Marcus Wainwright, Gautum Dutta, David Neville, and Steven Kolb

Gautam Dutta, Vitaminwater Color Collection design winner attends the announcement of the Vitaminwater Color Collection winner at the Empire Hotel Rooftop on September 15, 2011 in New York City. Vitaminwater Announces Color Collection Winner Empire Hotel Rooftop New York, NY United States September 15, 2011 Photo by Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.com To license this image (125062520), contact WireImage.com

(L-R) Designer Marcus Wainright of Rag and Bone,Gautam Dutta, Vitaminwater Color Collection design winner,designer David Neville of Rag and Bone and Steven Kolb, CFDA CEO attend the announcement of the Vitaminwater Color Collection winner at the Empire Hotel Rooftop on September 15, 2011 in New York City. Vitaminwater Announces Color Collection Winner Empire Hotel Rooftop New York, NY United States September 15, 2011 Photo by Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.com To license this image (125062529), contact WireImage.com

When the ten day long auction launches, bidders can win one of eight amazing prize packages that range from a head to toe Dolce & Gabbana style consultation and outfit to a dinner for two and roundtrip airfare to Italy to a full Superbowl 2012 package.  Visit gq.com, justkeeplivin.org, or dolcegabbana.com/dg/perfumes for more information.

The fragrance itself, described as “the ultimate connoisseur’s scent”, was a concoction of pepper, grapefruit, lavender, vanilla, and patchouli (aka light, cool, and a little intimidating).  Former NY Times Scent Editor Chandler Burr walked us through each individual scent in a fun and compelling sniff class that broke it all down.

Who is this man exactly?  GQ Style Correspondent Brett Fahlgren told us that the character behind the scent was “a contemporary charmer, with a spirit of masculinity– a man who is courteous, refined, and cultivated” while the designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana remarked “he is worldly, successful, impeccable, but also boasts something else such as an innate elegance that distinguishes him from the rest”.

More exciting news at the event was the launch of Dolce & Gabbana’s new iPhone app, “Rules for the Modern Gentlman” which was written by Dylan Jones, editor of GQ UK.  The app was designed to cover tips on etiquette (like asking a girl on a date properly), style & grooming (like how to match your patterns), and quick solutions for gentlemanly predicaments (sort of like the how to eat a pork loin off a rib without disturbing the passed appetizers peace).  Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana told us, “The application is a perfect reflection of the scenarios that the Dolce&Gabbana man may find himself encountering; as a modern gentleman he can approach each situation with a sense of poise and confidence that distinguishes him from the rest.”

When looking for the campaign’s face, naturally, the brand turned to Hollywood ladies man: Matthew McConaughey.  The campaign video showed off McConaughey, the one gentleman himself, the morning after an epic celebration (very a la How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days). Still tuxedo clad, he strolls through the party ballroom doing exactly what we would all do after a grand night at a ball, staring into a beach sunset.  How dapper. We recommend the scent for the young and elegant set, the gentlemen of our generation.

We began the fashion search at Maguire Steele, the PR company that represents Timo Weiland, a designer we thought would evoke their clean cut hippiness. We arrived to find access to not only Timo, but to the Shipley & Halmos and Billy Reid collections, and Duckie Brown shoes. What a lovely way to start the day. Jeff was surprised to find himself liking this salmon Shipley blazer and green saddle shoes by Duckie; once he put them on, he saw the magic in them. Color and fit; bright and tight. That’s the vision.

Playing the green Timo Weiland vertically striped cardigan against the horizontally striped Billy Reid shirt made for optical illusionism – perfect for on-stage psychedelia. We tried with two Shipley & Halmos ties, one a conglomeration of pin thin geometric shapes, the other made of a mustard velvet (which totally called for heavy petting). We’re taking all of it along.

In the looks above, note the Shipley and Halmos pants: crisp, paper thin, glowing blue. Jeff really dug the look and feel of them. This sparked our next stop – Zara. Known in the masculine for modestly priced, modernly cut suits, I thought he might find a pant with a similar fit. Unfortunately, no fancy pants there captured our attention quite like Shipleys; the drawback to going from such a quality level of design down to one of the quickest of the fast fashion powerhouses (2 week turnaround from sketch to shelf!).

We did however conquer his need for new jeans. Imagine, he’s never owned a pair of skinny jeans! FashionIndie’s first instinct was mustard, for its ability to bring a bright spice to the stage. The look on his face when Mustard Slim Cut Jeans were suggested was dubious to say the least. We insisted he give it a try. In the fitting room, dubious shifted to contemplation, and very quickly to impressed contentment. Sold! To the man in yellow. He liked the fit so much, he got them in heather black as well. (TIP – Gentlemen, go to Zara right now… they’re only $39!)

We perused the rest of rushed retail row on Broadway from Broome to Bleecker from Urban Outfitters to Uniqlo, but nothing was jumping out at us. Man, were we spoiled by the gorgeous goods at Maguire Steele. Plus, mass market seems no place to find pieces to encapsulate the unique Heavy Pets sound. Time to switch things up,take it down real low, down all the way to Brooklyn’s poppin’ top vintage haunt, Beacon’s Closet.

Our instructions for The Pet: grab anything that strikes you. With that we end up with armfuls psychedelic patterns, bronze grommets, cowboy flair and a polyester disaster that shall remain on the hanger.

We pruned the options, ready to take eight new/old shirts in their varying sizes back to the rest of The Heavy Pets. The first piece on the rack? Pierre Cardin, $18.95. He looked at it skeptically, FashionIndie looked at it delightedly on him; we managed to convince acception with the tidbit that Pierre Cardin did introduce The Beatles to the Nehru jacket. Done and done.

The full styling goes down around 6:00 p.m. this evening when they are done with the soundcheck. As they are musicians, and this is fashion, that time is of course a rough estimation. But when it happens, we’ll be live tweeting @FashionIndie & @JessicaLapidos.

Come to The Brooklyn Bowl tonight to see The Heavy Pets perform in their new digs. See you there!

Want the looks now? Shop in store @DebutNYC and mention FashionIndie – get 10%off!

LOOK FOUR: Terrestrial Nautica

The Dress: Timo Weiland, $438

On the wall, this particular Timo Weiland dress was buttoned up to the tippy top and those long pieces were tied in a knot in front. If you’ve noticed yet, I don’t like just wearing a dress; there must be another layer in order to make it truly interesting to me. I knew I had to work this spotty pocketed piecey frock from the collection “A Warf on the Baltic” into my look, but how, I pondered, what could actually enhance this already amazing slightly Saurat experiment without fighting it…?

The Bikini Top: Lisa Marie Fernandez, $360

Because of the distinctly organized layout of Début, I was able at a glance from the middle of the store to spot the very piece that would bring the dress to multi-layer perfection. The answer was hanging on the front-most display in the form of a bikini top. As this is by Lisa Marie Fernandez, I know it will look entirely acceptable, if not futuristically fantastic, to wear swimwear as real clothes. I zipped myself into the maleable, even more wetsuit inspired cropped halter and closed it to the collar with the large plastic zipper and velcro strap.

The Bracelets: Brook & Lyn, $110

I had been lusting after this jewelry since the moment I walked in. Made from slates of agate that designer Mimi Jung found happenstance on her journey through Hong Kong, her line Brook & Lyn features these slabs of crystalized rock. Encased within either black or white woven rope, they form the collection entitled “Surrounded by Day and Night”. I selected two of the bracelets, in both teal-to-sea-foam and aqua blue to complement the frenzy of colors that this outfit creates.

Can you dig this neoprene top + chiffon dress combination? I’d love your thoughts.

Check tomorrow for my last look at Début. Teaser: Parachute Nylon.

Début | 298 Mulberry Street, New York, NY 10012

Follow me @JessicaLapidos as I tweet from the fitting room floor. First stop: Timo Weiland. From there I’m taking him on a high-low fashion exploration. Come along to see what I’m talking about.

In the meantime, enjoy this live performance of “Drenched” by The Heavy Pets. Their look here shows me they’re ready.

Can they evolve to be one of the future Best Dressed Man Bands?

Tim Howard Management provides high fashion and celebrity services for the world’s leading fashion companies. His agency’s handiwork can be seen on catwalks and red carpets to television and print magazines like Vogue, GQ and Elle.

Recently I sat down with Tim at New York City’s Jane Hotel and quizzed the talent manager about his company and team. The following is how our conversation went down.

Point blank, how did Tim Howard Management start?

Well I working as an agent at one of the bigger photo agencies and things weren’t going so well there.  I was complaining to a friend about it at dinner one night and he said, ‘Why don’t you start your own business? Why do you keep working for other people?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know.’

I quit my other job to think about it.  A friend of mine gave me a desk in his office to see what it would feel like and it just kind of started to unfold with some of the talent I’d previously been working with – suddenly, I had 3 or 4 people and I went and registered my company. We built from there.

The company you run is very much people-oriented, and it seems like there’s so many moving parts. How did your training prepare you for this?

My real training came from my days at Art and Commerce. I worked under Leslie Sweeney; she was one of the owners of Art and Commerce. She was my boss and pretty much taught me everything I know.

She was on maternity leave the day I started the job. I was about 23 years old. So I got there, and there were about 10 artists to look after and she wasn’t really around to show me what to do. So it was a crash course, and to I had sink or swim. So I swam I guess. Though I’m not a good swimmer at all.

Your team provides services for some really big campaigns coming out today. What are some of the challenges of offering these high-level services?

In this economy, the biggest challenge is gambling with rates. You want to respect both the artist and the client. You don’t want to undersell somebody who’s worked very hard to get a rate to a certain point, but you don’t want to outbid yourself either.  In that sense, it’s not much different than selling cars sometimes.

But then it’s about creativity and about relationships -  is this is an interesting project creatively speaking? Could this be a repeat client?  Is this client also a friend? So many factors. Every single booking that comes in requires attention. You have to tailor your decision to each job in order to get the best scenario for your artist. Sometimes you lose.

You have a team of 20 people or so. How do you find the people on your team?

The foremost quality I look for in an artist is personality. Is this somebody I can speak to on a day-to-day basis? Would I want to get a phone call from this person at eight-o-clock in the morning before I’ve had coffee ?

The next thing would just be the work. Is their work something I feel like I can sell? Do they fit in with the rest of the talent that I already represent?

Stepping back from your position, what kind of skills do you think a person needs in order to run a high-level creative agency?

A degree in psychology and a degree in finance.  And an ability to predict the future.

So you’re no longer sitting with your one desk and three artists. What would be your vision for the future of your company?

As agents, we need to develop a newer model on which to represent people – to bring in social media, to try and look more poignantly at opportunities that are waiting for young talent.  Collectively as a team, we have the ability to really influence the beauty industry and the fashion industry. How do we place a value on that?

How do you harness that power in someone who has 20 years of walking into a studio and putting makeup on a model? It doesn’t sound like very much, but that person can look at any face and know exactly what tools to use to enhance it.  Weirdly, that’s a valuable talent.

What do you do when you have time to yourself?

On Saturdays I write a little bit. I do yard work. Any place that I can be where there’s no phone I’m happy. My cell phone doesn’t work in my place upstate. So I can just go out and rake leaves for two hours and no one knows where I am.

To learn more about Tim Howard Management‘s work, visit their blog.

That’s right Rebecca Minkoff will be on deck to style people in her Holiday collection. Along with her Fashion Indie editors, and stylist Mia Morgan will be there to assist her.

To top it all of if you buy a bag you can get it customized by artist Logan Real and a free gift. we will aslo be giving bags out every hour!

Book your appointment to get styled by Minkoff at: styling@RebeccaMinkoff.com

Can’t wait to see you all there!

Let’s count the amount of times he says “I Love the Detail”,  “Accessorize” and “Layering” shall we…

Also, a model is made to look like a fat box through the magic of “layering” after the jump…

Not crazy at all about the styling, but I have to say that Elle Brazil is looking a lot more interesting than Brazilian Vogue or L’Officiel these days.

LINK LOVE:La Bündchen Covers Elle Brazil

Boyfriend denims are my favorite jeans. I also love suspenders, especially the “old fashioned” kind with button attachements. These suspenders can be often found from secondhand stores and they can be attached with safetypins. Clara shows here how. To get you jeans t look more “dirty”, spary a light coat of golden spraypaint on them in selected areas. It will look like dust and come off in a few washes.

Accesorios dales un twist
Model: Clara Alonso
Ph.: Fernando Bosch
Magazine: Elle España April 2010
Via The Fashion Spot

LINK LOVE:The Great Suspender

THE ONES2WATCH Website

LINK LOVE:NEW WAVE WOMEN’S EDITORIAL »94 L« SHOT BY ERICA SHIRES / STYLED BY JAMES TINNELLY

The season of barbeques, boating, and outdoor music festivals is upon us, and with it comes steamy temperatures and (for this writer, anyway) a desire to minimize effort in all areas possible, including dress. Enter rompers, fashion’s answer to easy summer dressing.

The one-piece playsuit started to creep into collections a handful of seasons ago and came into full-blown ubiquity last summer. This season, designers like 7 For All Mankind, Diane von Furstenberg, ADAM by Adam Lippes, and Mara Hoffman are taking the look to a new level, making jumpers rival dresses in the world of effortless warm-weather chic.

Try pairing a floral Rachel Pally romper with Havaianas flip-flops and oversized Oliver Peoples sunglasses for a put-together casual look, or take chambray to Bonnaroo with layers of bold necklaces and bracelets and Elizabeth and James flat sandals. For a more formal affair, break out of the box and wear a strapless romper with Camilla Skovgaard sandals and Gara Danielle jewelry. This look is all about having a little fun with the way you dress.

–Amie
Shopbop

LINK LOVE:Easy Summer Dressing: The Romper

I’ll be regularly updating with styling posts such as these! The Rodarte for target collection is truly amazing – I made sure that I was going to be the first in line to get it. I immediately snagged this amazing leopard print dress – it has bows in the back!

Here’s the description to lure all you bidders:

Kim Kardashian is one of Hollywood’s most stylish girls and this is a dream come true for all you fashionistas out there. The always fabulously-dressed Kim Kardashian is inviting you and a friend to shop at her trendy, famous boutique Dash where you each will have $1500 to spend. Whether dressed down or dressed for a night on the town, Kim always looks flawless and her hip outfits are emulated by millions of girls out there. Get the glamorous look from Los Angeles’ hippest store and turn heads just like the beautiful Kardashian sister, Kim.

Okay there are several problems with this description:

1. As someone who likes fashion, I am insulted that K.K. is considered one of the Hollywood’s most stylish girls. Also this would not be a dream come true for me or anyone who actually loves fashion. Finding a secret portal that gave me access to the Mets’ Costume Collection,now that’s a dream come true.

2. Is her look emulated by millions of girls? Those few who do emulate her style don’t exactly have the fundage to buy Herve Leger bandage dresses and Christian Louboutin shoes. And those who do have that kind of money, well why would they admit that they bought something because they saw K.K. wear it?

3. Lastly (again being from Los Angeles) Dash is a good 25 miles away from where the hippest stores in Los Angeles are. Just thought I would put that out there, in case there was any confusion.

There might be many of you who feel the same way I do,seeing that there has only been one bid, for a thousand dollars. At this rate the final bid won’t even cover the $3,000 shopping spree. Which is far lower then the $7,500 estimated worth of Kim’s services. But I suppose having Kim Kardashian tell you what outfit will make your butt look great is prize enough.

[ChairtyBuzz via LAT Dish Rag Blog]