News has it designer Rachel Roy will be teaming up with Estelle to launch a  jewelry line! The edgy collaboration is set to hit shelves in spring 2010. In addition to the jewelry collection, Estelle has plans to host the opening party for Rachel’s pop-up shop during fashion week this September.

So, I guess I can’t keep ignoring Resort collections any longer, as weird as they are. This might mean I’ll have to pay attention to Pre-Fall now, too, as odd as those are as well. Whatever–2010 has brought about a batch of truly viable Resort collections, and how do I kick off a round of Runway Rundowns for any season? With Rachel Roy, of course.

Probably the one thing I love the most about Roy’s collections is her constantly evolving, yet somehow singularly individual aesthetic. Minus the Childlike Empress headgear, this resort collection felt less like something you’d wear on the sundeck of your yacht (which is why I’m loathe to discuss so many Resort collections, because they seem to reinforce that stale standard that fashion is strictly for rich white women) and more like light, fresh summer dressing for the Young Professional of Tomorrowland. And y’all already know how I feel about hot professional dressing and fashion futurism, so you know I’m all about this collection.

Read the rest…

SOURCE: Means of First Resort: Rachel Roy R10

I’m often fond of saying that after a certain while, living in New York becomes like living on a Monopoly board: same players, same places, same scene—the only thing missing is the free parking.

I found myself reminiscing about Fashion Week as I exited the cab on the south corner of Bryant Park for my first event on Wednesday evening: the Rachel by Rachel Roy launch and über-private reception in her showroom.

Arriving on the twenty-something floor and walking into the well-appointed and chic showroom space, I almost felt like I was back in the exclusive Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge where many happy memories have been formed over the past three seasons, most involving champagne and celebrities.

My first instinct was to relieve one handsome cater waiter of a cocktail and then scope out the room.  Teen Vogue editor Amy Astley was perusing the collection while Beth Ostrosky Stern mingled with other guests that included Kelly Killoren Bensimon and model-turned-DJ Sky Nellor.  In the back, Alexandra Richards was DJing, playing lots of Cut/Copy and MGMT that put me more in the mood to dance than look at clothes.

I went over to Ms. Roy to ask her about her new collection.  She was imposingly tall with dark, piercing eyes.  “The new collection is a bit younger and edgier,” she said.  “It’ll be sold exclusively in Macy’s beginning in early August.”

My next stop was the Belvedere Black Raspberry launch party downtown in a pop up space created just for the three-night long celebration.  Inside, slogans like “Maceration is perfectly natural” lined the walls.  Confused but intrigued, I had to ask one of the publicists outside what this meant.  Apparently, maceration is one of those words like “jactation” that sounds dirty but is actually quite technical—it refers to some type of esoteric fermentation process that infuses fruit with vodka.  Sexy stuff.

Within the next half hour, nearly everyone that had been at the Rachel Roy presentation was now here, drinking their macerated cocktails (there’s a two-word combination that definitely sounds dirty but isn’t).  Kelly Bensimon was the first celebrity to arrive, carrying the Jonathan Kelsey “Belvie” bag, specially designed for the occasion.  Sky Nellor also made the trip downtown.  “I’m flying out to LA to DJ the USA/Vanity Fair party,” she told me when I asked her what she was up to.

Soon after, the woman of the hour, Estelle, arrived to a flurry of flashbulbs.  “I’m working on my new album,” she said when I finally got my chance to speak to her.   Next up was Erin Lucas from The City, wearing a lace ensemble with Christian Louboutin pumps.  We talked about sudden fame and having cameras around all the time—both seemed quite natural to her.

The next evening all my events were on the same corner of the Monopoly board in SoHo.  Running an hour behind, I headed over to a giant loft for the Serge Strosberg vernissage called “Les Demoiselles de New York” featuring nightlife icons such as Kenny Kenny painted in an expressionist style on a giant tableau.

After a few minutes, I had already rolled the dice and landed at my next stop: The Randolph on Broome for the StyleCaster/Famegame party.  The tiny space filled up quickly—to the point that it was nearly impossible to move—no one was passing go, no one was collecting a cocktail at the bar.  We stayed for a drink and on the way out and once again ran into Erin Lucas as well as designer Keith Lissner (now also a cast member on Bravo’s Project Runway spinoff, The Fashion Show).

We had come full circle when we ended up once again at the Belvedere pop up space for the second night’s party with Out Magazine hosted by Patrick Duffy.  I first said hello to Kenny Kenny who I had just missed at the vernissage before hijacking the passed hors d’oeuvres plate.  Perhaps to escape the monotony of characters that had been imported from The Randolph, I soon turned to drink—a dangerous thing in the presence of an open vodka bar.  Before I knew it, I’d ended up at the unofficial after party at SubMercer, hanging out with a group of drag queens when in walked Erin Lucas.  If one of us owned the properties on which we both seemed to keep landing, the other would definitely be mortgaging Pennsylvania Railroad right about now.

At the end of the day, maybe it’s sort of comforting knowing more or less exactly what’s to be expected with each event—after all, when you take a chance, you might just end up in jail.

Adrien Field

Rachel Roy huge diffusion line for Macy’s

The recession is hitting everyone, Jones Apparel Group today announced the launch of a Rachel Roy diffusion brand exclusive to Macy’s which include affordable contemporary sportswear, footwear and accessories. The lower-priced line is dubbed Rachel Rachel Roy and is slated to debut in August 2009. The Rachel Rachel Roy collection will capture a fresh and youthful look that reflects today’s culture by mixing elements of downtown cool with uptown chic at affordable price points. The line will retail from $59 to $299 for sportswear, $79 to $199 for footwear, $40 to $195 for jewelry and $69 to $109 for handbags. The collection includes an array of sportswear options, including stonewashed denim skirts; fake leather jackets and fake fur vests; long, chunky cardigans; Modal jersey dresses, jumpsuits and tops; crystal-embellished cotton jersey T-shirts; brushstroke-printed jackets and coats, and bright pink leopard-printed skinny jeans. In addition to apparel, there will be a large selection of accessories, including footwear, handbags and jewelry, all retailing for under $250.

Founder and artistic director, Rachel Roy, said, “Accessible fashion has always been a passion of mine. Every woman should have the opportunity to express herself through style. Being able to design a contemporary product line that truly reflects a sense of individuality is a great honor. Macy’s has been an embracing partner in helping us launch this redefinition of a new lifestyle collection.” via WWD

The Rachel Rachel Roy for Macy’s Collection is looking pretty good, I’m anticipating the release. Loving a lot of the pieces! Do you love it or hate it?

TRESemmé signed on as the official haircare sponsor of this year’s spring shows for NYC Fashion Week granting the
brand with backstage access at one of the industry’s biggest events. TRESemmé Celebrity Stylist Nathaniel Hawkins, who led the hair teams for Tracy Reese and Cynthia Rowley, dishes his secrets for getting the look.

“This season, we saw a return to simple, yet beautiful hair. Whether the look of the show was
soft and feminine or exhibited more of an edge, the common thread remained the hair looks -
face flattering and pretty. And the best thing about these styles is that they are easy to achieve
with the right products and tools,” says Hawkins.

Here are the trends, right off the runways, courtesy of TRESemmé:

Wave of Independence
“Gone are the days of binding curls and waves. This season, it is all about laid back, yet feminine glamour,” adds Hawkins. Rachel Roy, L’Wren Scott, Rebecca Taylor, Diane von Furstenberg and Anna Sui all sent this look down their runways. To get these hot waves:

1. Scrunch TRESemmé Flawless Curls Curl Hydration Lotion Crème into damp hair.

2. Blow dry the hair with a diffuser using the fingers or let it dry naturally.

3. Part hair evenly down the middle and finger comb each side into a ponytail.

4. Taking each ponytail, twist the lengths of the hair until it starts to twist onto itself,
creating a bun on each side of the head; secure each bun with a hair pin.

5. Using the diffuser, dry each bun and let the hair sit for 20 minutes.

6. Remove the pins and finger comb hair, creating beautiful, tousled waves.

7. Run a dime-size amount of the TRESemmé Anti-Frizz Secret Styling Crème over the
lengths of the hair to tame flyaways and add shine.

Mixed Up
“A lot of shows this season featured a dual-finish hairstyle with either a mix of shiny and matte or rough and smooth,” notes Hawkins who created such a look for Cynthia Rowley’s show.  Other designers who showcased the look included:  Alexander Wang, Erin Fetherston, Thakoon and Richard Chai.

To copy the ponytail follow these simple steps:
1. Pull hair back into a ponytail using a boar bristle brush

2. Work TRESemmé Anti-Frizz Secret Styling Crème into the hair at the top of the ponytail
but not throughout the lengths of the hair.

3. Spray the mid-shafts and ends of the hair with TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat
Tamer Spray.

4. Blow dry hair against the natural direction of the cuticle to create a rough texture, which
will contrast the sleek, shiny top section of the head.

5. Finish this look with a touch of TRESemmé TRES Two Extra Hold Hair Spray
throughout the ponytail.

Hawkins and the TRESemmé Styling Team tied shiny black ribbon on all of the models at the Cynthia Rowley show to add a touch of glam.

Soft Around the Edges
“Stick straight locks had their moment on the runway, but the look right now is all about smooth hair with some bend and movement,” says Hawkins.  This chic style was seen on the runways of some of fashion’s biggest names including BCBG, Doo.Ri and Donna Karen.  Hawkins loved the way this styled complemented the straight lines at the Herve Leger show.

Getting the look is simple:

1. Apply TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray to hair, followed by a liberal application of TRESemmé Thermal Creations Volumizing Mousse from the roots of the hair to the ends.

2. Blow hair dry with a medium-sized round brush.

3. Spray Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray onto the hair again.

4. Take sections of hair twice the depth of the flatiron plate, pull the iron away from the head to create a slight curvature.

5. Add runway-worthy shine by lightly spraying the TRESemmé No Frizz Shine Spray.

I live about 5 miles outside of D.C. They started closing and detouring streets weeks ago. Everyone I know in the city is excited for the Inauguration, but wants out for the four-day weekend. And everyone else is trying to make a buck off Obama’s likeness. I don’t know if this is just a D.C.-area thing, but even our chain grocery stores each have an aisle of Obama merchandise snuggled next to the Valentine’s Day stuff.

A more organized effort to sell Obama stuff and support the campaign has been released, though. A collaboration with the Presidential Inaugural Committee, the Runway for Change Inaugural Collection features T-shirts and accessories from mainstream design houses like Tory Burch, Vera Wang, and Isaac Mizrahi; indie designers like Alexander Wang, Lutz & Patmos; and even celebrity designers like Jay-Z and Beyonce.

Several of the products are made from organic cotton and/or dyes, and proceeds from collection will go toward the $45 million projected cost of the inauguration ceremony.

If you’re in the District, you can nab some piece at the temporary Presidential Inaugural Store, at 625 E Street NW, or from the online store.

GALLERY: Runway to Change.

For Spring 2009, Rachel Roy continued the trend of one piece looks, off the shoulder dresses, and very distinct patterns with accents of bright colors. Her collection was cohesive, and ultra feminine.

Thanks Style.com for the pics

Rachel Roy has hooked up with premium spirit Grey Goose vodka to design a special cocktail dress to be by the brand’s spokesmodels at its events. Grey Goose will be the official sponsor of Roy’s show at New York Fashion Week in September, where the dresses – black and blue creations made from stretch wool, with a draped neckline and a cascade of fabric on the back – will make their official debut, WWD reports.

This new high-profile partnership is another business boost for the rapidly-growing Rachel Roy label; Jones Apparel Group acquired a 50 per cent stake in it last month, following the lead of TSM Capital, which acquired a minority stake in November.

Source: Vogue UK