Tag Archives: Fashion

Musing of the Day: Dressing Like Kanye West

28 Sep

Kanye WestKanye West

@ 2011 CFDA awards

Recent reports of Kanye West working on a womenswear collection scheduled to debut on October 1st at Paris Fashion Week finally made sense of his recent affinity for women’s shirts, most notably a Celine iteration he wore while performing at Coachella this year—at least that is how I am rationalizing it.  I mean I have heard of “method acting” so one could attribute these choices to what I am calling “method designing.”  While I can’t pull off a casually unbuttoned blouse every day, I can get into what he wore to this year’s CFDA awards.

I would swap what look like Stubbs & Wootton navy slippers for a pair with a dash of leopard print.  Sam Edleman and Steven by Steven Madden are carrying similar styles, but my money is on Sam Edleman’s version with a padded footbed.  And have you seen the Alexander McQueen velvet loafers with the skulls?  Those would definitely be “ballerific.”

Luckily I already have the arm candy (I am officially on the layered bracelet bandwagon) plus the jeans and a white tee.  All that is left to complete my ode to Yeezy is a crisp white blazer instead of what appears to be ivory.  Kanye would not be proud if I did not make it my own.

P.S. I am still laughing at Kanye’s quote I saw on the Telegraph article about Lindsay Lohan’s brief stint at Ungaro: “Did you not see the Lindsay and Ungaro collection? That was 9/11 for celebrities doing fashion. After that I thought: ‘Well I can’t do a line now’. “  Team Kanye forever! Ha ha ha.  Luckily he has gotten over the trauma.  I can’t wait to see images of his collection.  He better bring it!

Image Source: Kanye West at CFDA Awards, Alexander McQueen Loafers

Musing of the Day: Theyskens’ Theory Ankle Strap Wedges

21 Sep

I literally walked the walk with my latest shoe obsession. Instead of just talking the talk over here and gushing about these Theyskens’ Theory ankle strap wedges, the fashion gods smiled upon me and put them on sale on Gilt Groupe a few weeks ago for my purchasing pleasure. On a side note, Gilt Groupe is a serious downfall for me when it comes to spending. If I did a video on all of the things I have gotten on sale from the site you would not need a degree in psychology to know that I need some kind of therapy. Everyone loves a good deal and I do especially from the comfort of my computer. But let’s get back on track. These wedges are pure sexiness! And I am not too much of a fan of pointed toe shoes but the wedge, platform and straps give it a modern edge that just works for me. My feet are wider than the average person so I went up a half size. They are still a little narrow but it is something only the extremely nosey would notice. The straps definitely emphasize any kind of cankle situation you have going on so I also need to drop about 10 pounds from each ankle (they swell up like a pregnant woman in the heat).  Once I break them in they are going to be great and I predict that I will wear them with everything since I tend to abuse shoes that I love and wear them constantly until they fall apart.

Do you have any recent acquisition that you have been wearing to death lately?  Share in a comment below.

-DRB

Polished: Glitz & Glam Nails by CND at The Blonds Spring 2012

15 Sep


CND Glitz & Glam Manicure

@ The Blonds – Spring 2012

The Blonds is always the pièce de résistance of over the top blinged-out glamour during New York Fashion Week.  CND pulled out all of the stops as usual and created several custom looks for the Spring 2012 show:

At The Blonds, Kristina Estabrooks created “Glitz & Glam” manicures for a collection inspired by 60′s Playboy glamour infused with razzle dazzle spectacle we all know and love. The 20 sets of nail tips took over 100 hours of manual labor to hand detail, and included a “Stockings Series” of manicures portraying fishnets, lacy tights and sexy seams. Vintage cosmic-shaped glass was imported from Germany to shape diamond-decadent nails that shined out loud in the spotlight.

 

You can check out pictures of the collection here.  It is so Katy Perry!  Katy has worn some of their pieces in the past and I could totally see her performing in some of the spring looks.

-DRB

Info and Image Source: c/o PR

Polished: Harlequin Hardware Nails at Diego Binetti Spring 2012

15 Sep


CND Harlequin Hardware Manicure

@ Diego Binetti – Spring 2012

Another ombré manicure appeared at Diego Binetti by CND.  The pink and cream color combination on the nails made them seem as if they were blushing.  Gold and silver tips add it to the list of quirky french manicures seen this season.

For Diego Binetti, Candice Manacchio delivered drama for digits, crafting “Harlequin Hardware” manicures stained in CND Colour in Raspberry Parfait and Frosting Cream, capped in gold and silver metal for an artisanal finish. Toes were polished in Raspberry Parfait. Makeup embraced “mask as part of the model,” and hair was crimped and elaborately wrapped for a nighttime beauty look to remember.

 

-DRB

Info and Image Source: c/o PR

Polished: Glamorous Manicures by CND at Norman Ambrose Spring 2012

13 Sep


CND

@ Norman Ambrose – Spring 2012

As you can tell I am pretty much obsessed with almond/oval shaped nails.  It is probably because it is very unlikely that I would be able to achieve the desired length since my nails do not have the decency to at least wait until they grow past my fingertips to break.  Therefore, I am living vicariously through CND’s creations.  I mean how glorious is the manicure pictured above that was developed by Candice Manacchio for Norman Ambrose?  It was one out of the six looks created for Ambrose’s collection that, according to CND, looks like “high glam 1960′s pieces straight out of vintage Vogue – for the sexy, exotic woman who swims in her diamonds.”  With a description like that you know the nails had to be hot.  The gilded look can be recreated at home with CND Colour in Gold Chrome paired with CND Colour in Blackjack on the tips and gold leafing.  CND also shared the components of the other manicures:

  • CND Colour in Flashpoint iced with Sheer 24K Sparkle Effect for a funky French tip
  • Flashpoint topped with CND Colour in Poppyfield, acid washed with a sweep of acetone for texture
  • CND Colour in Gold Chrome topped with CND Colour in Copper Chrome, finished with acetone wash
  • CND Colour in Desert Suede topped with Ice Blue Shimmer Effect, edged with CND Colour in Silver Chrome
  • CND Colour in Putty topped with CND Colour in Creamy Cameo and Ice Blue Shimmer, and edged with CND Colour in Silver Chrome

-DRB

Info and Image Source: c/o PR

Polished: Gradient Manicures by CND at Jen Kao Spring 2012

12 Sep


CND Gradient Manicure

@ Jen Kao – Spring 2012

When it comes to beauty, the ombré trend does not have to stop at our hair.  CND shows us how to wear it in a striking way on our nails at Jen Kao:

Look, but don’t touch! For Jen Kao, Wanda Ruiz created “Lethal Love” diffused, gradation manicures that attract the eye with bold shades, but like a poisonous frog, have dangerous undertones. These four uniquely artful manicures were shaded using an airbrush tool, but can be re-created at home using CND Colours in Midnight Sapphire, Anchor Blue, Rouge Red, and Green Scene each combined with Inkwell and topped with Air Dry Top Coat while wet for an ombre finish.

-DRB

Info and Image Source: c/o PR

Backstage Beauty: Monique Lhuillier Spring/Summer 2012

11 Sep

Makeup

Val Garland, for MAC Cosmetics,created “fast, urban graphic liner” to fit with Monique Lhuillier’s athletic and graphic collection.  The skin’s dewey look was achieved by using MAC’s Face & Body Foundation (applied with a 187 Brush).  The face was slightly contoured under the cheekbone with Sand Brown and Malaysia Contour Creme.  Lips were kept natural with Lip Conditioner and the brows were groomed with Brow Gel.  The “double color liner” was created with Pro Black Creme Liner applied in a “very straight and aerodynamic way” followed by a thin line of Chromacake in Marine Ultra that was taken back into the crease in a straight line for a “sporty Nike let’s do it kind of a thing” vibe.  To recreate the look at home, Garland suggested using a black and a blue eye pencil.  Start off with the black, then have the black bleed into the blue liner.  Use a q-tip to clean up the lines.

Nails

Wanda Ruiz, for CND, created an “athletic and elegant” look for the nails using different colors on the hands and feet:

For Monique Lhuillier, Wanda Ruiz designed “Soy Milk” manicures on active, oval shaped nails using semi-sheer CND Colour in Cream Washed topped with CND Super Shiney Top Coat for a glossy finish. Pedicures were reminiscent of a cloudy night sky using custom blended blue (which can be duped at home using limited edition CND Violet Shimmer Effect layered on top of CND Colour in Midnight Sapphire). Sporty eveningwear pieces (ie: Anna Kournikova from gym to gala) in pops of cobalt, black and yellow were complemented by slicked back ponytails, and matching dreamy blue eyeliner and toes.

It was very cool to see how much the Violet Shimmer Effect transforms a color by adding a very pretty purple glow to the polish.

Hair

Odile Gilbert for Kérastase created a pony at the crown to show off the models’ shoulders in Lhuillier’s coktail dresses.  Hair was prepped with Kérastase’s Fiber Architect, which seals split ends and is coming out this fall, to both treat and style before blow drying and straightening with a flat iron.  The pony was secured tightly with a hook elastic then teased to create volume.  Double Force Hairspray was used to finish off the look.

View more of my behind the scenes pictures after the jump:

(more…)

Event: Rebecca Minkoff Endless Summer Sale

31 Aug

Fellow Minkettes, it is time for another Rebecca Minkoff sale!  My favorite styles are the M.A.B. and M.A.C. Clutch that I have spotted in several variations on the sale section.  I carry my entire life to work everyday in a black M.A.B. (aka Morning After Bag) and I can’t believe how long it has put up with my abuse.  Their M.A.C. Clutch is another favorite because it is a crossbody bag that you can dress up or dress down and it holds more than the average crossbody (notice a theme here?).  After browsing the sale, I have narrowed down my next victim to either a Swing or a BF bag.  Let me know what style you would choose in a comment below.

In addition to saving up 50% on a selection of handbags follow the instructions above for a chance to win the bag pictured.

-DRB

Musing of the Day: Aaliyah

25 Aug

Can’t believe it has been 10 years since Aaliyah‘s tragic death.  Today I was thinking about when I was in elementary school and started getting into MTV and music videos.  I remember the first Aaliyah video I ever saw.  It was “One in a Million” and from then on I was hooked.  Besides Aaliyah’s catchy music I was obsessed with her style.  I switched from parting my bangs down the middle to side-swept bangs.  And for someone who cannot get enough of skinny jeans these days it is funny to think that I begged my mom for a pair of baggy jeans.  I was terrified of asking my parents for anything when I was a kid so it was a pretty big deal.  She took me to a store called Cookies, which is in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, and I went to the boys section to get the jeans I needed to emulate her look.  I was so excited to wear them to school!  Today I keep away from the jeans.  However, I am still rockin’ the side-swept bangs and developed an interest in her makeup (of course).  My favorite makeup is the purple smoky eye paired with red lips in her “We Need a Resolution” video.  Who says you can only play up one of your features at a time?  She definitely pulled it off.

Even though Aaliyah is no longer with us she is still living on through her music.  Many years later, I still stop and listen to it whenever her songs pop up on my iPod.

Did Aaliyah influence your style?  Share your story in a comment below.

-DRB

Musing of the Day: Alexander Wang Booties

12 Aug

Alexander Wang

Top: Monique

Bottom: Luca

We may be in the middle of August, but the September issues are out which means it is time to start thinking about fall fashion.  I already picked up a few pieces from Free People and am searching for the perfect pair of black jeggings to add to my wardrobe.  The jeggings should be easy but shoes will be a far more complicated matter.  Several pairs did not make it through last season that I need to replace.  Cue Alexander Wang.  I cannot stop thinking about his fall shoe line up – particularly the Luca and Monique booties.  One of these could seriously be the sexiest thing that could happen to my feet this fall/winter.  If I manage to rationalize the price into a well deserved birthday gift, the only trouble will be picking one.  Both have a 4.5” heel with a 1” platform and while I prefer the look of the Monique pair, I would probably get more mileage out of the Luca since chunky heels = comfy.  It all comes down to the classic battle of style vs. comfort.  What would you do?

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