the eyes stayed put – eye shadow and eyeliner both. The lip-gloss needed reapplications, but not as often as our usual Chanel and Aveda glosses.
A FEW LAST WORDS: While we liked the shiny shadow [new for us] it didn’t come off easily with the usual makeup remover pads we used.
*We called Jillian the next day to report how we liked the line. She suggested using an OIL-based remover – baby oil or Vaseline would work too.

THE VERDICT: With the glitter, shine, Green initiative, and reasonable price points, we see this line playing very nicely to a young crowd – from Tweens up through College Students. It’s not a bad sector to play to being that this age group always seems to have some extra spending $ in their Coach pocketbooks.

WHERE TO GET IT
The website is currently under construction to reflect Jillian’w new eco initiative. In the meantime, for more information and to purchase some pieces, contact
info@jillicious.com
The website address is: www.jillicious.com

ED HARDY’S EDIBLE BIKINI AND THE 2010 SWIM COLLECTION AT THE RALEIGH

Text, Vivian G. Kelly
Image at Sushi Samba and Makeup For Ever Backstage, Richard Spiegel
The big question is, “Is the bloom off the Hardy tattoo rose?
We started the day with Ed Hardy, with an 8:30a.m. wake-up call asking us to remember to be at SUSHI SAMBA on Lincoln Drive at 10:30am to attend the press preview of the unveiling of the Ed Hardy edible bikini. A young Farrah Fawcett look-alike sported the Carmen Miranda fruit salad concoction shaped into a string bikini. Although CHRISTIAN AUDIGIER is the Creative Director for the umbrella Ed Hardy brand, Swim Creative
Director, Fawn Arthur of Sea & Sun Swimwear, and Corporate Pastry Chef, Sergio Navarro of SUSHISAMBA restaurants, were responsible for “Miami’s first edible bikini”. In the salad were beets, blueberries and banana leaves.

It was a replica of the 2010 “Trellis” suit, inspired by the urban streets and influenced by Japan, Brazil and Peru.
The early morning unveiling was a tease for that evening’s (7 p.m. – Ed Hardy’s Swimwear Fashion Show at the Raleigh Hotel /Cabaña Grande).

ABOUT SUSHISAMBA
Location:
600 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, Florida.
The Menu: inventive fare that unites precise Japanese technique, bold Brazilian flavors and traditional Peruvian culinary traditions on one plate.
For more information, visit www.sushisamba.com

THE ED HARDY SWIMWEAR FASHION SHOW
TIME& PLACE: @ 7:00p.m., at the Raleigh Hotel /Cabaña Grande

Hours later, we sat in the tents waiting in the club like atmosphere with celebrity DJ IRIE spinning away. The models walking the show added to the party atmosphere by encouraging the crowd to get rowdy, which they were more than happy to do, from start to finish.
RUSK and MAKEUP FOREVER did a great job styling the hair – eighties inspired Mohawks with plenty of backcombing and heavily lined eyes and some metallic shadows that matched the suits.
As expected, styles were scant and there were lots of prints and plenty of logos thrown around on what little fabric there was. By contrast, the men wore oversized board shorts that don’t require a model’s physique. It wouldn’t be Ed Hardy without sculls and overblown roses and a generous sprinkling of bling. The award for most distinctive suit goes to the metallic black bikini with red hearts and the Hardy-ism“love kills” splashed across it. For some added bling, there were ample amounts of accessories - huge patent leather cuffs, thick gold chains and shoulder length feather earrings. The most elegant suit was the black and gold cut out one piece with a giant gold lame crown splashed on the front.
A SUGGESTION FOR NEXT TIME – The scarves were a good start, but we’d like to see a few cover-ups to go with the suits and a little more editing of the line.
ABOUT ED HARDY SWIMWEAR
Created by French designer Christian Audigier, Ed Hardy is distributed by Sea and Sun, the premier manufacturer of women's designer swimwear. The name Ed Hardy is a well-known brand amongst celebrities from around the world including Madonna, Shakira, Janet Jackson, David Beckham, Eva Longoria, Kim Kardashian, Jessica Alba, Christina Milian and Hillary Swank. The collection includes swimwear (retail $86-$250), beach towels, surfboards and boogie boards.
For more information please visit www.edhardyswimwear.com

THE GOTTEX SHOW – GIDEON OBERSON’S LAST COLLECTION

Text, Vivian G. Kelly

Catalogue images, courtesy of Atelier Public Relations

TIME & PLACE
Friday, July 18, 2009, @7p.m. at the Raleigh Pool
Saturday, July 18, 2009, @ 2pm at the Miami Convention Center

CHANGING OF THE GUARD
The SEA CORPORATION [Swim Experts Alliance] is the umbrella Company for many brands including GOTTEX.
We met the new designer, MOLLY GRAD, whose appointment to Design Director at Gottex made news at WWD on June 18th. She has a little breathing room, as GIDEON OBERSON had to produce one more collection before exiting “to pursue other interests”. Gideon is the Karl Lagerfeld of Swimwear and we will miss his gorgeous suits and dramatic cover-ups.


We met MOLLY over drinks the night before the Gottex show at a table by the Raleigh pool in between shows. Also at the table were DONALD J. PLINER, LISA PLINER and LOU IACOVELLI, Co-owner of the NYC based boutique PR firm, ATELIER PR. The Pliners' empire is another longtime Atelier client
Molly’s designs will debut on the New York runways.
STAY TUNED for our pre-show interview coverage with Molly in August.
Gideon willbe a hard act to follow, but we’re looking forward to the new direction Molly will be taking the brand in.


THE NEXT DAY – THE SHOW HIGHLIGHTS @ THE CONVENTION CENTER
Although our focus was directed to the GOTTEX brand, there were some nice prints in the PROFILE by GOTTEX brand. The black grouping was strong if you’re looking for a well constructed one piece. The blurred brown giraffe prints are a good addition to your swim closet if you don’t have any skin prints in your closet.
THE COVER UPS are hard to beat – any suit you choose has a cover-up that looks perfect with it and is part of the reason that a Gottex suit is more of an OUTFIT than just another swimsuit.
THE COST $ : In the low $200’s which is on par with may other top of the line swim companies.

Gideon showed some hot wave prints and a twist front bandeau bikini that was spot-on in mimicking the RTW trend for neon brights Marc Jacobs set ½ a year ago at his acclaimed fall 2009 show.
Solid suits tend to show better but when it comes to prints, Gideon doesn’t miss a step. If you’re more oriented to graphics, have a look at the digital multi-colored graphics print.
BEST IN SHOW: the Reflections 1001 grouping in multi. The open caftan and embroidered one shoulder maillot were great as was the high neck cut out suit in the Paradise 1004 grouping and the Golden City 1022 grouping that had a strong Greek Antiquities feeling to it right in synch with the ongoing trend for Roman Gladiator sandals.
REAL WOMEN/REAL SUITS
While we love the skimpy tangas and bikinis we usually see, there’s the comfort factor to consider. At Gottex, there’s always full seat coverage that manages not to look dowdy. Even the more daring suits with illusion work have coverage in all the right places.

MARA HOFFMAN – the dark horse of fashion whose moment is coming

DATE: Early August, pre-NY Fashion Week

Text, Vivian G Kelly
Images, courtesy of Dan & Corinna Lecca

We’re on our 2nd of probably 6 issues of The Fashion Calendar devoted to the upcoming NY Fashion Week – the spring 2010 collections.
All told, we’ll probably attend between 50 – 80 shows and presentations in the course of the 10-day event.
One of the designers we’re most looking forward to seeing is MARA HOFFMAN. She’s not “a big name” as in she’s not insanely wealthy like a Ralph Lauren or impossibly cool like Marc Jacobs with powerhouse KCD Public Relations running the show and doing their all to preserve the air of exclusivity that surrounds all of Marc’s shows.
SO, what IS it about Mara Hoffman? The answer is simple – she’s a good designer. This fact dawned on us as we sat in her RTW presentation a year ago. We liked the spring 2009 collection but didn't catch the fall 2009 show, losing patience with the musical chairs game that seemed to be going on in the tent. In other words, there were around 8 chairs for something like 20+ editors circling about like vultures. Being that there were 2 other presentations taking place in that time slot, we walked out and hopped the subway over to something else out in the Forbidden Zone.
This season, though, our attitude towards this show isn’t as cavalier. What changed our minds was the slam bang SWIM SHOW Mara showed during Mercedes-Benz Miami Swim week. It was hands down the best show of the week – easily. We were already aboard the fan wagon but a visit to the DASH boutique on 8th and Washington sealed the deal. The Kardashian sisters’ offerings were varied, trending to the young and sexy, in keeping with their Miami and LA clientele. Most memorable were the outfits that jumped out at us during our 20 minute visit. Our associate, RICHARD SPIEGEL, from www.thefashiontribune.com agreed with us that the Mara pieces were not only the best in store, they were also reasonably priced.


MORE ABOUT MARA
Mara Hoffman is a New York fashion designer who launched her line, Mara Hoffman, in 2000. She’s a grad of the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London and Parsons School of Design in New York City. Ms. Hoffman early collections featured hand-dyed couture pieces. Her current collections concentrate heavily on original silk prints inspired from nature, world travel and fantasy.
THE CELEBRITY FACTOR
Celebrity fans include Kate Hudson, Nelly Furtado, Nicole Richie, Mischa Barton, and Drew Barrymore.



WHERE TO BUY

At top retailers worldwide, including L'Eclaireur in Paris, Henri Bendel in New York City, DASH, Miami, and Holt Renfrew in Canada

For more information, visit www.marahoffman.com

MARYSIA SWIMWEAR, THE 2010 COLLECTION AT THE RALEIGH THE THEME: RUFFLES AND BEIGE

THE THEME: RUFFLES AND BEIGE

Text, Vivian G. Kelly
Runway Images, Dan and Corinna Lecca
Image of Designer, Richard Spiegel
TIME & PLACE:
Sometime after 9:00p.m., Thursday, July 16th
The OASIS tent at the Raleigh Pool, Miami Beach

As the show was in the Oasis [the sandy venue] it was appropriate that the girls walked out barefoot as opposed to in the usual stilettos.
RETRO touches such as the bubble rubber beach caps our Mother wore to the pool in the sixties and oversize Carrie Donovan style sunglasses added a bit of fun.

HIGHPOINT: the day glow-front halter pink maillot

Everything’s an alteration – unless you are lucky enough to afford couture. That would include bathing suits. No, it’s NOT crazy to have your seamstress alter your bathing suit. More than one model was tugging on bottoms that seemed a trifle baggy, during the show.
ONGOING TREND: By the time the show was over, we could say with confidence that the ROMPER is a trend that has legs and a fun addition to your warm weather wardrobe.

THE DESIGNER
We met designer, MARIA DOBRZANSKA REEVES a few days later, at the XTRA LIFE LYCRA SHOW a few nights later. We’ve always been fans of young designers, and were pleasantly surprised to find out that MARIA is just that. Although the collection she showed this season was thematic and heavily retro, she shows promise. We’re looking forward to her next collection.
To see more designs, visit www.marysiaswim.com

THE CIA MARITIMA SWIM 2010 Collection

TIME & PLACE: Sunday, July 19, 2009, 8:45p.m.
The Beachway venue at the Raleigh

Text, Vivian G. Kelly
Images, Dan & Corinna Lecca

Finally, some accessories! Designer BENNY ROSSET used accessories on the runway, and good ones at that. There was a Grecian feeling to the collection imparted by the one shoulder cream dress and “Artemis print”, Greek key gold hardware detailing and prints, and patent gladiators with interesting fishnet insets. There was a touch of Cleopatra thrown in thanks to the hammered gold breastplate necklaces and gold bracelets coiling up the models’ forearms. The vast majority of the collection showed originality. We love Pucci, but the house of Pucci does Pucci best.
That section was short though and Benny got back on track with some vibrant coral pieces, Greek key prints and a brown and a sold bronze halter maillot with a gold Versace medusa head belt – nice touch! The hard rock eighties’ sound track helped to keep everyone energized all the way to the end.
To shop the collection, visit www.shopswimoutlet.com