SICKA THAN AVERAGE

L.A.M.B. Haughton Clutch — As Seen On “Gossip Girl”

Sometimes watching Gossip Girl can be like a game of "Where's Waldo?" with us viewers scanning the crowd for familiar faces. Those of you who summer at the Hamptons or long for a socialite-esque lifestyle might have recognized upper crust clotheshound Helen Lee Schifter and teen daughter Storey Schifter among those in the crowd of attendees at Eleanor Waldorf's runway show on Monday's GG episode. Yes, apparently, the two Schifter gals refuse to miss a good party or fashion show – even when it's fictional.

In a brief scene, Helen was seen carrying the L.A.M.B. Haughton clutch in the Bristol print (pictured above). The clutch figures an '80s black-and-white checkerboard motifs, as well as a dartboard-like print with the words "L.A.M.B." and "Love" stamped along the arc's periphery. To make the colors really pop, the clutch's upper fold features two diagonal brown leather strips that come together to form a "V" shape, with a thin strip of turquoise leather piping and zipper detailing to add a funky, rock 'n' roll edge. The brown leather piping along the edge and zipper tab, meanwhile, give the style the necessary cohesiveness and streamline its look. Part of the L.A.M.B. Handbags Summer 2010 collection, the Haughton clutch hist stores in May.

L.A.M.B. Brighton clutch, $145. Available in May at Nordstrom (and Nordstrom.com), Bloomingdale's (and Bloomingdales.com), and Zappos.com

Posted at 09:25 PM in Fashion, Television | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

March 31, 2010

Put A Little Love In Your Heart (And Your Closet) With Amar

In Spanish, the verb "amar" literally means "to love." As it turns out, the word "amar" has quite a few meanings depending on the language selected; it stands for "eternity" in Hindu, "moon" in Arabic, "strong" in Burmese, and "wolf" in Inuit Indian. Once you've discovered the deep, cross-cultural linguistic roots of the word "amar," then, deciding on this as the name of your brand means taking on a huge responsibility to embody all the attributes and phenomena embodied by the term. And that's precisely the mission Australian designers Kerri Raymond and Michael Adam embraced when launching their Amar line in 2003.

Wearable designs with bold fabric choices and flashy details translate into confident yet feminine collections. Take, for example, Amar's Autumn/Winter 2010 collection, which I had the chance to preview at the G'Day USA showcase in New York City, where a number of up-and-coming Australian designers showcased their lines for members of the media, store buyers, and fashion insiders. Dubbed "The Time Is Now," the collection includes dresses, outerwear and separates in smoky lilac and purple, charcoal, silver, and steel gray, and jet black. Pictured above, are some of my favorite pieces: from the Courage Jacket (pictured at top), a wool coat with side buttons and a leather strip along the waist for a bit of a military feel; to the Forbidden Dress (pictured third from top), a strapless leather minidress with a bustier-like construction along the bodice and an armor-like twist to toughen up the sexpot silhouette; and the Pleasure Seeker Top and Dress (pictured second and fourth from top, respectively), which have whimsical covered in shimmering sequins.

Look out for the collection on Amar.com.au and stay tune for more news as the brand makes its foray into the US. What's not to love about Amar?

Posted at 05:07 PM in Fashion | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

March 31, 2010

Junkprints “This Or That” Rings — The Choice Is Yours

As many of you know, I'm a certified Junkprints fanatic —there's just something so clever and original about the way Channel Kennebrew's funky designs reference pop culture. Take, for example, these new Junkprints "This Or That" rings, which reference the classic Black Sheep song "The Choice Is Yours" — you know, the joint that goes, "You can get with this/Or you can get with that/I think you'll get with this/'Cause this is where it's at." If you want to go back on the scene crispy and clean, then, you should definitely check out this set of two-finger rings.

Each "This Or That" two-finger ring was handmade using laser cut plexi and measures 3.5" in width and 1.5" in height. The rings come as a set (so you can wear one on each hand) and are individually signed and numbered. I love how Kennebrew used bulbous, almost graffiti-style bubble letters (notice the thick black outline of each letter) to give the rings that playful '80s vibe, while the colorful cloud motifs below each word seem to nod to early subway art (think Iz the Wiz) and the glittery rainbow arcs add a hint of disco-era flash.

I say you get with the "This" ring and the "That" ring because, when it comes to sassy jewelry, you can't beat that with a bat.

"This Or That" Ring Set, $200. Available at Junkprints.com

Posted at 10:15 AM in Fashion, Jewelry | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

March 30, 2010

Mighty Fine Keith Haring Collection — Celebrating An ’80s Street Art Icon

Though he's now regarded as an iconic, trailblazing artist, Keith Haring was once considered a renegade. His work, which often depicted dancing figures, heart shapes, and musical references, has now been featured on everything from Swatch watches to Adidas sneakers, but in the '80s, New York City officials considered Haring a nuisance and a detriment to New Yorkers' "quality of life." After all, Haring's biggest claim to fame were his subway drawings, which he sketched using chalk atop the blank advertising paper panels he found lining the walls of train stations. Because his work was illegal, then, city authorities and law enforcement officials were quick to denounce it — not quite as vehemently as they did the work of graffiti writers, but still rather forcefully. It's baffling how short-sighted these officials were (and continue to be, seeing as they still persecute graffiti artists with the type of single-minded furor they could channel to rapists and arsonists). After all, had Keith Haring's work not been placed in these high traffic locations, the public would never have had the opportunity to discover his genius. Haring's public pieces, then, helped to democratize artistic output, making beautiful art accessible to all. It's what I continue to love about street art: how it allows all of us to enjoy beautiful forms of expression without having to enter some museum (or pay an admission fee).

The new collection of Keith Haring tees by Mighty Fine celebrates both his creative genius and his dedication to themes of unity, love, and acceptance. The tees feature some of Haring's most iconic designs — the "Lovers" tee (pictured at top), for example, features two figures holding up an enormous red heart (a classic Haring image) and boasts a black velvety trim along the V-shaped neckline and the square "frame" enclosing the design. The"Robotic Lovers" tee (pictured third from top), meanwhile, depicts two pink, R2-D2-esque droids in a friendly embrace. I also love the hip-hop flavored, Radio Raheem-esque "Boom Boom" tank top (pictured second from top), a groovy black tank with a yellow figure featuring a boombox head.

The new Mighty Fine Keith Haring tees range in price from $22 to $31. The collection hits stores in Mid April and will be available on WeLoveFine.com so be on the lookout for them!

Posted at 04:09 PM in Art, Fashion | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

March 30, 2010

MAC Spring Colour 2 Forecast — Join The Coral Line!

Coral is making a big splash this spring, with everyone from Bobbi Brown to MAC Cosmetics exploring the shade's nuances. MAC's spot-on Spring Colour 2 Forecast collection features a range of cosmetics that play upon the subtle differences between peach, coral, apricot, salmon pink, tangerine, and orange. Whether you want a peachy, sunkissed glow on your cheeks or a dose of creamy coral color on your nails, this collection has orange-tinged shades in bountiful variations, as well as some complementary gold, chartreuse and warm rose colors.

Check out the collection below, as well as swatches of some of the products!

BLUSH OMBRE COLOR:

When you think of blush, you mostly think of pink or plum shades (with a few exceptions, such as Benefit's Peach, a shimmering soft peach color). That's why the Blush Ombre in Ripe Peach is such a pleasant surprise. I particularly love the gradient color, how the powder blush compact moves from a light, sunny, golden peach shade to a deeper pink coral color. You can dip your brush into either end of the compact depending on how subtle an effect you're going for, or you can blend the hues together for a really rich and complex hue.

MAC Cosmetics Blush Ombre in Ripe Peach, $25. Visit MACcosmetics.com

Here's what the blush looks like on the skin (it's not blended in this pic, so that you can make out the lighter hue at the left and the darker hue at the right):

NAIL LACQUER HUE:

Though it's named "Malibu Peach," this creamy nail lacquer hue is brighter than what you'd typically associate with the color peach, boasting a tangerine orange kick. What I love most about the nail lacquer, though, is how it manages to have this deliciously creamy texture without being goopy or sloppy (which is so often the case with lighter shades). It's the type of eclectic shade you can wear to an Easter get-together and rock straight into the summertime.

MAC Cosmetics Nail Lacquer in Malibu Peach, $12. Visit MACcosmetics.com

Here's what Malibu Peach looks like on nails:

LIPGLASS SHADES:

The Spring Colour 2 Forecast includes three lipglass shades: Ember Glow, a creamy light apricot color; Kumquat, frosty tangerine; and Cha Cha, a golden mid-tone pink. I had the chance to check out the Kumquat Lipglass and thought the shade was rather unique. Though the orange color can seem intimidating when applied on the skin (check out the swatch below), once you brush it onto your naturally pink lips, it's way more subtle and the orange tones liven up the complexion quite a bit. My only reservation was that I found it extremely sticky (to the point of excess) and so, every time I wear it, I make sure to moisturize my lips thoroughly before application.

MAC Cosmetics Tinted Lipglass, $14 each. Visit MACcosmetics.com

Kumquat Lipglass swatch:

LIPSTICK SHADES:

One of the collections' biggest surprises were the four lipstick shades offered. Sure, the collection includes two hues that aptly relate to the overall coral theme (the Colour Me Coral, a frosted light coral hue, and the Fresh Shadow, a sheer bright pink orange), but the remaining two colors are considerably closer to the pink range (as opposed to the orange end of the color spectrum). I checked out the Victorian lipstick, a frosted carnation pink shade with gold undertones, and the Rose Maiden, a succulent raspberry sorbet color.

Check out the swatches of the two shades below, as well as the photo showing what the Rose Maiden looks like on the lips.

MAC Cosmetics Lipstick, $14 each. Visit MACcosmetics.com

Below, check out the Victorian (pictured at top) and the Rose Maiden (pictured at bottom) lipstick shades:

MAC Rose Maiden lipstick on my lips:

CRUSHED METAL PIGMENT – STACKED 2:

I'm usually gun shy when it comes to playing with pigments, but as soon as I laid eyes on these crushed metal pigments, I had to delve in. These four shades come in pots that can be stacked atop one another, which minimizes any bulk in your makeup bag. The pigments have more of an iridescent sheen than a puddle of oil under the desert sun. The shades include a light champagne gold hue and a slightly deeper rose copper color, as well as a vintage yellow gold shade, and a golden chartreuse green color. I'm particularly smitten with the golden green shade (check it out at left in the second photo below).

MAC Cosmetics Crushed Metal Pigment: Stacked 2!, $32.50. Visit MACcosmetics.com

Check out swatches of the pigment shades:

EYE SHADOW HUES:

Like the rest of the collection, these eye shadow hues flirt with the way pink, yellow, and orange can be fused together to create a multitude of distinct shades. The collection includes: Perky, which is billed as a salmon pink; Straw Harvest, a golden apricot color with tons of sheen; Hot Hot Hot, a coral shade with a satin finish; and Nanogold, a sheer yellow beige with pink undertones.

I had the chance to check out the Straw Harvest and Perky shades. I loved the metallic finish of the Straw Harvest eye shadow and the way the color incorporates an orange tint without going into Halloween territory. Though it's not particularly unique, the Perky shade does have a soft, chalky finish which makes it a good base color for any spring look.

MAC Cosmetics Eye Shadow, $14.50 each. Visit MACcosmetics.com

Here's what the Straw Harvest (pictured below, at top) and Perky (pictured below, at bottom) eye shadow shades look like on the skin: