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Response to Kanye West Styles Amber Rose For Elle Magazine

I know, I know, I know the guy we are loving to hate right now, Kanye and his girl, the one we are all for some reason in love with, Amber Rose.

Ok see now Celebrities, yall can’t just do anything you want. These pictures do bring down the taste in this magazine. I mean this is not King Magazine. There is a different between tasteful nudity and what is being done here.



I am pretty disappointed because he did pick a FEW good pieces, but I mean come on, like Joe Zee didn’t stop this?

There stock, to me, is plummeting.

Like Here is last month’s cover:

And here is the sexiest picture she took on the inside:

Miley’s Cover :

Her sexiest photo:

Now look at the Black Vogue’s Sexiest Photos:
ok and maybe this :

Seriously the camera angles could have not shot head on her Vaginal area or her butt and it would have added a little more class,but this is just ridic. I mean we can also infer our own thoughts from her topless activities on the beach with Kanye and her Lip Service Radio Talk Show appearances.

I am sure Kanye had good intentions but I can not get down with this in Elle. I even read that Kanye tried to get her in a gown but she wasn’t feeling that. I mean she wore a wrap dress to the MET… that’s her South Philly roots there.
Like, honestly. The focal point is not the clothes any more. Maybe you are trying to like copy this Rihanna shoot :
Rihanna has some nudie pictures in her closet too.

( not that I really like that shoot anymore than Amber’s).

Remember, it’s about the clothes people, let’s get back to the basics, appreciating the people who know what they are doing and not those that earned their status elsewhere!

I appreciate Joe Zee and I love his work, don’t get me wrong, but I do have a problem with his…. how do I say this… heavy interest in celebrity collaborations/fraternization which may cause the magazine to suffer. I mean he has entered onto The City when DVF decided to pull out… that should say something when the president of the CFDA decides reality tv is not the way to go. I mean… there is a reason that Anna Wintour hasn’t done reality tv and doesn’t usually “hang-out” with entertainment celebrities.

The Recap: Fashion’s Night Out

ATTENTION: YOU MUST CLICK THE IMAGE TO SEE THE ENTIRE THING. I AM WORKING ON THIS PROBLEM.

I know I have been gone forever. But I have been super super busy with the beginning of school, shopping for classes and textbooks, meetings, and the most important event of all Fashion’s Night Out, which I am going to tell you ALLL about right now.

So I am on the 5 o’clock bus to New York, because of course I had class, and there is a lot of traffic and it starts to rain, which I am dreading because I forgot my umbrella. Thank goodness we get there and it is not raining.

I didn’t get to NY until 7:45pm, so I needed to do a quick edit to my itinerary I crossed off everything except Bergdorf Goodman where I had to see Andrea Leon Talley.

So I catch the F train and get down to 5^th avenue and the place is buzzing. I have never seen New York like this. People weren’t rushing to work or rushing anywhere but to the next store to see the festivities. People are dressed up in their best, most fashion forward clothing. Men in ball gowns, ladies in feathers and African style face paint, just the works!

So I get to Bergdorf’s and the line is wrapped around the building. So of course I am more than happy to wait because I have to get it, have to. So while I am standing in line I get the pleasure of standing behind two models and their friends. Hearing them complain about waiting kind of ruffled my feathers because I would do almost anything just to be apart of this whole experience and they just seemed ungrateful.

So while they were babbling on and on I see Yeohlee Tang. Now you cannot miss her tinsel-like grey hair anywhere. I am absolutely stunned to see not only a designer I wrote about, but also a designer period. So I do the whole fan thing and I am like “ oh –my-god Yeohlee, hi I love you” and she is like “hi.” In a really sweet way of course. So I am so happy that I saw her I forgot to get a picture, which sucks. So after she leaves I try to turn around and talk about it to the girls behind me and of course they don’t even know who she is, no one did. I am just stunned. Who are these people that do not know Yoehlee, she is like a celebrity to me.

Anyways while I was waiting in line I took these pictures of the window displays at Bergdorf. They are just as amazing as I told you about in my previous post right?

So I finally get in and there is a huge push and shove thing going on. The guards on the outside are much, much nicer than the ones inside; they are kind of dealing with us like we are criminals for wanting to come in the store. “ Hurry up, keep moving, do not stop,” they shouted the whole time. The elastic in my shirt even broke trying to fight for myself through the crowd.

Come to find out the crowd was for Rachel Zoe. People were dying to get pictures of and with her. Here is what I got

Ok so I get out of the rut and I am walking around Bergdorf, mind you I have never been there, and I was just shocked at the stuff I saw. I mean I wanted two of everything that was in that store. It was amazing. It made me feel like a celebrity to even look at all the diamonds and Dior.

After a brief crowd break, the thickness begins to pick up and it’s to see Andre Leon host a game show. I finally push my way through the crowd to get a few shots.

Now I so wish I was 100 lbs at this moment because I would be able to fit in these small spaces in order to get better pictures. I mean I just felt like I was blocking everyone and I could not get anywhere.

Anyways after that I did a little more strolling around the store, in love with the décor. I definitely was underdressed with slacks and a shirt… I needed a gown to be in there.

So as I am about to leave I see a camera filming an ultra skinny girl in cheetah print so I went over to see what was going on. There were no crowds until someone shouted “Nicky Hilton.” Then people began to scurry over. Here are my attempts of a shot of her …. I finally got one at the end.

she even brushed my arm when she walked by …. Omg … lol

I have to say standing amongst the models and fashion enthusiasts I will never forget the smell. The stench resembled that of breath that you get when you haven’t eaten in a really long time ( what I like to call hungry breath), coffee and cigarettes. Typical… very typical.

So I get outside and the line is even longer and the guards are telling people that the celebs were all gone so there was no point n coming in, and he was right because Victoria Beckam came as quick as she arrived, as did RZ.

So I wonder around looking at everyone seeing who I thought was famous, but it was too hard to pin point because everyone was dressed so nice. I usually gage important people by who is dressed the best but in the fashion world, they may not really work.

So I head to YSL because I love him and their clothes. There are no celebs there but the champagne was flowing and they were not carding people. I didn’t drink of course, because I was working lol ( this blog is work).

YSL had a cool DJ and they had a raffle for a purse, which I wish I would win. I even saw a Hermes bag in real life and it was HUGE! The guy who wore it was WORKING IT. Look at the accessories!

After that I head to COACH and see people drawing on purses which was cool, but again, no celebs and the crowd was kind of dry.

Juicy was pretty crowded but I needed to move forward so I just took a picture of the outside.

Escada, who is in the whole financially, had a cute window display of live models that were actually eating pizza and drinking water. I was pinched by an old lady who told me to write my number on a piece of paper and hold it up the window, because after all, we were in New York. Lol silly lady.

Chanel was pretty dry also. I mean I do not want to custom make a $3,000 plus purse. They also didn’t allow pictures. YOU SUCK!

So I was strolling to the less crowded part of the 5^th avenue shopping area and I see that PRADA was closed with a police officer standing guard… umm wtf. Why are you guys closed. You suck.

Around the corner was Tiffany’s, which had outdoor carpet. Mind you, it was raining off and on all night. They were giving away lemonade and coffee.

Over all I think that this was an event that was pretty well executed. I think it was a good idea to get people involved in something that is kind of similar to the all-exclusive fashion week. I mean if I cant be under the tents watching the models, I rather have them elbow me in the back to get champagne at YSL right ? ehhh

I heard about a bunch of stores that had very successful turnouts because they had a wide amount of celebrity appearances. I think this was an important aspect of the whole night. I walked by stores that had little to no customers, the sales people were even sitting down chatting because they didn’t make the effort to bring in celebrities. Example: Club Monaco

Some stores said they would have run way shows, but definitely only have a screen projecting what one might call a “fashion show” lame!

I didn’t get to experience as much as a I wanted because I was late but I think I got the feel for it. I appreciated seeing the people who made clothes and put them together much more than actual entertainers or celebrities. The rush of being surrounded by such great minds really made me excited about my field of interest.

Here are some suggestions for a better Fashion’s Night Out next year:

• I do wish that some stores actually had sales on merchandise for the night because I definitely would have bought something, and people would have brought more.
• I also wish there were like RSVP lists in order to control the crowd
• I think there def should have been a dress code because it just seemed insane what some people thought was a good idea to wear.
• I think there should have been designated busses or shuttles taking people to certain stores so that they wouldn’t waste time trying to walk or getting lost.
• I think celebrities should be in every store and they should take shifts so that every store had at least one celeb at all times.

FNO Shirts need to be sold EVERYWHERE !

I absolutely loved this night, it made me want to be a New Yorker so bad. I hope that next time I go I will be able to go under the tents the next day.

FNO was such a success. I am so grateful for Anna and Michael for putting it all together. I mean it was kind of like I went to heave for like 2 hours. Running to catch the bus home that I almost missed doesn’t even matter to me.

Well I hope this inspires you all to attend next year. Because there def. will be a next year!

Love ya !

BJ, Betsey Johnson that is!

I have not been able to make a blog post in a while. But I am here today to give you a short and sweet ( with lots of pics) post on my first love in purses: Betsey Johnson.

A little anecdote: I got my first Betseyville purse from London when I turned 17. I fell in love with the quirky, cool designs she made. I went to her shop 5 out of the 14 days that I spent in London, buying every purse I thought I could not live without , both sale and full priced. I came back to the states and my purses were a hit among my peers. Girls all over wanted to know where I got my purses from and I was more than happy to tell them ” Oh, they are only the hottest thing from London.” Little would I know, Betsey would become insanely popular to the point where she started to sell her purses in Loehmans and other discount designer places… kind of bumming me out because that made my London originals loose their shine. But I still love them and I continue to buy Betseyville and Betsey Johnson Purses annually, only from her store of course.

So that’s my little history with Betsey, let me tell you about her history.

Born in Wethersfield, Connecticut August 10th 1942, this new york based designer was making her original designs since the 1960’s. Her inspiration, however, came from her desire to be a dancer and her love of the costumes.

In 1964 she entered and won the Mademoiselle magazine ” Guest Editor Contest” and then landed a position as top designer at Paraphernalia a year later .

As apart of the youth quake, the 1960’s Warhol scene, Betsey established her style with sexy silhouettes, hippie inspired fabrics, whimsical detailing and a great fit. If you ask me, her style seems to resemble that of Patricia Field very much.

Anyways, in 1969 she opened her first boutique called Betsey Bunki Nini.

In the early 1970’s she became the creative director of Alley Cat which was a rock ‘n roll clothing label.

She won a Coty Award in 1972, making her the YOUNGEST designer to ever received the honor, she was 30 years old.

After designing for other labels, Betsey teamed up with Chantal Bacon and started her current label, Betsey Johnson, in 1978. That same year they opened a store in Soho and in the early 80’s opened up on Melrose Avenue in LA.

In 2003 was when the licensing endeavors began, giving her the opportunity to make shoes, underwear, belts, eye wear watches, jewelry, purses and much more.

Also in 2003 she visited Mexico and purchased a hotel and named it Betseyville. She visits there to get inspired and to work. She purchased a second house in Mexico and named it Villa Betsey. Both homes were featured in In Style Homes in 2005.

I bet you didn’t know this: Betsey Johnson is a breast cancer survivor. She works as a strong advocate to fight against the disease. She was even appointed Honorary Chairperson for the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer initiative by the CFDA.

I learned some new information today. You all know that fashion week is approaching and everyone is doing all they can to get publicity. Well Betsey and Sharpie have joined forces and will make a sharpie shirt. Don’t worry, she isn’t the only one who will get to design with the permanent marker. There will be the first ever sharpie bar on select days during Mercedes Benz Fashion week where editors and attendees can get creative with plain white accessories, apparel and you can even draw on yourselves… but idk about that. Beginning September 15, fashionistas can visit http://www.sharpieuncapped.com to view some of the amazing Sharpie fashions and accessories, in addition to behind-the-scenes footage and an exclusive Betsey Johnson interview.

I don’t know about you but fashion has gotten a whole lot more hands on and customer oriented lately… maybe because they want us to buy more so brands like Alexander McQueen won’t sink like the Titanic.

Anyways Betsey has a daughter, Lulu, who was born in 1975 and inspired her freelance gig making Betsey Johnson’s Kids, a line for children in edition to a line for men and maternity.
Award Center
-1999 Timeless Talent Award from the CFDA
-2003 Coty Award
-2002 Fashion Walk of Fame
– 2004 honor by the National Breast Cancer Coalition
-2005 Lifetime Achievement Award from NAWBO-NYC committee
-2007 Designer of the Year Award from Fashion Accessories Benefit Ball

Some words from Betsey herself: “Making clothes involves what I like…color, pattern, shape and movement…I like the everyday process…the people, the pressure, the surprise of seeing the work come alive walking and dancing around on strangers. Like red lipstick on the mouth, my products wake up and brighten and bring the wearer to life…drawing attention to her beauty and specialness…her moods and movements…her dreams and fantasies.” – Betsey Johnson

citation: 1,2,3

Lovin’ Lanvin

Jeanne-Marie Lanvin was born in Paris January 1867. She was the oldest of 11 children. At the age of 16 she was apprentice milliner at Madame Felix in Paris. She then became a trained at Talbot before becoming a milliner in rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore in 1889.

It was in 1889 when she started her milliner store in Paris. ( By the way, a milliner is a professional dressmaker and refers to a type of store that sells dresses)

By 1914 she started her Couturier house. Lanvin is the oldest Parisian fashion house there is.

She married Henri Georges di Pietro and had a daughter who was an opera singer who would become the director of the Lanvin fashion house.

Jeanne became popular because of her children’s clothing and was receiving orders from wealth families for their daughters. Soon enough she began to dress their mothers as well. She had a boutique on the 5th avenue of Paris and joined the Syndicat de la Couture which solidified her status as a couturier.

Lanvin even had a dye factory, shops devoted to home decor, menswear, furs, lingerie, and perfumes, the most successful. Her signature fragrance was the Arpege inspired by the sounds of her daughter practicing on the piano. All her shops and her home was designed by Albert Armand Rateau who was also the manager of Lanvin-Sport.

Jeanne died in 1946 and was succeed by her daughter Marie Blanche. Jeanne died as one of the most influential designers of the 1920’s and 30’s because of her intricate details in trimmings, embroideries, and beaded decorations; all of which were her trademarks. Her favorite shade was the forget-me-not flower color.

Today the creative director of Lanvin is Alber Elbaz ( who deserves his own blog entry, and will get it very soon.)

What is most important that we get from Jeanne Lanvin is her signature in making elaborate and detailed clothing that could never be copied. Her clothing is still a staple of elegance and status as it was when she began over 100 years ago. Thought today the company is not run by member of Lanvin’s family and has even been acquired by a Taiwanese media baroness group led by Shaw-Lan Wang, Jeanne;s touch is never lost.

Now I want to show you what Lanvin came from and what it has evolved into. This is one of those lines that I could NEVER afford now , but I dream about all the time. You can tell that it was made by people who know what clothes should look like and how to sew together royalty, grace, and elegance and sell it in a perfect package.

I also know that Lanvin is not a household name like Gucci, Prada, Chanel, or Versace, but I think that says something about the brand. It is not out there for a show, I mean have you ever seen anyone which a logo’d Lanvin purse/hat/shoes or whatever? No, and that’s the point. Exclusivity is in, and it never went out!

btw.. her logo is actually inspired by her daughter.

and Ill give you a little men’s

Citations: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,

The Infamous Karl Lagerfeld

Anyone breathing should know who the name: Karl Lagerfeld. He is a design genius who has worked with and for some of the most well known people in the fashion and entertainment world. He is one of the worlds greatest designers and it would be a shame if all you knew about him is that he designed for Chanel. That’s why I am here to let you in on his life because apparently it doesn’t revolve around Chanel.

He was reportedly born on September 10th, 1933 as Karl Otto Lagerfeldt in Hamburg, Germany. Some speculation has been stirring around his birthday, some say it was 1938 but many sources have confirmed 1933. However, Karl doesn’t want anyone to know his real birth date, he was even quoted saying “born neither in 1933 or 1938.” He has one older sister named Martha Christiane and a half sister , Thea.

As for his last name, he changed it because Lagerfeld “sounds more commercial.”

His father was German and made a lot of money from introducing condensed milk to Germany. His mother was a lingerie saleswoman in Berlin when she met her husband in 1930. His family was very wealthy. He was raised on a 12,000 acre estate. At the age of 4 he insisted on having his own valet because he liked to change clothes several times a day. His mom was kind of… I’ll just say different. She didn’t want him to wear glasses, though he needed them, because she said children with glasses are the ugliest thing in the world. She criticized his smoking because he had to show his hands which she believed where not beautiful.

Karl moved to Paris in the early 50’s. He worked as a draftsman for a fashion houses. A draftsman drew pictures of fashions instead of having photographers. This made his drawing skills in tip top shape.

(this is supposed to be Michelle Obama)

During the mid 50’s at the age of 22 Lagerfeld was given the position as an apprentice at Pierre Balmain after winning getting second place ( to Yves Saint Laurent) in a competition for a coat sponsored by International Wool Secretariat. This was the birth of a rivalry.

A while after his second place win he told the press that designing coats was his list favorite thing to design and that he really loved little black dresses. But then, YSL won the contest for a dress design, beating Lagerfeld.

This led Lagerfeld to say that he wasn’t very impressed.

After three years at Balmain in 1958, he went to work for Jean Patou where he was given a lot of experience. He designed under the know Roland Karl and his first collection was not very well liked. However his second collection was a great improvement. In the 1960’s he made a collection with vary short skirts, the shortest in Paris and needless to say, people did not like it.

He decided that he had enough of Paris and moved to Italy to continue his fashion education. He didn’t exactly go back to school while in Italy, he spent 2 years mostly on the beaches where he claimed to have ” studied life.”

He worked as a freelance designer for brands like Mario Valentino, Repeto, and Monoprix. He also was able to open up his own shop with the help of his parents.

In true Karl Lagerfeld fashion, outside of the box, he consulted with a lady named Madame Zereakian, Christian Diors’s Armenian fortune teller who told him that he would succeed in fashion and perfume.

Karl designed for a Roman couture house called Tiziani founded by Evan Richards of Texas. When the brand decided to do ready to wear in about 1963 Evan and Karl sketched up 90 outfits. Karl remained with the company until about 1969 after bringing in fans of the label such as Elizabeth Taylor, Dorix Duke and Lollobrigida.

Karl freelanced for Chloe in 1964 starting off with a few pieces and ending up making a whole collection. In 1970 he collaborated with Curiel. His first collection with them was “drippy drapery elegance.” There were velvet shorts and black ankle length capes. True to Karl’s personality.

his Spring 1973 collection for Chloe got Karl a lot of press. He made the surprise skirt that was ankle length pleats and actually pants and he designed looks inspired by Carmen Miranda, mini bra dresses and short skirts.

He makes a lot of clothing that is inspired by people in culture. He line of Chanel that was inspired by Amy Winehouse.


In 1972 Karl worked with Fendi making furs, clothing and accessories. During the 70’s he also designed costumes for theatrical productions. Being a costume designer really helps with your couture work and vice versa. No wonder he is such a genius !

In 1983 Karl was hired by Chanel’s corporate head to reinvent the Chanel brand since the death of Coco in 1971. Karl was said to have a weird psychic connection with Coco saying that he could Chanel her to reinvent the brand, but he never wore Chanel himself.

Here is a quote for thought: Luxury is not the opposite of poverty but the opposite of vulgarity.

Karl had a lot of international success as well. He worked with H&M, Trevira, Wolford and Philip Colbert.

In 2006 he announced his launch of his new collection called K Karl Lagerfeld with T shirts and jeans. Karl has a deal with Dubai Infinity Holdings to design homes on Isla Moda, the world’s first dedicated fashion island. Fashion Island?!!?!? Can we say SPRING BREAK!

Karl has done a little of everything. He is truly well rounded in the fashion and design world. However, he didn’t become so renowned without a few hiccups along the road.

• In the 90’s Anna Wintour walked out of one of his shows because he hired strippers and an adult film start to model his collection for Fendi.
• PETA had a some issues with Karl, of course because they have problems with almost every major designer. He believes that banning fur is childish and in a meat eating world it would be absurd.
• He had a few problems with Heidi Klum saying that she was no runway model, that she was too heavy. He reportedly said she was a commercial model. Then stories developed that he did not say that and it was in fact a quote from Wolfgang Joop. Karl said that he didn’t now Heidi because she never worked in Paris.
• Karl did, however, give his take on Seal’s skin, saying ” I am no dermatologist but I wouldn’t want his skin. Mine looks better than his. He is covered in craters.”
• 
• Karl, in his interview as Coco Chanel in Harper’s Bazaar, said that he ( Coco) was never a feminist because she was never ugly enough for that.
• Karl was not happy with the movie Coco Before Chanel’s lead, Audrey Tautou and told the press he would have rather Penelope Cruz play the part, this followed his anger towards the actress for wearing Chanel Rubber Boots to an interview. He said he was unaware that Chanel made rubber boots, inferring that her boots where knockoffs.
• 
• Of course there is some weight controversy. In the issue he believes that we should focus on the amount of obese people in the world rather than on the small amount of women who are considered underweight.

Speaking of weight, Lagerfeld lost 90lbs on a low calorie diet and turned this infamous diet into a book. He lost the weight because he wanted to dress differently and wear clothes by designer Hedi Slimane. Right now his ambition in life is to wear a size 28 in jeans.

btdubs ( btw) he met Beth Ditto and considered her a muse, and she is two of the things he doesn’t like, fat and a feminist.

I really respect Karl for all the work he has done. He is definitely an inspiration to us all. I am really astonished to learn that he was not the best friend of Coco Chanel because how I have him associated in my mind is only with Chanel and no other brand. I mean he had a whole career before Chanel and he has his own thing going on while he is with Chanel. I appreciate his honesty and his ability to stay true to himself and what he believes in, whether or not the public likes it. For example, his list of 10 things that he CAN do without include: food, fat people, children, going to other places that involve people, going to other places at all, people who try to touch him, people who try to analyze him, the nineties, technology and the Internet, and love. If that isn’t honest I do not know what is. He is very against the norm, he ever said he is pro-prostitution.

I’ll leave you with Mr. Lagerfeld’s words: “This is not an easy job, because I have the understanding about Chanel and couture design that nobody has anymore. I have the training that nobody else has. This job is not free. I am not going anywhere.”

Also check out his twitter page… 95,933 followers and following no one. Typical!

Citations:1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

The Fashion Sanctuary: Bergdorf Goodman

Very rarely do we ever speak of the department stores that house some of our favorite designers, and some undiscovered gems. For this reason, I absolutely must tell you about some of these places that are pretty much fashion churches. We have to dress a certain way to attend, we must be respectful of what is inside, and we must pay the utmost thanks to the people who made all the clothing and accessories that surround us while we are in these sanctuaries.

Today we are gonna start with the almighty BG: Bergdorf Goodman. In 1899 the company kind of started when an Alsace immigrant, Herman Bergdorf, opened a tailor shop just above Union Square in Manhattan. As an employee of Herman’s, Edwin Goodman, purchased the store in 1906 and moved it to 5th avenue.

In 1914 Goodman became the first couturier to introduce ready to wear.

In 1928 the store moved to its current location at 5th and 58th. Goodman’s son Andrew, who was the president, opened a fur salon, made a perfume called Bergdorf Goodman Number Nine, and created Miss Bergdorf, a line for younger customers.

In 1953 Goodman retired as the most celebrated merchant of his time.

During the 60’s and 70’s BG wasn’t doing so well. They tried to build other BG’s but only one in White Plains, NY was made in 1972 which was made into a Neiman Marcus in 1981. In order to pull them up from this slump they hired Dawn Mello in 1975 as the vice president of fashion.

Dawn was able to bring life to this conservative store making it more successful. She was named president in 1984. She left in 89 to work for Gucci and returned to BG as the president again in 1994. The CEO of Bergdorf Goodman today is James J. Gold.

So in the 90’s the Chairman and CE Ira Neimark enlarged the women’s store by 300% resulting in the men’s store having to move across the street to the old FAO Schwartz space. Poor guys!

BG was just beginning to get bigger and bigger. In 1997, the former Goodman Family house, the penthouse at the top of the store was made into the John Barrett Salon and Susan Ciminelli Day Spa. More spas opened in 1999 under the main floor and a cafe.

Dramatic renovations took place in 2002 on the main floor of the women’s store. This lead to the introduction of the new boutiques of Gucci, Chanel, Armani, Versace, and YSL in 2003. In 2004 their website launched to bring their goods across America. Though, I feel like it just recently got really good.

As you can see BG is like one the resting places of luxury. I mean seriously, they have Fur storage to hold your furs over the summer. Really? You even get the option of having your fur glazed. What on God’s green earth does that mean?

Anyways BG has a lot of other unique aspects. Like their infamous windows. Some windows are dressed by regular sales associates whose bosses told them to do it last minute and give the sale associate get their pick of the clothes in which to dress it. Not here! BG’s windows require way more work. I mean these people are wearing construction hats, to build a window display. YES! It’s that serious.

This is a store that focuses more on the act of shopping, making it an entire sensory experience that you pay for through the prices of the clothing. However , to some, the experience is priceless and I think that everyone should at least experience the luxurious way of buying designer clothing at least once, even if its only a lipstick. The joy that one feels with the BG bag swaying from their wrists as they proudly walk out of the large doors is something that can not be described.

So the reason I think it is important to be aware of these stores beyond the surface level is because these are the places where designers are given their chance to shine. Though it is owned by Neiman Marcus, it still serves its own space in the hearts of fashion lovers everywhere. I also think there is a great deal of effort and thought that are put into the window designs that they should be admired by the world and serve as an inspiration to its onlookers.

This is a store that focuses more on the act of shopping, making it an entire sensory experience that you pay for through the prices of the clothing. However , to some, the experience is priceless and I think that everyone should at least experience the luxurious way of buying designer clothing at least once, even if its only a lipstick. The joy that one feels with the BG bag swaying from their wrists as they proudly walk out of the large doors is something that can not be described. Fashion is not only an art, it is a life style and an experience.

Enjoy the pics!

Citations: 1

It’s All About The Birkin Baby!

Ok , so today’s post is about Hermes. The title is just a little something I cooked up because that is what I think of when I think of Hermès. There are other things that Hermès should be associated with and that is what we are going to talk about today.

Ok so some history on Hermès. This label has been around for quite sometime. In 1837 it was first established by Thierry Hermès as a harness workshop in Paris dedicated to survey European noblemen. He wanted to make the best harnesses and bridles for carriages. People waited years for his designs the wait list was crazy.

In 1855 the company won its first prize in its class at the Paris Exposition. In 1967 Hermès won the first class medal at the Exposition Universelle.

So in 1880 Theirry’s son(Charles- Emile) took over and moves the shops location where he introduced saddlery and began retail sales. Soon after they served the elite of Europe, North Africa, Russia, Asia, and America.

In 1900 came their first bag made for riders to carry their saddles with them.

After Charles retired his sons ( Adolphe and Emile Maurice) took over the company and renamed it Hermès Frères ( Hermes Brothers). Sometime around 1914 Emile got the rights to the use of the zipper for leather goods and clothing and was the first to introduce the device to France.

The first leather golf jacket with zipper was introduced in 1918.

Emile, as the sole head of the business, bred his three son-in laws to be business partners.

Hermès introduced the first leather garment for the Prince of wales. In 1922 the first leather handbags were made, the JACK POT for Hermes.

In 1929 the first women’s couture apparel collection was previewed in Paris. However it wasn’t until the 30’s that Hermès really got the ball rolling.

In 1935 Hermès made the Kelly Bag ( Sac a depeches, named about Grace Kelly the new Princess of Monaco) and in 1937 scarves were debuted. This was an accessory that was made part of French Culture and still is to this day. During this decade Hermès also tried introducing its products to the USA through Neiman Marcus but later withdrew.

1946 marked the launch for Hermès silk ties and in 1949 the first Hermès perfume was made, Eau d’Hermès.

Hermès’ philosophy by way of Emile was “Leather, Sport and a tradition of refined elegance.”

In the early 50’s the first non-Hermès born successor was leading the company. Robert Dumas was connected to the family through marriage. The 50’s also brought the introduction of the logo with the carriage and horse and signature orange boxes.

In the 1960 Hermès tried again with Neiman Marcus, this time with silk scarves that were offered through a toll free number.

In the 19070 the company began to slacken in comparison to its competitors because it wanted to make products only from natural materials unlike other companies. At this time Jean-Louis Dumb-Hermès, the son of Robert Dumas was the head of the company and in 1978 he revamped the company by adding more product groups.

The new leader brought in designers like Eric Bergere and Bernard Sanz to revamp the clothing making python motorcycle jackets and ostrich skin jeans. during the 70’s a new subsidiary was introduced in Switzerland, La Montre Hermès.

In the 1980’s Hermès grabbed a tighter hold on their suppliers and launched themselves into the table wear market, which became its most promising business subsidiaries for the 90’s.

In June is 1993 Hermès went public on the Stock Exchange. This equity sale helped alleviate family tensions about the business. In 1993 Laurent Mommeja ( a 6th generation Hermes descendant) took over the head of Operation for US business in Hermès.

By about 1995 the family had about 80 percent of the company and the entire family was on the Forbes List of Billionaires. Jean Louis Dumas began to decrease the Hermès franchises from 250 to 200 and increased the company owned stores to control the sales of its products. In 1996 they opened a company operated boutique in Beijing.

In 1999 Hermes brought up 35% of the Jean Paul Gaultier fashion house.

Things were smooth sailing until now financially. Jean Paul Gaultier eventually became the head designer at the house. Jean Louis Dumas retired as the leader and was succeeded by Patrick Thomas, the first Hermès CEO with no family relations.

WHEEWW !! That was a lot. Now with all this success and history you would think that I would hear Hermès mentioned by more people. I wonder what’s that all about? Is our society too much into the flash of labels and not the actual product. I mean I have only ever heard Jay Z and Beyonce mention Hermès briefcases, Birkins, and boat shoes. Is that weird that I look for unique designer label mentions in music? lol

Anyways I can think of one why people may not be spilling their guts about Hermès: Oprah Winfrey.

Supposedly in 2005 Oprah was turned away from the Hermès boutique in Paris because they argued that they were having problems with North Africans. But the store also said they only stopped her from shopping because there was a private shopping event taking place. Oprah says she heard an employee say that she was just “one of those pesky North Africans.” Now Pause… you don’t know Oprah? One of the most influential people on tv? You must be crazy.

Anyways, Oprah felt like it was one of the most humiliating moments of her life. She canceled her $6,500 dollar order for a Birkin bag and called Robert Chavez personally ( the president of Hermès in American) and told him she will never shop from his stores.

Of all the people you could turn away from your store, you choose Oprah? Really. I mean I know high fashion has its race issues but seriously, all money is green and ultimately that’s what these companies are looking to make.

Another problem with Hermès is that they are on PETA’s bad side. So Hermes has an Australian Crocodile farm where it breed crocs for its famous Birkin Bags. So here is a quote from PETA on the matter:

“The thought of purposely breeding and killing crocodiles for an outdated, overpriced handbag should make any fashionista’s skin crawl,” the group said in a statement. “If Hermès really wants to be a leader in the fashion industry, it should stop killing animals for cold-blooded vanity and use cruelty-free mock croc and fake snake instead.“

So the thing is, if people stop buying it then they may consider stopping this purse farm. However, people continue to shell out the $50, 000 for these purses which are pretty cute. I mean at a time when people can barely afford to eat are in the same city as the people keep Hermès afloat b buying these purses, its both amazing and insane. p.s. faux reptile skin is more expensive.

Despite these little bumps in the road, Hermes is still thriving in this recession. I mean they are expanding in San Diego in Fashion Valley in July of this year. Other places that Hermes is moving to are New York City fifth ave, New York City Soho, and Bellevue.

Honestly, how can Hermès ever fall off. The Birkin bag alone can support the company. People will never stop buying that bag. It’s kind of like a status symbol. I remember seeing my first real life Birkin, it was everything I imaged it would be. Brightly colored, smooth leather with shiny metal, the whole shabang. I know that will be one of my first three big purchases when I get start to get my fat checks. House, Car, Birkin !

Let me give you the quick 411 on the Birkin because surprisingly enough, some people know nothing about it.

It was first made in the 80’s for Jane Birkin. She was next to Jean Louis ( the CEO) on a plane and expressed to him how she needed a perfect weekend bag. He asked her to describe the bag and next thing you know she received her dream purse with a note.

Today the purse is a staple in handbag history. The price ranges from $5,000 to over 6 figures. The waiting list is about 4 years long because the bags are not sold online or in stores. The list is long because A. it takes 48 hours to make the bag, and B. Celebrities come first.

These bags are made of a variety of skins such as salt water crocodile and goat skin.

So now do you see what all the rage is about ?
The most expensive Birkin. 1.63 Million dollars ! See Below!

I appreciate the legacy that Hermès has contributed to fashion. A family owned business that was founded on the hard work and dedication of a person with a dream. the family was persistent in ownership and top notch products and that is what made them so popular. The reasons they are thriving through this economic downturn are fairly obvious. There was no funny business in their company and they stay true to their label and not to trends and phases. their following will love them from the beginning until the end with no question.

We can all learn a thing or to from Hermès, in particular, just knowing the importance at becoming the best at what you do. They perfected their quests before taking on more feats and that contributed to their success.

btw. Hermes also got into a lot of different areas like boats, cars, and other aspects of luxury.

enjoy some pictures of Birkins and clothing from recent lines.

Living it, Loving it, Owning it

Citations: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

Fashion’s Night Out: A Must Attend !

Must Haves for the Curvy Women! Part 2

The Curvy Woman’s Fall 2009 Must Haves List Continued !

So yesterday we left off at #8, so let’s jump right in at #9! ( PS THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ITEM IS BELOW ITS PICTURE)

9. Deep V Neck

So a lot of us curvy girls have a nice set of breasts that would love to pop out of a too-deep-v-neck shirt, so let’s keep it a little subtle.

Ralph Lauren, $49.99, Size up to 3X

Faith 21, $17.80, Size up to 2X

Faith 21, $19.80, Size up to 2X

Ashley Stewart, $29.00, Size up to 24

10. Lace Blouse
So when I say lace, I don’t mean completely see through to show all your goodies… I mean a tasteful hint of lace here and there.

Faith 21, $19.80, Size up to 2X

Faith 21, $28.00, Size Up to 5X

Lane Bryant, $49.50, size up to 28

Miss Phit, $36.00, size up to 3X

11. White Shirt
There is no way to mess this up, unless your shirt is too big or too small. Make sure you try it on and be very critical.

Ralph Lauren, $19.99, Up to 3X

Lane Bryant, $49.50, Up to 28

Faith 21, $19.80, Up to 2X

Ashley Stewart, $29.00, Up to 24

12. Stripes
Be careful here ladies, this could add some pounds.

Banana Republic, $70.00, Up to XL

Miss Phit, $52, Up to 2X

Faith 21, $19.80, Up to 2X

Ralph Lauren , $34.99, Up to 2X

Torrid, $48.00 , Up to 4 X

13. Menswear Trouser
This trend adds a lot of volume to the bottom half of your body and usually works well on slimmer bottoms. With that being said, steer clear of this trend if you are curvy, it does nothing for the figure but ruin it. Stick to skinny jeans, Wide leg trousers, and tapered pants.

14. Draped Skirt

Ann Taylor , $49.50, Up to 18

Ann Taylor , $29.99, Up to 18

Ann Taylor, $85.00, Up to 2X

15. Leather Shorts
Ok so this would not be too comfortable given that they do not have a lot of give and most of us curvier women love ( and need) some type of spandex. Let’s try some alternatives that will give you the same look.

Gap, $34.50, Up to 20

Faith 21, $15.80, Up to XL

Torrid, $38.00, Up to 28

16. Legging Pant
Let’s be tasteful with our use of leggings. We need a shirt or dress that covers our booties, otherwise we will look a hot mess.

Torrid, $26.00, Up to 4X

Torrid $25.00, Up to 3X

Torrid, $25.00, Up to 3X

Ashley Stewart , $29.00, Up to 3X

17. Embellished Biker
Now I have a strong feeling that leather jackets with all the rhinestones are a phase. So I have chosen some multipurpose, timeless jackets that will do you great justice.

Ashley Stewart, $29.00, Up to 20

Torrid, $68.00, Up to 4X

Ashley Stewart, $39.00, Up to 3X

18. Tuxedo
Every women could use a little dressing up. The hardest part here is finding affordable choices.

Torrid, $58.00, Up to 2X

Anne Taylor, $200, Up to 18

Gap.com, $98.00, up to 14

19. Ruffles

My personal Favorite!!!

Ann Taylor, $90, Up to 2X

Gap.com, $29.50, Up to 2X

Miss Phit, $39.00, Up to 3X

Faith 21, $17.80, Up to 2X

Faith 21, $17.80, Up to 2X

Ashley Stewart, $29.00, up to 24
20. Chalk Stripe
Not a good look for a curvy lady. If you want stripes, make them Pin Stripes.

21. Over the knee Boot

Now there are very few of these boots in bigger sizes, let alone with wide calves. But if you are willing to splurge, here is a boot that will do you very well. From Duo.com you can custom size your boot to fit your leg perfectly.

Duo.com, 155 pounds + 20pounds shipping ($285.6676), up to size 12, and 50 cm calf

Duo.com, 180 pounds + 20 pounds shipping ($326.4773) Up to size 12, and 50 cm calf

22, 23. Clutch and Drawstring purses. Any fashionista can fit a purse! Let’s move on.

24. buckle boot

avenue.com, 94.99, up to 11w

torrid , $42.00, up to size 12

Silhouettes.com $149.00, up to Xwide 12

25. Tread Soles
since this is such a high end trend finding affordable size 11 shoes it insanely hard.

DSW. com, $129.95, Up to size 11

endless.com, $139.95, Up to size 11

macy.com, $110.00, Up to size 11

AHHH we have finally reached the end of our Fall must have pieces. Now choose wisely because remember everything isn’t for everyone, but there is something for everyone. I know it’s discouraging not to be able to find your size in the cute clothes that we see walking down the runway, but this just leaves room for your creative juices to flow. Being unique makes you irreplaceable!

Love ya! ❤