GARDEN PARTY TIME

- Also on said list is Glee‘s Chris Colfer, who just sold a pilot to the Disney Channel and is also writing and starring in the indie film, Struck By Lightning, directed by the guy who did Saved! – it’s Kurt’s turn! [The Daily Beast]

- You can get even closer to the Met’s Costume Institute Gala thanks to Vogue‘s new iPad app, which has 5 years of behind the scenes footage, a preview of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty and even a tribute to McQueen by the bobbed one herself, Anna Wintour. [Fashionologie]

- Supermodel icon and MILF extraordinaire, Cindy Crawford says she feels like an outsider now: I just saw the CoverGirl commercial with Taylor Swift and I thought, ‘Wow, it is so hard for models to get a job these days.” Well, I hope you’re happy now, Taylor Swift — you’ve alienated one of the greatest supermodels of all time. Thanks again, Swift. [Fashionologie]

- Crawford went on to say: “And I also think when I was modeling, size 6 was a normal size and now it’s like 2 or 0.” Well, according to a new study from the University of Bologna, Italy, allowing larger models onto the runway will promote obesity since skinny models provide an incentive for weight control. And that incentive is called cocaine. [Daily Mail]

- The Center for Disease Control estimates that by 2020 every state will have a ban on indoor smoking. I personally don’t smoke, unless I’m 5 Long Island Iced Teas into the night, but there’s just something comforting about a seedy, smokey bar — something that just says ‘Welcome home, homo.’ [Gawker]

• Haider Ackermann has announced he’s leaving his menswear line. His collection, which arrives after the New Year, will be his first and last – at least for now. ( Vogue ) • Ted Baker’s New York stores are known to offer a certain flavor. The company will… more

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]]> http://fashionindie.com/the-biz-haider-ackermann-calls-it-quits-ted-baker-introduces-themed-stores/feed/ 0 http://fashionindie.com/interview-tastemaker-anthony-sperduti-2/ http://fashionindie.com/interview-tastemaker-anthony-sperduti-2/#comments Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:52:42 +0000 lookbooks http://fashionindie.com/interview-tastemaker-anthony-sperduti-2/ Mainly, people call on Anthony Sperduti for one simple reason. The man has good taste. Anthony launched Partners & Spade in 2008 to spread his tastemaking among the masses, along with associate Andy Spade. And, a mish mash of companies request his services. Together with Spade, Anthony dabbles in books, …

If it looks liek a Rihanna, & it Dresses like a Rihanna, then its obviously Rihanna right? Wrong.

Today Madame Tussads over in Washington D.C. unveiled the newest addition to their wax family. & who else would it be then Ms. RiRi. Although RiRi was not present for the unveiling; she got to see the figure a week ago. FunFact: The outfit was donated by RiRi herself; she wore it last year to a Fall Balmain show!

& in other Wax related news…

GaGa is setting yet ANOTHER mark, being the first & ONLY star to have her Wax figure revealed at all 10 Madame Tussad's at the SAME TIME! hmmm, wonder what outfits will she provide all of those lovely replicas!

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Les Chiffoniers is one of the latest ‘cult’ brands to hit the fashion scene. Defined by its signature leggings and rock-chic aesthetic, these free spirited designs have been snapped up by the likes of Kate Moss, Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley and Daisy Lowe to name a few.

The talent behind the brand is Central Saint Martins graduate Leena Similu. She was inspired during her time working as head designer for Stella McCartney & Jil Sanders. However, Les Chiffoniers was born out of a fortunate accident involving 1 metre of pvc fabric and a serendipitous fancy dress party – attended by many of the influential London fashion pack, who expressed a great interest in the ‘fledgling label’, which inspired the launch of a full brand.

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LINK LOVE:Eco Friendly Fashion Line Launches Online Store.

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This summer, Hebrew National held Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnics all across America – including in New York, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh – and proved that you can do up a Hebrew National hot dog just about any way you like, anywhere in the country.

Here are some regional favorites you can cook up with Hebrew National – what does your city put on its hot dogs?

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FIVE THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT LEIGHTON MEESTER

Leighton Meester is nothing like her on-screen character Blair Waldorf. They may both be gorgeous and sweet, but unlike her Upper East Side counterpart, who uses her charm to manipulate others, Meester is the real thing.

We caught up with the actress, popstar, and Herbal Essences ambassador recently to uncover a few more surprising facts.

She’s a hydration addict.
While Leighton lists sunscreen and an eyelash curler on her can’t-live-without beauty products list, it’s water that’s really good a hold on the actress-singer. “Beauty is all internal,” she says. “I love spray bottles of water, especially when I’m on the airplane or at work.” The starlet is also big on Herbal Essences Hello Hydration shampoo as the base to her beautiful locks.

She’s a natural blonde.
“My hair is a dark blonde,” the current-brunette admits. “It’s brown for Gossip Girl. I’ve gone blonde a few times since I started the show for different movie projects and I got to go red.”

She has but one regret.
“Regrettably, for a long time I wasn’t as comfortable in my own skin, how I am naturally. Now I love the way I look without makeup and without my hair styled because I feel healthy and beautiful,” Meester explains.

Her love of fashion started young.
“Dressing my Barbies was the beginning I guess, but I also always loved watching my mom get ready and put on her makeup and clothes. I just thought it was really fascinating,” Meester reminisces. “She ended up giving me a bunch of her clothes when I was growing up and I wear them all the time. My mom was always very sexy and cool in her own skin and I admire her a lot.”

She doesn’t choose favourites.
“I don’t think I could choose just one fashion label that I love,” she admits. “The beauty of fashion is that you get to mix it up and try different things to change your look.”

source: http://www.flare.com/blog/post/28058–five-things-you-didn-t-know-about-leighton-meester

On set candids from last few days:

source: http://l-meester.org/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=838

Short interview on ET Canada

LINK LOVE:Lovely Leighton Meester

Ladies and Gentleman, we are proud to bring to you another Q & A, this time with designer, Hernan Lander. He is an extremely exciting and visionary designer. The architectural inspiration behind his work, is probably one of my favorite things in the world. So as you admire the Fall/Winter Collection below, don’t forget to leave your questions in the comments section!

Hernan Lander Fall/Winter 2010.

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One of the items on my list of “28 things to do before 28? is to complete a 365 project. I’ve made several attempts at doing so, but usually by the 3rd week I’m completely over it. However, this time I’m really going to make an effort to produce a photo everyday until my 28th birthday. Some photos will be grainy cellphone pics, others from my macbook photobooth, and hopefully a majority of them will come from my new digital camera. I hope you enjoy my 365 project.

Day 1: My birthday outfit

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Above Image: ©Benjamin Kanarek

I would like to describe the process of photo shoots that are done for either a magazine or advertising and what happens in the process. In most cases the steps are similar for all
productions whether it is me or any other photographer.

I will commence from the point at which the whole team has been hired and are present at the studio for the commencement of the day. In all cases there will be a photographer,
photographers assistant or more, sometimes up to three or four, a
fashion stylist, the person who chose the clothing and accessories for
the photo session, the stylists assistant, a set designer, if one was
needed and their crew. In most cases they had built the set the day
before, but there will be someone there in case of changes that need to
be executed, a make-up artist and assistant, a hair stylist and
assistant, the model or models, the fashion editor and frequently the
digital retouching artist, especially if there are going to be elements
photographed to be added later.

In most cases the crew shows up at 09:00. There is always a breakfast waiting that usually includes juice, croissants, cinnamon buns, baguettes, butter, jam and tons and tons of
coffee and tea.

The hair and make up artists set up their material in the dressing room, while the fashion stylist and the assistant start to unpack the clothing and hang them on clothing racks.
This also allows the fashion stylist to present the clothing to the
photographer. As there are always a lot more clothing than will be
photographed, choices are often made in the morning to determine when
they will be shot and how they will work together in a layout. The
steamer and ironing table are set up and the assistant starts to work on
the clothing to remove any wrinkles. Retouching out wrinkles is a major
pain and it is preferable that the clothing are as close to perfect
before commencing the shoot. While the stylist is preparing the clothes,
the proverbial messengers are arriving with accessories from the
different designer houses. These are usually very expensive jewelry and
often come accompanied with a security guard. I have on occasion had
several security guards attend my shoots especially if the pieces are
worth over 50 thousand dollars per item. It is for that reason, that it
is more problematic to shoot on weekends, as it costs a lot more for the
jewelry companies to hire security guards on the weekend. Through out
the day messengers are coming in and out of the studio, delivering items
and picking them up after they are shot.

The hair stylist has already begun and usually starts before the make up artist. This is done to avoid possible smudging of the work that has been executed by the make up artist. The
two of them discuss what they will be doing and then call in the
photographer and the stylist to give us an over all view of what the
model will look like. This is done to avoid any misunderstandings.
Re-doing hair and make-up is a nightmare and will usually take another
two hours of precious time.

While the hair and make up artist, fashion stylist and assistant are in preparation, I am directing my assistants regarding the lighting I wish to employ, color of backdrop
(if that is what I will be using) or the lighting being used for the
set. For this shoot, let’s say that I will be using large accessories
for the set i.e. couch, large chair, bird cage etc. I ask my assistants
to set up the four HMI 1.2 kilo cinema lights in their general
position. I will make the micro changes I require for each shot with
the model and the subsequent clothing changes. I now ask the assistant
to set up the flash unit or units as well as their placement and the
1000 watt tungsten lamp I will also be using for this shoot. I go with
one of the assistants and choose the background color I will employ,
based on the color of the clothing I will use for that background.

The assistants set up the seamless backdrop and I unroll my package of gelatins that I will use on my shoot and decide on which colors I will use for the given backdrop. I ask
the assistant to place the color I requested on to the HMI cinema lights
as well as a full blue gelatin affixed to the tungsten lamp. I have
also instructed the assistants to place two large transparent plexiglass
panels on to the floor for this shoot. They will cover around 9 square
meters. Once the lights have been set up, I place one of the
assistants in the position where the model will be standing and start to
meter the different light sources. Once satisfied I take several
images and view them on the computer screen.

It is now probably around 11:00 AM and the assistant assigned to ordering lunch convenes with the team to determine what we all want. Once the bickering ends and a decision is
made the order is placed.

I get called in to have a look at what has been done by the hair and make up artist and comments are made and some adjustments may occur at this time. Once all is well, the model
gets prepared for her first image and the stylist assists the model in
doing so.

The model steps in to the set and a marker is place where she will be standing, sitting or laying down. The hair stylist adjusts the hair for the initial position. The fashion
stylist is called to adjust the clothing to suit the position that the
model will take from the onset. Adjustments will be made as the model
changes positions. The make up artist waits for the first test shot to
see how the make-up looks under this particular type of lighting.
Adjustments are made to the make up if it does not render well under the
conditions. The look of the make up changes dramatically from the
dressing room make up lights to the lighting on the set.

Once all of the necessary adjustments are made, everyone leaves the set except the model and I fire off another image. I look at it again and make any adjustment needed to get
the effect I am looking for.

I now instruct the model to assume a role based on the storyboard of the theme of the shoot. I usually say, “… Do what you feel is appropriate and I will do my best to capture that
moment…” Once I feel I have captured the image I usually say “Got it!”
and the model leaves the set for her next change. We repeat the process
and usually after a couple of shots, we break for lunch, which lasts no
more than 45 minutes. I prefer not drinking any alcohol with my lunch,
as it makes me want to break for a Nap.. LOL.

I will generally be able to do between 6 and 8 images in a day, if there are not a lot of extreme hair or make-up changes. If there are, I am lucky to get 4 off. Of these 6-8
images we can see around 8-12 pages, as some are double page spreads.

Throughout the day, I will ask the assistants to change the backdrop color as well as the corresponding gelatin colors for my image. By around 19:00 to 20:00 the shoot is
wrapped. The stylist starts to pack the clothing, all of the accessories
that were of value have already been picked up by the messenger
services, the hair or wig is brought down and the make-up removed by the
make-up artist. My camera gear and computer gets put away. Everyone
says their good byes and ask to see the images once the post prod is
completed. The editor has already given me the dead line for the post
production, so we know what the turn around time is.

That is a short description of a day in the studio with a Fashion Photographer.

SOURCE

LINK LOVE:A Fashion Shoot in One Day…The Process

“Wearing these dreads, is like a total party in your Saturday night’s pumps”… looking through these Exito photos is a total feeling of genius for any wild child. All package included, heavy sex appeal, washed out look that you spent endless hours on, notorious messy hair representing your amazing night, and of course rocking the banging outfits.

PARTY GIRLS PARTY ALL THE TIME: http://www.theyenvy.us/photo/albums/lookbook-exito

LINK LOVE:NOT PSYCHOTIC OR DRAMATIC: EXITO LOOKBOOK

What’s always on your travel check-list?
• Pashmina (works great as a pillow or blanket on the plane)
• Packing cubes (makes packing simple and keeps everything organized)
• Photocopies of all travel and identification documents (if anything goes wrong or is lost, makes the reissuing process easier)
• Wrinkle-proof, comfortable, yet fashionable clothes for the plane

What are some must-knows about keeping your wardrobe fashionable on the road? Are there packing tips, hotel secrets, etc. that will help keep your pieces looking like they just stepped out of your closet (and not your suitcase)?
• It is important to bring options that can go from day to night with a little bit of accessorizing or a shoe change. Black pieces tend to be the best options for this.
• It is fantastic that jersey material is fashionable now, as it is much less likely to wrinkle.
• There are many packing methods that prevent wrinkling in transit. Using packing cubes definitely help with this. There also bundling and layering with tissue paper.
• I also make sure to hang-up my more wrinkle prone pieces as soon as I get to the hotel room. The more time it has out of the suitcase, the more the likely the wrinkles are to shake out.

What are your secrets to stress-free flying?
• I always have something to keep me occupied. My iPhone is great because I can watch movies, listen to music etc.
• “Checking out” and being able to silence my surroundings is very important to me, so headphones are a must.
• Always book insurance. You will rest easier knowing you are protected.
• Check in early. You can do this online now, and it really makes the process much smoother.
• If you can, travel only with a carry-on. The eliminates waiting at the carousel, or the chance of the airline losing your luggage.

When you experience travel problems, as we all do, how do you cope?
• It is important to stay calm. Panicking will get you nowhere.
• This is why booking travel insurance is so important, it really acts like a lifesaver during the times you need it most.

What are your top travel etiquette tips?
I have some major pet peeves on this topic!

• Look back before reclining your seat. This way you give the person behind you some warning that you will be moving and their drink is less likely to end up in their laps.
• The person in the middle row gets access to both arm rests. This is only fair as they are the poor souls cramped in the middle.
• Do some research on the country you are traveling to before going there. Take a the time to brief yourself on key phrases and customs. This could save you some major embarrassment in destination.

What destinations are still on your travel wish list and why?
I would love to visit South America. Machu Piccu and its incredible history blows my mind. I would also love to see San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina.

What’s been your own most memorable trip?
Volunteering in an orphanage in Jamaica with my family was life changing. Seeing my own children interact with the children there and knowing we were impacting their lives was beyond heart-warming.

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Breathless Brad Boles has been busy rubbing some very ritzy elbows this weekend and is more than happy to share the dish. Me? I wish I was really on vacation! –S.H.

Friday night saw a return to Almond, the tony East End, boy’s-night-out hotspot in the Hamptons where I dined with Catherine Saxton (the fabulous PR maven who handles all of Ivana Trump’s ups and downs) who is a houseguest of Cathy and Rick Hilton.

FYI… the Hiltons have done an amazing job reinventing their glamorous Fordune estate in Southampton. It is completely bathed in white and teal and flooded with light. When I was there recently, I had a wonderful encounter with TINKERBELL – yes, you heard me right – as in Paris Hilton’s famed Chihuahua!

Bling to ding…

After dinner it was off to Lilly Pond for a sexy performance by none other then my “The Real Housewives of New York City” titled babe, ”The Countess” Luann de Lesseps. The best part of the evening: LL Cool J had a banquet room filled with his posse. Go figure…those two in a room so small from Bling to Ding?

Don’t ever believe that the rich aren’t still rich.

On Saturday it was off to Polo… for some perfect weather and perfect people! It’s one big cocktail party with nobody really watching the game. On one arm, I had the ever-divine Adrian Arpel, and on the other, her time-challenged daughter Lauren Arpel. I was trying to get Madame Arpel to buy a helicopter. As everybody knows, the Montauk highway is a nightmare in August. Can you imagine if we had landed on the Polo field?

LISTEN to Sharon Haver & Brad Boles on Focus on Style Talk Radio:

LINK LOVE:Money Matters- Cultural Clash In The Hamptons From A Countess to LL Cool J and One Supermodel

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While it’s not explicitly or all that implicitly stated, Courtney Love had some sort of kooky diatribe about her daughter whose 18th birthday is less than a week away, revealing details of a life that must be hard enough without a father but harder still with a sudden fashionista mom who’s pretty well known for showing her cooter:

“…A 17 year-old getting $40,000 a month is outrageous to me…She lives with her nanny, and Grandma Wendy and Kim Kurt Cobain’s mother and sister live two doors down, but there’s no drug testing going on…It’s enough money to kill her, if she is doing drugs, enough money to be gone by the time she’s 22.”

Love’s gott know, based on experience, but still, really? Hopefully the quote is out of context because otherwise it’s more than a little kooky. Let the girl enjoy her birthday in peace. Bring out the dirt for Thanksgiving or Christmas like other families.

LINK LOVE:Courtney Love Is Mom Of The Year

By this time in the summer, beach towels are tattered, sun hats are lost, and the cooler’s seen better days. Voilá our Summer’s Last Splash Giveaway (enter here), which includes everything you’ll need to refresh your warm-weather essentials and ride out the rest of the season in style.

We’ve put together a collection of beach-chic favorites to replenish your weekend staples, from Carlos Falchi’s must-have tote to a 32GB iPod Touch to a Tracy Reese towel. The winner will be able to get lost in the world of The Island, the latest addictive page-turner by queen of the summer beach-read Elin Hilderbrand, while staying protected by classic Chloé sunglasses and a perfectly floppy sun hat by Hat Attack. And what’s a summer day without cold refreshments? Picnic at Ascot’s ingenious collapsible, insulated cooler is a no-stress way to make the party portable. Enter here for your chance to win this gathering of goodies that will keep you fabulously accessorized long after the sun has set on the season.

And to get you in the mood for eternal sunshine, here’s an excerpt from Elin Hilderbrand’s The Island:

“Once they were in Madaket, Tate’s heart started to settle, like a dog on its Canvas Orvis bed, like a baby in its quilted Moses basket. She had crisscrossed the United States of America dozens of times with little expectation or fanfare, but the mere sight of Madaket Harbor, sparkling blue and green in the July sun, smelling salty and swampy, and presenting itself exactly as she remembered it when she was last here at seventeen years old, was turning Tate to jelly. Home!”

LINK LOVE:Giveaway: Summer's Last Splash

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