Katherine Kwei — Spring 2011 Preview

As written for iheartheels.com
Though Katherine Kwei merely debuted her unique line of luxury handbags little over four years ago, her Spring/Summer 2011 Collection lends itself to years of quality and impeccable design. During the press preview earlier this month, the designer hosted event attendees at her spacious Soho apartment and office, where she walked us through each intricate piece in the line.

In typical Katherine Kwei form (and much to my delight), her signature "Eternity" knot, a traditional Chinese weave, rings true throughout the new collection, appearing on wallets, totes, satchels and hobo bags. Yet the line remains perfectly on trend with vibrant psychedelic-inspired colors (think teal, burnt orange and sunflower), animal prints and unexpected metallic accents, a detail which was beautifully woven into the body of the sling bag. The sling bag — which was gifted to editors and event attendees — is most certainly an item that I will be sure to incorporate regularly into my Spring 2011 wardrobe, especially seeing as A-list fans of the line include the ever-fashionable Sienna Miller and Gossip Girl star Blake Lively. With most made of the softest lambskin and/or calfskin, the supple pieces are a worthy splurge, with the smaller bags retailing for an average of $500.

NY Fashion Week 2010: Naeem Khan

As written for iheartheels.com
Naeem Khan's runway show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week elicited a slew of much-deserved OOHs and AHHs from the crowd with his bohemian-inspired pieces, many of which had me wishing that Spring 2011 weren't all of six months away. Big-haired models clad in multicolored maxi dresses, chiffon gowns and floral-print skirts glided down the runway to Latin tunes by La Lupe and Eddie Palmieri. Thanks to the intricate beading, by-hand embroidery and aptly placed sequins on Khan's lust-worthy silhouettes, it's no wonder that the designer boasts such A-list fans like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Alicia Keys and Carrie Underwood... and received a standing ovation.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images

NY Fashion Week 2010: Alice + Olivia

As written for iheartheels.com
Always a Fashion Week favorite, Alice + Olivia's Spring 2011 presentation was by far the most stunning spectacle of the week-long event, in my little opinion. Decor was sparse in the spacious warehouse-like venue of NYC's Cedar Lake, but the energy knew no bounds. Only the essentials were present — row upon row of brightly colored mixed drinks, a glittering platform filled with paparazzi near the red carpet (assembled for only the most influential of arrivals — Nicky Hilton, Denise Richards, Mad Men's Elizabeth Moss, among others) and a DJ booth where one of my personal favorites was spinning tunes, Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship.

Oh. And one minor detail. Toward the back of the venue was a stage that  resembled some sort of retro-style burlesque parlor. I fell in love  with what I saw. Model after model wearing quirky-glam confections of sparkles, lace, ruffles and feathers, mixed with the brightest of colors and boldest of prints. Picture last year's bohemian-hippie obsession on crack with a sprinkle of ultra-feminine details. Carrie Bradshaw but way cooler. Handkerchief hems, high waists and big, oversized accessories. Oh. My.

NY Fashion Week 2010: Perry Ellis

As written for fashion blog iheartheels.com 
Despite a sudden torrential downpour (which caused me to add yet another shitty $5 street umbrella to my growing collection) and a new Upper West Side location, the fifth day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was abuzz with excitement, free drinks, outrageous outfits and long lines. I was thrilled when Julie asked me to cover a few of the Spring 2011 shows for iheartheels.com, as I had a blast at the tents last February. The energy (and people-watching!) that you experience at Fashion Week is indescribable... not to mention the clothes.

Menswear line Perry Ellis did not disappoint earlier tonight with a series of classic, preppy pieces predominantly consisting of some combination of tailored trousers, linen shorts, v-neck sweaters, polo shirts and the occasional cardigan or blazer. Under the design direction of John Crocco, the new S/S 2011 collection exudes a sort of timeless appeal as one might expect, but the styles remain refreshingly on trend with bright pops of coral, rose, lime and teal, along with a sprinkling of aptly placed prints — think plaid, argyle, gingham and stripes.

The male models were easy on the eyes, as well, not to mention a few of the front-row guests. A-list attendees included actor Chris Riggi (you might know him as Rufus and Lily's love child from Season 3 of Gossip Girl) and Detroit Pistons player Ben Gordon.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images; Video by Tina Smithers

Giveaway: Sex, City & Ruby Slippers

Woo hoo! I've been given a pair of Sex and the City Hotspots Tour tickets (an $84 value) for a giveaway on this here blog. Perhaps it's because of all the yapping I do about SATC. But before I tell you how to win 'em, I'd like to make you NYCers aware of this little ditty:

*start PR pitch*

Sex and the City Midnight Madness Package
Take the day off work, fork over $179 and enjoy all things SATC on Wednesday, May 26, 2010. This amazing package is well worth the ticket price and includes:

• The Sex and the City Hotspots Bus Tour
• An Italian buffet dinner at NYC's Fresco by Scotto
• A ticket to a midnight screening of Sex and the City 2
• VIP admission to Marquee nightclub after the film (which, coincidentally, is where I stumbled upon Beyoncé and Jay-Z back in 2004)
• Special appearance by Willie Garson (aka Stanford Blatch!)

Click here for more info and to purchase tickets.

*end PR pitch*

Alright, as I was saying, I have a pair of tickets to give away for the Sex and the City Hotspots Bus Tour, which features over 40 real-life locations used in the show. Now I could attempt to give you a SATC tour myself, but I can barely pronounce Manolo Blahnik. So let's do this, shall we?

Contest Rules: This contest is open to EVERYONE. The tour tickets never expire, so if you don't live in NYC, you can simply use them during your next trip to visit me. OK, ready? To enter to win, you must be officially following my blog (you can follow using your Google, Twitter, Yahoo or AIM account). You won't get spammed, and you won't even get an alert when I post a new blog. It is there solely to make me feel like the popular girl in English class. The winner will be selected at random (by closing my eyes and pointing at the computer screen) from my list of loyal followers on Thursday, May 28.

Because I'm nosy, what would YOU like to see happen in Sex and the City 2? Want to see Steve grow a pair and put Miranda in her place? Sigh. Me, too.

UPDATE: Congrats to Sharon, who won the SATC Hotspots Bus Tour tickets! Sharon, please email me your mailing address. Thanks to all of you for following my blog!

NYC Beauty Ritual: Eyelash Extensions

As written for pop culture site Crushable.com 
Confession: I am beyond obsessed with whatever it is that makes Hollywood’s movers and shakers look, well, nothing like the rest of us. I’m addicted to Life & Style and Allure — if Heidi Montag’s had it nipped and Madonna’s had it tucked, I probably read it first. Rachel Bilson swears by $1,300 jars of La Mer? Why, I love Rachel. Rachel has great skin. Off I go to the nearest Bergdorf and Bloomie’s to feign interest in making a massive purchase, scoring a few samples in the process.

So it should come as no shocker that my most recent fascination came in the form of eyelash extensions. Paris Hilton, Molly Sims, Ashley Tisdale and Danielle Jonas (yes, the eldest JoBro’s wifey) all swear by ’em. So when I randomly won a Twitter contest hosted by @WEtv (don’t hate — I dig their Golden Girls re-runs) for a free Xtreme Lashes application, I. Was. Psyched. I never win anything, let alone a fancy schmancy $300 procedure! Luckily, I live in NYC and immediately requested Xtreme lash stylist to the stars, Cheri Wroblewski of Lash Boutique. If I’m going to spend two hours having someone poke and prod at my eyelids, I want the best.

As requested, I arrived at Cheri’s adorable midtown lash studio at 9am on a Thursday, sans eye makeup. Professional and sweet as ever, Cheri took one look at me, stated that I have gorgeous “cat eyes” (hey, I’ll take it) and said she had the perfect lash look in mind. Apparently, the “looks” can range anywhere from natural to dramatic to OMG-my-lashes-touch-my-forehead. I lay down amidst a cluster of itty-bitty jars of synthetic lashes, and Cheri placed a pair of soothing anti-wrinkle pads underneath my eyes. I closed my eyelids and instantly relaxed. Self-proclaimed ambidextrous, she quickly worked with both hands and two teeny pairs of tweezers — isolating one of my lashes with one hand and placing a single lash extension on the base with the other, using a hi-tech medical adhesive. It was literally an eyelash extension. I was in awe. Throughout the next hour, I barely felt a thing. Sure, there was the occasional tug, but nothing crazy. No irritation whatsoever. When she was finished, I sat up, looked in a mirror and squealed like your little sister at a Justin Bieber concert. I’m not exaggerating when I say that my face was completely transformed, and I wasn’t even wearing makeup (obviously a daily ritual for me, see first ’graph). Cheri the Miracle Worker had meticulously applied nearly 200 individual eyelashes in just over an hour! I thanked her, left a generous tip and skipped five blocks to work, batting my lashes at anyone who dared glance my way. 

NY Fashion Week 2010: Monique Lhuillier

As written for fashion blog iheartheels.com 
Having outfitted nearly everyone who’s anyone from Bilson to Barrymore, Monique Lhuillier continues to dazzle with red carpet-worthy couture. Her Fall 2010 collection combined the tough, militant flair of the ancient Chinese warrior with a contrasting hint of soft, feminine elegance. As one would expect, the line was largely composed of striking evening gowns — touches of tulle and chiffon embellished with embroidery and aptly placed hardware. I literally gasped when I laid eyes on this gorgeous number:

 

With hair wrapped in buns, minimal eye makeup and ruby red lips, the runway models took on a stoic, fierce presence — fitting amongst the strong silhouettes and high necklines. Shades of crimson, gold and navy were also dominant amid the party dresses and dragon-print jacquards.

Accessorized with chunky cocktail rings and textured lace tights, the latest Monique Lhuillier collection was a massive hit; just ask actresses Melissa George and Sophia Bush, who were in attendance. “[Monique’s] clothes are so beautiful,” Sophia says to celebrity gossip blogger Just Jared. “They’re such a throwback to really classic, tailored, feminine design. She can really do anything. It’s just so elegant.”

NY Fashion Week 2010: Ecco Domani

As written for fashion blog iheartheels.com
The Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation is known for bringing emerging fashion designers to the forefront, having helped launch the careers of wildly successful designers Zac Posen and Alexander Wang. This year, the EDFF donated monetary grants to seven up-and-coming driving forces in fashion: The Blonds, Prova, Prabal Gurung, Siki Im, Altuzarra, Salvor and Organic. Specializing in everything from women’s ready-to-wear to accessories to menswear, Monday night’s show was hosted by fashion guru Robert Verdi, who gave us a first look at the next big names in the industry. Major style standouts included eco-friendly tweed jackets by Organic, printed silk scarves by Prova (Michelle Obama is a fan!) and a python corset by The Blonds, reminiscent of something one might find in Lady Gaga’s closet. Front row attendees included actresses AnnaLynne McCord, Kelly Rutherford, Molly Sims, Kate Walsh, Adrienne Bailon and socialite Tinsley Mortimer.

 Photos courtesy of coutorture.com/Tina Smithers