Links à la Mode: Project Beyond The Runway

Project Beyond the Runway

Edited by Fashion Pulse Daily

Reading through the links this week, I realized that fashion week or no fashion week, fashion will most certainly go on! A winter snowstorm couldn't even slow down New York Fashion Week, and the links below are testament to the wonderful style that exists beyond the runway, such as Ode to Awe's jewelry discovery, how to look chic while lounging by Cafe Fashionista, and tips for vintage shoe shopping by Wicked Whimsy. Don't get me wrong, I love being 'in the know' on runway looks and trends, but how you interpret them and work them into your personal style is so much more important than remembering which designers showed one-shoulder looks this season!

As expected, there was a fabulous round-up of links in the forum as well, all worthy of your eyeballs!

Links à la Mode : February 25th

39th and Broadway - A Side of the Industry Unknown by Most: Life as a Corporate Fashion Designer
British Style Bloggers - Cherish forever what makes you unique, 'cos you're a yawn once it's gone
Cafe Fashionista - A step-by-step guide to looking luxurious even when lounging
Clutch22 -Up close and personal with Vivienne Tam as she expands her fashion+tech innovations to a new category
CMYKaboom - Independent Fashion Bloggers (IFB) 'Tweet Up in the Tents' event
Debutante Clothing - Vintage Jewelry: Q&A with Lucite line Circa Sixty Three
Fabulous Finds Gal - Moonstuck at the opera with photographer Bersa
Fashion Pulse Daily - Sonia Rykiel Pour H&M; the debut and the review
Holier Than Now - New Take on Florals (5 Under $50)
Idiosyncratic Style - A Girl's Guide to Maternity Style
Independent Fashion Bloggers : Evolving Influence Recap : Part One
Individual Chic: - Would you have wanted a Computer Engineer Barbie when you were smaller? Or would you love one now?
Night Watch - 10 Questions with Model Clara Zapffe
Ode to Awe - Denmark based Alidra Alic's Alice-inspired jewelry
Oranges and Apples - Rules for advertising and sponsorship on blogs
Retro Chick - The Ethics of Blogging
Smiles Go with Everything -10 Tips for Shopping on Ebay: How to find great deals on awesome duds.
The Coveted - Visits Nine West HQ for a sneak peak of AW10 shoe collections!
The Style PA - Gives Henry Holland a grilling ahead of his House of Holland show.
The Sunday Best - Do men get better service when they shop?
Wicked Whimsy -What to look for when buying vintage shoes
Workchic - Fall 2010 NY Fashion week collections: recreated runway to the office outfits

DC Fashion Week: The Menswear Collections

DC Fashion Week was in full swing last Saturday at the DoubleTree Hotel in Crystal City. But it was all about the men. Six menswear collections including Emore J Couture, Ray Vincente, Kustom Looks Clothier, Durkl, Stella Bonds and my personal fav, Andrew Nowell, hit the runway. Each collection told a different story. With the very vibrant colors of Stella Bonds' swimwear, to the urban look of Durkl to the everyday man look of Ray Vincente. My only wish would have been that the Menswear Collection would have been a part of the Sunday show. Maybe it could have been earlier in the day. There is something special about the French Embassy, especially since France it the home of haute couture.

At first I decided that I would just sit back and enjoy the show. I thought that I could get photos from their official photographer, Damion Miller. But when Emore'J Couture hit the runway, I had to take pictures. Emore'J considers his work "wearable art." That perfectly describes his collection. There was an array of fabrics and textures that would not normally be used for the runway. He definitely pushed the envelope with his designs.

Emore'J Couture






So I decided to continue taking photos and next up was Kustom Looks Clothier. Kustom Looks Clothier is the heart and soul of Kwab Asamoah. He is dedicated to making the men of the DMV hit the streets in high style.

Kustom Looks Clothier







But I have a big crush on Andrew Nowell because he pulled together sex appeal, ruggedness, impeccable tailoring together with fashion forward looks. I first saw his work during the Walish Gooshe show last year. I almost fell on the floor. He makes clothes for the kind of man that I am attracted to. The guy who insists on being stylish but dances to the beat of a different drummer. Can I just say that the fur jacket was hot to death!

Andrew Nowell

DC Fashionista Event: The ShoeFabulous Shoe Drive

Join me, The Capitol Fashionista and the Ladies of Budget Fab (http://www.budgetfab.com), in conjunction with SimplySoles.com and the DC Fashion Syndicate at the ShoeFabulous Shoe Drive Event to benefit the Soles4Souls.org's Haitian Relief efforts.

As fashion forward individuals, we are working together to raise awareness of the devastation in Haiti. The people of Haiti are still struggling to obtain the everyday basics that most of us take for granted. A pair of shoes is an essential part of these basics as many individuals have to travel some distance to receive the care and support services offered by relief organizations.

The ShoeFabulous Shoe Drive Event will take place on Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 12 noon to 4 pm at the new SimplySoles store located at The Shops at Georgetown Park, 3222 M Street, NW, 2nd Level, Washington DC. Ladies can bring their gently worn flat shoes and sneakers (please, no flip-flops) in exchange for a 15% discount on a new pair of shoes at SimplySoles (limit one coupon per person). All shoes donated will be packaged and sent to Soles4Souls as a contribution to their ongoing Haitian Relief Effort. So join us and "Be ShoeFabulous!"

DC Fashionista Event: Jodi Arnold Comes To Washington

Designer Jodi Arnold will be in Georgetown this Friday night! It's an Art, Fashion, & Cocktail Benefit for Haiti at the City Tavern Club. Guests will have the opportunity to take 15% off the not-yet-released Spring collection while enjoying signature cocktails and original art. A percentage of proceeds will help support Haiti relief efforts.

Who: New York Designer JODI ARNOLD
What: An Art, Fashion, & Cocktail Benefit for Haiti
Where: City Tavern Club, 3206 M Street, Georgetown
When: Friday, February 26, 6–9pm
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=352286255990#wall_posts

What I Want Now: Mi Dolce Vita

Other the past year, I have fallen in love with the chunky heel phenomenon. I have quite a few pairs of shoes with chunky heels. So I this pair by Dolce Vita are perfect. The fuschia stripe is a bonus. Get a pair at Endless.com.

What I Want Now: My Obsession with Boyshorts

I bow down to the imaginative person who created the boyshort. I adore my boyshorts. I especially love a boyshort with lace. This pair by the queen of lingerie, La Perla, is so beautiful, so sexy. Available at Net-a-Porter.

What I Want Now: Lusting After DKNY

I not only love the color of this DKNY bag, I love the shape of this bag. I need a big bag. I am that woman that you see rambling through her purse looking for her ringing cell phone. But I couldn't function without one. It's a little smaller than I like but I still love it. Get it at DKNY.

Capitol Fashionista Outing: KAS Collection Debuts WET

Designer Kenneth Flanagan introduced DC to his latest collection, WET (With Exceptional Taste) for the "grown and sexy" on Sunday night at The Shadow Room in downtown DC. Flanigan is looking to up the anty on what is considered fashionable amongst the urban set. Looking to move the DMV towards a more sophisticated look that can easily go from work to play, Flanigan's collection contained a mixture of suits, dresses, jackets, vests, and jeans. Flanigan cleverly made good use of texture including leather, suede, and various fur trims. WET also includes a line of handbags, t-shirts, tops and sunglasses. You can see the entire collection and add your favorites pieces to your closet at the Wet Boutique.





My Favorites

Of course, I had my favorites including this fab suit with its fur sleeves, a gorgeous multi-colored satin gown with its high ruffled neckline, an amazing fur coat (expressly available for the fab BBW set), and for the sexy men in your lives - this amazing suede jacket and the fab orange shirt underneath with its intricate detailing.

Fashion Deal of the Day: Taupe Love @ Nine West

Taupe is a neutral color and goes with everything. Grab this cute purse at Nine West for $39.99.

Links à la Mode: Style vs. Fashion

Style vs Fashion

Edited by Retro Chick

With the Fashion Week season in full swing and Fashion Pulse Daily live blogging from the IFB conference it can be easy to forget that there are other things going on in the world, where real women are shopping and dressing for real occasions.

There were actually surprisingly few Fashion Week oriented posts submitted this week. Possibly the Fashion Week attendees are still too busy to partake in Links á la Mode, but what I did find was a lot of posts focused on fashion, style and image in the real world. A Typical Atypical calls for a low fashion revolution and Idiosyncratic Style urges you to bring out your cocktail frocks for every day. Meanwhile, in the body image arena Intrinsically Florrie learns to love her specs, Sugar & Spice discusses tanning and Mariels Castle weighs in (see what I did there?) on the body size debate.

It would be impossible to leave this weeks links without mentioning the untimely and incredibly sad death of Alexander McQueen. There were posts submitted on this issue but I made the decision not to include them, not because they were bad, but because I felt that if I included one persons post I would need to include them all. There has been so much personal reflection on the life and designs of this amazing man in the fashion blogging world that to choose a small selection seemed impossible. If you would like to read these posts then, as ever, the full list of submissions is available in the forums.

Links à la Mode: February 18th

• A Typical Atypical – What girls really want to read about, and why fashion bloggers are changing the face of fashion


• Bonne Vie – Cultural Appropriation vs Cultural Inspiration: What you borrow from another culture when it comes to wardrobe should be thoughtful


• Confessions of a Fashion Editor – Dear New Look; it’s over!


• Eternal Masquerade – Covering the Parallels Between Our Current Winter Wonderland and Under the Sea Fashions


• Fashion Pulse Daily – Fashion Pulse Daily blogs live from the Future of Fashion Blogging panel during IFB’s Evolving influence conference this week!


• Hot Beauty Health – Ready for Spring? Here are 9 Big Beauty Trends for Spring 2010!


• Idiosyncratic Style – Fashion Dare – Let your party frocks come out and play!


• Intrinsically Florrie – Making a spectacle of oneself: learning to love glasses and finding the right pair


• Mariels Castle – It’s not about been skinny or fat its about being healthy!


• Retro Chick – Love, Lust & Burlesque with the Bridewell Collective


• SFindiefashion.com – Spring comes early to Golden Gate Park. Showcase of spring 2010 looks from San Francisco designers.


• Stacie Blair – Show your Olympic spirit with fashionable gear from Aritzia!


• Style Eyes – The dilemma of a fashion blogger and why I’m taking Dame Vivienne Westwoods advice to stop shopping


• Style Symmetry – Fashion Blogger Interview Kingdom of Style’s Queen Michelle


• Sugar and spice and all things nice – Discussing the dangers of tanning and why the only safe tan is one from a bottle!!


• The Clothing Menu – interview with independent jewelry and clothing designer, Norwegian Wood


• The Fashion Planner – The Fashion Planner is hosting an eUndies.com Giveaway!


• The Very Subjective – very subjective (and therefore – very true) observations about style do’s and do not’s.


• Thread Style – Heel-wearing fashionistas also can be feminists.


• twentyteneightyfour – My thoughts on style vs fashion and how our appetite for fashion blogs is part of our quest for style


• ventures of jenn – The Great Vintage Debate: the ‘price’ of vintage both within and outside of the western world and what it really means.



Fashion Deal of the Day: Drape Cardigan @ Arden B

This is a great piece to have in your closet. The color is fabulous. It's a steal at $15.00 at Arden B.

Designer Spotlight: Canadian Designer Andy The Ahn

Canada is exporting a new fashion designer to the states. Enter Andy the Ahn. His collections are readily available all over Canada and are now available in the U.S. at Neiman Marcus, and at smaller boutiques. His line is full range consisting of separates (jackets, pants, shirts, dresses). But I am always drawn to the dresses because I love dresses. They are so easy. Wearing a dress is such a great way to be stylish without a lot of effort. Just add a great necklace, fab shoes and the perfect handbag - and you are on your way. I love the color choices of his SS2010 line. It falls right in line with the bold color trend happening now. Here are my favs. You can get more information about this emerging designer on his web site.

GIVEAWAY: Win A Hazel and Harlow Pendant

From February 15 – March 15, 2010, one (1) grand prize winner will receive from the Hazel & Harlow signature collection a stunning antiqued “Love Bird” Pendant. The pendant is hand carved in 24K vermeil with white and green topaz stones to create a beautiful and romantic piece of jewelry (Retail Value: $150). One (1) grand prize winner will receive a 3-month supply of The Solution by Envision Beauty, a multi-use facial moisturizer that the most effective ingredients from Nature + Science in one powerfully concentrated formula (Retail Value: $237).


Three (3) runners up will receive Hazel & Harlow antiqued “Heart of Gold” petite pendant. The pendant is made of 24K gold vermeil set with pave white topaz stones that enhance the star motif (Retail Value: $75). Three (3) runners up will receive a bottle of The Solution by Envision Beauty, a multi-use facial moisturizer that the most effective ingredients from Nature + Science in one powerfully concentrated formula (Retail Value: $79).

Enter the contest here.

Each individual entering the contest on the Hazel & Harlow site will receive 25% off their next purchase of Hazel & Harlow and of The Solution by Envision Beauty by entering the promo code “ENVISION” at check out (code valid from 2/15/2010 – 3/15/2010). Visit www.hazelandharlow.com and www.envision-beauty.com to purchase.

Local Designer Spotlight: The Ecofabulous Uptown Redesigns

Uptown Redesigns is the brainchild of Sandy Philpott. Founded in 2009, Uptown Redesigns reflects her style and practicality, but also demonstrates her resourceful practices that limit waste and reduce unnecessary consumption and stress on our environment. All of Uptown Redesign’s bags are made of previously used leather coats, jeans, and other materials. These items are brought into the studio, cleaned, conditioned, and then redesigned into beautiful and unique products. Ecofabulous, right? I totally love the idea of recycling leather into something as amazing as these bags. Here are my favorites. See her entire collection of eco-friendly bags here.

Fab Vintage Find: The Perfect Accessory - A Snakeskin Clutch

This is the perfect neutral accessory - a pearl-colored snakeskin clutch. Dress it up or dress it down. Works with everything. Get it at Sifted Vintage for $28.00.

Fab Vintage Find: Wiggly Wiggly - Lavender Brocade

This dress exudes major sexiness. It is a vintage lavender brocade wiggle dress. Perfect for showing off your sexy curves. Available at Zodibrat. Measurements 16" across the back of the shoulders, 36" chest, 30" waist , 40" from top of shoulder to hemline. Auction ends Feb 16, 201010:11:39 PST