Enter the drawing for a tube of Estee Lauder lipstick
You’ve still go time to pucker up for a freebie.
In celebration of Fashion week, which ends today, I’m giving away one tube of Estee Lauder lipstick. One tube is all I have, but I’ve got plenty of other goodies that I’ll be sharing in the weeks and months to come. Check here often. Daily if you can. Pretty please.
To enter the drawing for a tube of Estee Lauder Lauder Hydra Lustre Lipstick in Mayfair Mauve, send an e-mail with your name and mailing address to fashionmatters@oklahoman.com. Deadline is midnight Saturday.
Fashion Week: Isaac Mizrahi
Don’t get me started on how much I love designer Isaac Mizrahi. Let’s just hope he can inject some life in Liz Claiborne. Anyway, he presented his fall ’09 signature collection and, boy, do I wish I could have seen it. Here’s a story from the Associated Press.
NEW YORK (AP) — For a good time, call Isaac Mizrahi. The fall collection he presented Thursday at New York Fashion Week was dubbed “Smile,” and the audience couldn’t do anything but that.
Whether a surely pricey Christmas-tinsel coat would count as an investment piece, it was a gift to a crowd of retailers, editors and stylists who have seen their fare share of tough, no-nonsense styles.
And who else but Mizrahi would put handbags on models’ heads as hats?
A dress made of a patchwork of beaded plaids is probably more for the runway than the real world, but it’ll make for an eye-catching photo in a magazine.
There were, however, several wearable looks, especially colorful blanket coats, kilts in watch plaids and a knockout daytime wrap-style coatdress with pleats down the back that he called “butterscotch lozenge.” Soothing indeed.
It’s surprising that Mizrahi, who splits his time between his high-end signature collection and the mainstream Liz Claiborne label, isn’t more of a red-carpet player considering some of the gowns on the runway were knockouts — especially a one-shoulder gold satin number with a croc-style texture and an Asian-floral beaded dress. His “nuts and bolts” metallic sequin camisole and skirt of varying size beads also belongs on a Hollywood star.
Fashion Week: Vera Wang
Love Vera Wang? Here’s a story from the Associated Press.
NEW YORK (AP) — Vera Wang is likely to make a big splash with her water-influenced fall collection, which debuted on an intimate runway at her SoHo store Thursday morning.
The obvious reference was the scuba-suit fabric that literally molded futuristic pieces, including a (too-wide) hip-barrel skirt and corsets that slimmed down and jazzed up more traditional dresses. The best use was on a short-sleeve coat that mixed the fabric with black broadtail fur.
More subtle — and more beautiful — though, was the moire organza that Wang used for her signature artful dresses. As the light hit the models wearing a series of graceful dresses, ranging from shirtdresses to off-the-shoulder gowns, the image was of gentle water ripples dappled with sunlight.
One bottle-green cap-sleeve dress made of pieced vertical swaths of charmeuse was a feat of its own.
In her notes to editors, stylists and retailers attending the New York Fashion Week event, Wang said the use of varying textures and materials “provides the tension and sophistication of the collection.”
Meanwhile, the mood came from the late modern-art collector and philanthropist Peggy Guggenheim and her life in Venice, Italy, after World War II.
Wang concentrated on small details, such as the just right loosely tied bow on the front of a coat or the rumpled-tissue effect on a voluminous skirt. But the result was a look that oozed easy elegance.
Fashion Week: Oscar de la Renta
The Oscar de la Renta show is always beautiful. No matter what season, what year. It’s always one of my favorites. Here’s what the Associated Press fashion writer has to say about the designer’s fall 09 runway show in New York.
NEW YORK (AP) — The beauty of an Oscar de la Renta design is its luxuriousness. In the new fall styles he offered Wednesday at New York Fashion Week, de la Renta stayed true to his principles and didn’t offer a “recession collection,” or anything that could be called a “de la Renta lite.”
Fur (and lots of it) set the tone, and during the 15-minute show de la Renta did what he could to reassure fashion-followers that everything would be all right as long as they looked good.
The best of the bunch were a contemporary gray broadtail vest and a regal hooded feathered sable coat. Surely, though, the skunk scarf and mittens worn by the first model on the runway — in an otherwise sleek and chic black wool dress — raised a few eyebrows.
His signature beading and embroideries were sparser than usual, but, with his socialite customers dutifully filling the former church on Park Avenue he uses to stage runway shows, that seemed a commentary on emerging trends, not trying times.
The ballgown that would be his contribution to the fierce, aggressive look that has dominated the scores of this week’s previews was black, strapless and splattered with edgy shine, but the elaborate — and pouffy — gown would only be appropriate for the fanciest occasion. The same goes with another black Grande-dame gown that was covered with a tulle and velvet embroidered coat.
Other gowns had a slimmer silhouette, so narrow, in fact, that the models had to slow down their strut because they had to take smaller steps, but that just allowed a little more time to appreciate a leopard-print one-shoulder gown in silk chiffon.
Animal prints were used for daywear, too, looking refreshed on a quilted jacket and vest.
Paula Abdul’s new accessories collection on HSN
If Paula Abdul’s gig on “American Idol” ever plays out, she can always fall back on her newest role as jewelry designer. Abdul will make her second appearance on HSN with her Forever Your Girl fashion accessory line. She sold out of 12 items during the first airing. She hits HSN again on Feb. 22.
The Forever Your Girl collection includes jewelry, handbags and fashion accessories. It was inspired by some of some of her most popular songs, including “Cold Hearted Snake,” “Opposites Attract” and “Straight Up.”
The collection also includes the Inspirational Cuff Bracelet, designed specially for this season’s “American Idol” contestants.
Prices start at about $13. Paula will be on HSN at 3 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Lucky Link pave crystal earrings $39.95
Reach for the Stars ring, $12.95
Fashion Week: Michael Kors, Max Azria and Nanette Lepore
Here’s more from Fashion Week in New York, which continues through Friday. Check out the Associated Press story here.
Michael Kors fall 09 show.
Michael Kors fall runway show 09.
Max Azria fall runway 09.
Max Azria fall runway 09.
Nanette Lepore fall runway 09.
Nanette Lepore fall runway 09 during NYC Fashion Week.
Come on Pokes, get your orange on
I’m loving this hat from the Michael Kors fall runway 09 show in New York. It would be the perfect thing to wear to OSU football games when the weather turns cold.
“Prep” yourself for Orly’s new spring nail colors
I’m a sucker for nail polish. I must have at least 25 bottles, none of which I can toss because I never know when I’ll want that one exact shade.
Usually I prefer pastels, but lately I’ve been loving a bit more color. Not black or purple or even navy. My fave is last year’s seasonal bubble gum color called Hard to Get by Essie. I’ve worn it for months and months. Luckily, I recently found several bottles in the clearance bin at Ulta. They were each marked 99 cents. Such a deal!
Anyway, Orly has introduced new spring colors for its Prepster Collection. Prepster. Preppie. Get it?
The shades, pictured here, are Prim & Proper (lavender shimmer); Cashmere Cardigan (iris blue cream); Polo Princess (bright pastel pink cream); OMG (fuchsia pink cream); Tennis Anyone? (nude cream); and Country Club Khaki (taupe cream).
Celebrity manicurist Jenna Hipp suggests women practice the layering technique. She likes Tennis Anyone? on top of Country Club Khaki. Layering lacquers breathes new life into your favorite shades and offfers a whole new color palette, she said. She nicknamed the new duo Non Fat Latte. Yum … and I don’t even like coffee.
Hipp has used Country Club Khaki on several celebs, including America Ferrera at the Golden Globes. Could Country Club Khaki be the next “it” nail color? Hipp thinks so.
Finally, an “it” that I can afford.
Fashion Week: Jill Stuart and Tracy Reese
During Fashion Week, I always looked forward to Jill Stuart and Tracy Reese shows. Here are capsule reports from Fashion Week Daily.
Jill Stuart
Set against the hallowed backdrop of the New York Public Library, Jill Stuart’s fall collection was more studied this time around–albeit just as girlish and ruffled as seasons past. She opened her show with layered black dresses dripping with lace and shredded yarns, which tempered the sweetness of the purple chiffons and satin trousers of subsequent looks. But don’t think that the Jill Stuart girl has gone completely tough: in a move to perhaps avoid a wardrobe malfunction, Jill made sure her models were wearing undergarmets-even if that meant they were entirely visible under her ethereal, sheer pieces.
Tracy Reese
While much of Fashion Week has tightened the reigns and piled on the somber, Tracy Reese’s collection showed no sign of such gloomy tidings. Despite less than happy circumstances (the designer’s mother passed away earlier this week), her collection showcased an optimistic and ebullient outlook. Bright patterns, luxurious stoles and a show-stopping gold lame’ suit danced down the runway. Proof positive that good taste transcends age? The front row was filled with a mixture of bright young things like Kelly Pickler, Solange Knowles, the Hilton sisters, and older and equally chic women like Aisha Cole.
Fashion Week: Sears and K-Mart welcomes fashion press
Maybe it’s a sign of the times. Maybe it’s just good business. Sears and K-Mart beckoned the fashion press during Fashion Week. Here’s a story from Newsday.
By Anne Bratskeir/Newsday
NEW YORK — We spend a whole lot of Fashion Week wallowing in the sorrows of never being able to afford the luxurious duds of top designers, and for next season, with the dimmest of economic forecasts, well, bargains have never looked so good.
Which is exactly why the Sears/K-Mart suites set up in the Bryant Park Hotel were so refreshing, timely, and, surprise, surprise, featured some more than decent merchandise.
Contemporary lines for Sears included an adorable ruffled jacket — so on trend — cute trenches, floaty tops, most under $40 (yeah, we said $40).
Don’t miss the shoes, studded flats, saucy pumps all by private label apostrophe, and well-styled pocketbooks that could have fooled us (as in we thought they were pricey) for less than $30.
For back-to-school, there are well-priced jeans in every imaginable style including brands such as Lee, Levi’s and new-to-Sears, Jordache (remember?).
Moving on to K-Mart, cheaper still, a tweedy suit by Jacqueline Smith is a distant but not bad Chanel pretender, and the former Charlie’s Angel translates her animal instincts with a cheetah printed cardigan.
Cool young women may like the faux leather bomber — well-styled and lined with leopard by Piper & Blue, or the funkified pea coat by Route 66. Moms, go here for every imaginable graphic tee shirt from butterflies to zebra prints.
And let’s not forget the Protege sneakers by Al Harrington, the New York Knick. He actually wears ‘em on the court and they sell for $34.99. What a score.
