A Night Out

September 27, 2006

You know those nights that you really don’t want to end? The kind where you hate looking at your watch, you actually stop checking your phone and you even ignore the “How’s the date going?!” text messages from all your 'mos sitting at home wanting to know some dirty gossip about your night?

Well … I just had one of those.

My boyfriend Kieran and I went for a nonchalant walk in Central Park a few nights ago -- actually, wait. I’m not doing this story justice, by any means. Before I continue further let me paint you all a picture.

New York in the fall is by far the best time to see the city, and with a crisp breeze blowing lightly -- and the very beginning of orange and yellow starting to take over the park’s foliage -- it truly can become a tranquil break from the imposing feeling of skyscrapers towering over your head everyday.

You have hundreds of worker bees getting in their daily jog after a long day at the office, some experienced runners, others just beginning. The whirl and buzz of taxis and those ridiculous, tourist-trap, bicycle “rickshaws” whizzing past, with the occasional shout of “You wanna ride?” overheard as they expertly maneuver around you.

READ MORE > >

Bronzers and Boarding School

September 21, 2006

Although I have more than enough to dish about Fashion Week (which happened here last week), I thought I’d take a moment and answer some of the questions that have been left on the message boards of my blogs for the past few weeks! Ranging from dress codes to marriage proposals. I’ll do my best to tackle some of the most intense, in-depth questions ever known to man … and I thought the Dali Llama had it hard!

I want to look like those models in Details, but only spend what it cost to buy the magazine. How can we make that happen?
Posted by Corey

Dear Corey -- Wow, this is a tough one. If ever a fashionista is craving the latest couture on an outlet mall budget, my advice is simple: Choose wisely. Invest your hard-earned dollars in pieces that are timeless and chic: A ¾-length wool overcoat, a great fitting pair of navy slacks, a crisp button-down shirt with an unobtrusive stripe or check, etc. Pieces such as this work great on their own -- but even better when paired together -- and even better when styled in a smart way. Grab the latest fashion mag, open to one of your favorite spreads and take garments you already own, have purchased in discount stores or on sale, and style your look the same way. I bet none of your friends will notice that your new $5 Hanes long sleeve tee isn’t the $60 Calvin Klein version … but they will notice how great you look when you’re as put-together as the boys in those fancy magazines.

Boys wear bronzer? Is it true??
Posted by: Bernice

Bernice -- Though bronzer hasn’t hit such horrible epidemic proportions as say, Crocs or Uggs, it’s still prevalent in the seedy underbelly that is fashion, particularly with the gays. Remember last year when every Hollywood starlet (and wanna-be) popped in a spray booth before walking on a red carpet...well, like every bad trend it takes some time to fully get rid of.

Who all wins a Saturn, because I think I have seen Chloe, You, and Kara on TV driving one? Nobody has seen Santino. Who all received that hot car?
Posted by: Missy

Ha-ha Missy! I love when people see me riding on the subway and ask why I’m not driving around in my new Saturn convertible! Well, because the cars we used for the commercials were only loaned to us for the day, the only give-away was reserved for the winner of “PR” and that would be the adorable Ms. Chloe Dao. Lucky girl!

Daniel, let me ask you this. What shades or colors are IN for 2007? Any thoughts?
Posted by: DJ

Dear DJ -- from what I’ve seen on the runways, you can keep an eye out for rich jewel tones and metallics, colors like deep eggplant, navy, chocolate and black and white, bold prints such as tartan and polka dots, and luxurious coverings like shearling and fur are shaping to be big for Fall 2007. Played against a neutral palette of lush browns and creams you’re sure to find something that compliments you and your personal style.

Will you marry my daughter?
Posted by: Janine

READ MORE > >

Top 3: You Tell Me!

September 11, 2006

Can you believe that the third season of Project Runway is almost finished? Wow, how fashionable time flies…. You may have loved it, you may have hated it, but regardless of your personal views on whether or not Jeffrey should be publicly flogged for making a mother cry, or the unnecessary sexual colloquialisms Vincent uses when discussing his … ummm … work, we are most definitely thankful for it. We must put all the drama aside and take a moment to thank the powers that be, for giving us a program that aims to showcase people’s talents, their desires and their dedication for following their dreams. In my eyes, fashion design is one of the most under-rated stimulants a person can encounter; The way a new suit can provide the confidence that you were lacking for that job interview, how a favorite dress can make you feel 10 years younger, or even how those new pair of heels will make you feel like one sexy bitch … well, assuming no one notices that fact that they’re a size 13 and on men’s feet.

All joking and snarky comments aside, the designers of Project Runway should at least be commended for having the courage to wake up one morning and actually agree to the insanity that is PR … all in hopes of making it to the big leagues. For that alone we should be supporting these designers as they finish off the last few weeks of PR3. I am very proud to be one of the Project Runway Alumni, and for at least taking a chance, for having the opportunity to showcase my own ideas and visions to the world. No matter what, no regrets.

So on to the recap: Who has the goods? Who is dead weight? Who has actually shown us solid design and not just drama? Strap on your seatbelts my fashion kiddies, we’re going for a ride -- and I promise it to be even more fabulous than an unsupervised afternoon in Mariah Carey’s closet! Now I’ll warn all of you right off the bat that I’m not going to worry about talking about everyone equally, or making sure that all the designers get equal positive and negative comments -- let’s be real here people, we don’t have time for that and, honestly, I really don’t feel like feeding you a bunch of fluff. My blog. My rules. (Insert maniacal, Malan-esqe laugh here)

So I’m sure I’m like everyone else when I say that I was sad to see Season 2 go, and knew that no matter what, even if the farthest regions of the globe were searched for the more creative designers imaginable, no one would ever be able to replicate the magic and fun that was PR2! (Ok ok… so I’m a little biased, but c’mon, I’m allowed to be!) The one-liners, the laughing, the fashion, the impromptu song-and-dance numbers, the Tim-pressions -- it was almost too good to be true! But, alas, the torch must be passed eventually, and the time given to the new kids to allow them to shine. I have to say that as soon as the commercials began airing for PR3, I immediately fell in love with Allison (obviously, she’s gorgeous) and was definitely intrigued by Laura (she just looked like she had a strong point of view) but other than that a face isn’t a lot to go on.

The first few episodes are always difficult to judge what the designers are really about -- so many people for one, and it’s usually a crazy challenge working with unexpected materials the designers aren’t accustomed to working with. Needless to say that throughout this season I definitely recall flashes of brilliance: Jeffrey’s paint treatment on his “recycle-able” dress, Keith’s modern, fashion-forward design for the Macy’s challenge, or adorable Bradley’s ability to bring his “dog challenge” outfit back from the dead, only to win accolades from Ms. Nina Garcia herself! However, what really caught my attention and turned me around was the “Everyday Woman” Challenge … mostly because I knew my own mother would be jealous she wasn’t able to strut her stuff down the runway like a diva. This was the first time of PR3 that I personally was most surely stumped, and you know I was feeling Robert’s pain when he expressed his loss of vision and inability to begin designing. It’s not that it was impossible by any means, but just a drastic change from what they were used to. Uli’s creation, in my eyes, was the definite winner and made Kayne’s effervescent mother pop like only a designer outfit can!

Oh, and while I’m discussing this episode I have to bring up Vincent’s comment about how: “This is a designer’s job to know how to dress an everyday woman… not everyone is a 6 ft model etc. etc.…” I’m sorry but Uli’s mother was hot. A hot, German FOX in fact, and though it is a designer’s job to take weight, height, color and proportion into consideration when designing a dress, Vincent, and a few others didn’t have the same hurdles to cross that some of the other designers had. I’m all about problem solving … but when you don’t have a problem to solve, why go around pointing your finger at others who do? That aside, I thought that this challenge was a TERRIFIC idea and was a great way to not only show the designer’s flexing their creative muscles, but it finally gave us, the viewers, a better idea of who these designers are and where they came from.

Ever since the “Everyday Woman” challenge my attention to PR3 has become increasingly more intense, and with challenges ranging from “High Flying Fashion” to “Couture du Jour,” I not only look forward to the collections at Olympus Fashion Week, but to the rest of the challenges as well. I must admit that I have my personal favorites: Uli (even more if she can do tailored pieces) and Michael (because he’s been creative and humble since day one) but must admit that at this point, I’m pretty open to whomever filling that third Fashion Week spot … as long as I get to see my Uli and Michael! I would be intrigued to see what Jeffrey would show, but with the finale show happening in a matter of days, I guess I don’t have to wait too much longer.

I know I’ve already mentioned this at the beginning of this blog, but I just wanted to remind everyone how daring these designers are, for having the guts to put themselves out there like this. Whether new to the business, or looking for a comeback, it’s always difficult to follow one’s dreams, and I for one am extremely thankful for having a show like Project Runway; An outlet for creative designers to show their visions and point of views to not only industry professionals, but to the millions and millions of people watching around the world. So even if you are a foul-mouthed hippie-type, a techie nerd, or a pageant queen, I’m grateful for having witnessed at least a fraction of your lives … if for nothing else it will make for great stories for my grandchildren one day.

Take care and enjoy the rest of our beloved show -- Seacrest out

Oh, and also feel free to tell me whom you think will be showing at Fashion Week -- but more importantly, why? I’m interested to see what everyone thinks SOLELY on design, try to leave out your personal opinions on designer’s personalities or things they’ve said throughout the season. Remember, you don’t get to see inside most professional designer’s lives like you do on PR!