Theater Review - Bravo!

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Horse Tales: CofC Looks Inside a Strang Mind with Equus

Best known as the play in which Harry Potter showed his wand, Equus opened at the College of Charleston Thursday night with enough magic to easily sustain the two hour and 20 minute performance . . . Read the rest of my review for Charleston City Paper in print or online at: http://bit.ly/boluaD

To Haiti With Love

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Nothing compares to the effortless chic of a little white tee; it pairs perfectly with denim, dresses down a mini, and--now--it supports the relief effort in Haiti! The CFDA has designed the Fashion For Haiti tee with all proceeds being donated by the CFDA to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, which provides immediate and long-term support to Haiti as it recovers from the devastating January 12 earthquake.

The tee shirt is $25 and can be purchased at retailers online and across the country. For a complete list of where to purchase the shirt, please visit http://www.cfda.com/fashion-for-haiti/. While at the site, you can also learn more about the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and to view videos of celebs like Beyonce and designer Rachel Roy talking about the Fashion for Haiti initiative. 

Charleston has Everything to Gain by Approaching Fashion Week in the Right Style

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I've been published! Click Here to read my complete article in Charleston City Paper!

Charleston has something to offer the institution of fashion week that New York doesn’t: freedom from long-standing traditions and sentiment. Unrestrained, we can redefine the event on our own terms...Continue

L'Object Desire - I Cheated, and I'm Sorry

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“The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behavior. I was unfaithful  untruthful. I had affairs shopped. I cheated spent recklessly.”

-Tiger Woods Maggie Winterfeldt

At the beginning of the year I posted “The Net of Decadent Indulgences,” in which I vowed to cut down my excessive shopping and spending. I did not uphold this promise. I acted as if price tags and bills didn’t apply to me.  I was wrong. I now recognize that I am not above the spending limit. I let you down, and I am sorry.

In atonement of my wallet indiscretions, I am completely giving up shopping for lent. Until Easter, I will not purchase any non-consumable, such as clothes, shoes, or bags. Whenever the urge to purchase comes over me, I will deflect it to you, my valued readers, by sharing the irresistible non-consumable in question with you.  I hope that by recommitting myself, I can regain your trust and readership.  

The real apology will come in my behavior over time, starting with my non-action today, when I turned down the advances of the tartish Ralph Lauren Opening Cermony Down Jacket. Perhaps I have just caught Olympic fever--can I even wear Vancouver gear after the games end next week?--but Polo's U.S. Olympic collection seems to be sexting me l'object desire nonstop. From the sassy olympic polos (on which I can customize my national flag and name!) to the flirtatious hoodies, just visiting Polo.com gets my credit cards aroused. 

My new tactic is to divert these such overwhelming wants by posting them on Style Unzipped, which gives me the strength to stay true to my Lent vow. Thank you, readers, for being my therapy, and please be on the lookout for future l'object desire. 

NYFW: Elise Øverland Runway Review

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Abstract techno music and dim lighting set the mood at Exit Art Gallery in Midtown West Saturday night, as the crowd, stomping the snow off their Chloe motorcycle boots and Louboutin studded stilettos, filtered in to view the Elise Øverland presentation. The drafty warehouse space encouraged guests to pull their fur coats tighter and roused the desire for insulated fall outerwear. When at last the star-studded front row was seated—including Maggie Rizer, Kelly Osborne, Shenae Grimes, Lauren Santo Domingo, Peaches Geldorf, and Heidi Klum (camera crew in tow)—the show commenced.

First on the runway was a characteristic Øverland, body-hugging, sapphire leather dress with a high, asymmetrical collar and low back—too typical to overwhelm. Variations on the theme continued with a series of repetitive body-conscious leather pieces with exaggerated shoulders and lapels. Breaking up the monotony were a multitude of leather finishes and a palette of deep earth tones in sinister shades of burnt orange suede, black leather and coffee shearling. While repetitive as a whole, individually each unadorned look was full of conviction and made up in ferocity what it lacked in glitz.

Menswear-inspired separates replaced the Mexican wrestler mask motif of spring and ranged from a mushroom hued, waffle woven jumpsuit to a standout, loose-cut, navy velvet pantsuit that had the self-assurance of a rockstar. Burly, zipper adorned jackets were balanced with soft, wrap mini dresses evocative of an oversized men’s blazer borrowed from last night’s date. 

Audacious outerwear mixed rocker whimsy with mountain brawn in conspicuous, shaggy fur covered pieces: A black tweed jacket had patches of the brown hair jutting out from each shoulder.  The wilderness theme was continued by a long-sleeve, black mini dress that was draped in leather as supple as silk and featured  shocks of  orange rust streaked across the torso, making the model seem as if she were just mauled by a feral beast.

Øverland continued to prove her propensity for tailoring coarse fabrics into sophisticated silhouettes with her prominent use of leather. Refreshingly, however, she also explored more lissom silks, fluid jerseys, and chunky tweeds. The softest and most arresting look of the show was a spectacular earthy crimson silk, A-line mini dress that shone like a sunset through winter bare trees.  

While the show excelled in all the expected areas, the front row was arguably more exciting than the runway.  Overall, a good—not strong –showing from Elise Øverland.

Miu Miu Gets Playful with Spring Prints

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I am completely enchanted with Miu Miu’s playful spring prints! Charming sketches of long-whiskered cats with softly rounded backs, gracefully soaring sparrows, and bounding gaggles of puppies decorate silk crepe, capturing the romance of the season (and never failing to arouse a giggle from me). So, when Vogue featured Raquel Zimmermann in “The Dating Game,” a Miu Miu-heavy editorial in the February issue, I knew I would have to make a stop at the boutique while in New York.

Much to my excitement, several of the actual outfits that walked down the Paris runway in October were in the Soho boutique.  From tailored trousers to youthful minis to playful cut-out tops with mesh insets and dazzling sequin beading, the garments were even more enthralling in person.  

The standout sketch, a contracted woman in an uneasy recline, is evocative of both the coarsely outlined figures of Matisse and the sensual full-bodied damsels of Ruben. While used repeatedly--the same sketch is often featured in both top and accompanying bottom--the motif avoids redundancy by adjusting scale and ratio, creating a remarkably different print.

The collection’s mix of sweet and sexy, while criticized by some for being too “young,” captures the romantic transitional phase between childhood and womanhood perfectly. Sophistication is not lost amidst the youthful aesthetic; tailored trousers and high-waisted skirts are office-ready, and an ingénue can outfit herself in a puff sleeved silk top with cut-outs above and below the breast—daring at night and appropriately audacious for day when layered over a white tee and paired with jeans.

TIP: If the complete look is out of financial reach, create your own Lolita-esque ensemble using less expensive (but equally adorable) Miu Miu accents; pin versions of the sparrow, cat, and reclining woman motifs are currently available for $140 dollars, and the prominent school girl collars seen below will soon be sold separately! To capture the true Miu Miu look, the sparrow pin should be positioned upside down.

Southern Snow Attempts to Thwart my Fashion Week Attendance

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The snow in Charleston--the first heavy snow (and by heavy I mean a couple inches at best) in a decade--effectively shut down Charleston International Airport. Apparently, when the airport is in a city that never snows, it is given no equipment to deal with even the slightest amount of icy precipitation. So, when the rain began to freeze last night at the same time my flight was scheduled to leave for New York, there was no functioning equipment to de-ice the wings.

Seeing as the first show I'm scheduled to attend, the fabulous Elise Overland, does not start until 6 p.m. tonight, I am hopeful that I will still make it to New York on time. The winter wonderland I woke up to this morning (see above pictures) made my optimism waver, but after reviewing my options--drive three hours up to Charlotte, NC and attempt to get to New York from there--with an unfriendly US Air Phone Support person, I have decided my best option at this time is to stay and try to leave from Charleston. 

I am hoping and praying beyond that, despite the reasonable capabilities of a southern city entrenched in snow, I will make to NYC in time to attend the Elise Overland show and report up close pictures and in depth runway review back to Style Unzipped!

About to head back to Charleston International airport for another go at it. Wish me luck my stylish darlings!

xxoo

OBSESSED! Must-Have Gel & Liquid Eyeliners

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The moment my paycheck is cashed, I am running to the bright, neon-lit counter at the local Saks to continue my unending search for the newest and best in high tech mascaras, shimmering lip glosses, and seasonal color palettes. I indulge in the little luxuries impressed upon me with powder puffs and blush brushes wielded by pretty sales girls in pharmaceutical aprons.

  

Despite my makeup disloyalty—I’ve gone through six different brands of foundations in the past three years—one item has been a constant in my makeup bag: Bobby Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner ($21). Smooth, densely pigmented, and capable of lasting through a nuclear war, these little pots of  Espresso, Cavier, and Violet Ink have been helping me achieve my signature cat-eye look for years.

Recently, however, I grew frustrated with the unruly eyeliner brush that applies the gel.  The restless makeup junky in me began to immerge, and—in between paychecks—I found myself in an unfamiliar place: the drugstore cosmetic aisle. Initially apprehensive, I flitted through the crude racks of cardboard and plastic encased products. Finally, persuaded by packaging that claimed “No-Mess Liquid Liner,” I settled on Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen in Blackest Black. At $8.99, I was willing to take a risk.

Back at home, while gliding the sculpted felt tip across my lid, I experienced an ease of movement and level of application control that was unknown to me. The pen’s pointed tip contained the perfect amount of eyeliner—it was not dripping wet or scratchy dry but perfectly damp. The color emerged in continuous, controlled amounts and only where I wanted it to. 

Conclusion: My adventure to the drug store cosmetic aisle was a success! Revlon’s Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen is the perfect liquid eye liner for daytime. I can still create my favorite feline look, but the pen’s felt-tip provides added application control, making it easy to tone it down for work. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner has not been banished. It remains my go-to for sultry nighttime eyes, as the dense gel allows for a deeper, more thickly pigmented line.  Now, I can use my economical Revlon for day and save my classic Bobbi Brown for evening. Parfait!

Note: Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen creates a demure above-the-lash-line ideal for pairing with sultry red lips!

Design Star on the Rise: Getting to Know Katie Ermilio

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In this age of superstar designers, where Marc Jacobs’ marriage receives as much press as his spring collection and Karl Lagerfeld’s face is as recognizable as the Chanel logo, finding a young designer as genuinely committed to the craft as Katie Ermilio is like finding a Birkin bag on sale.  As the fourth generation of her family’s fashion legacy—which began with her great-grandfather and boasts the design of President Eisenhower’s bomber jacket, the famous green Agusta Golf Tournament's Masters jacket, and Grace Kelly’s personal clothier - Ermilio is keenly aware that there is more at stake in entering the family business than a spot in Bryant park.

While Ermilio describes her venture into fashion design as unplanned, it’s hard not to think it was fated.  As a young girl, she spent her free time at her father’s Philadelphia atelier, quietly observing as suits were designed, constructed, and fitted to his stylish clientele.  Having been immersed in the business her entire life, she reflects, “I was designing long before I knew I was designing, from creating outfits for my paper dolls to making my prom gown.”  Because it was so natural to her, Ermilio never realized her favorite pastime was actually a great talent. 

The turning point happened accidentally, when she decided to bring one of her many dress sketches to life to wear to an internship interview.  Ermilio’s father, not wanting the beautiful frock to go to waste after the interview, hung her design in the window of his shop. To her surprise, clients tried to buy the dress.  Ermilio “never imagined that one dress could have launched a career,” but the demand for her designs snowballed, and soon she was coming home from college at NYU every weekend to meet with a growing roster of clients. Shortly after, she made the difficult decision to leave her editorial internship at Teen Vogue—the career path she had planned while studying journalism—and took “a leap of faith” by officially founding her own label.

Katie Ermilio garments are, in a word, lovely. They embody an elegance and poise well beyond Ermilio’s twenty four years and recall a bygone era in which pretty Philadelphia socialites married St. Paul boys on lavish country estates. Soft fabrics full of movement and dimension contrast with strongly tailored lines—the vestigial of the informal menswear training from her father.  Ermilio brushes off the couture stereotype of opulent gowns, preferring to label her designs as “everyday couture”—custom fitted pieces that are easy to wear around and live in.  Her designs are ethereal and exude comfortable elegance. Flouncy chiffon skirts and delicately gyrating silk pants reflect her awareness of “the way the garment will look on a real woman’s body, and how it will be actualized in the round.” A woman’s need for clothes to both flatter and function is not lost on Ermilio, who credits her attunement to her clients to one-on-one couture sessions. 

The recent expansion of the Katie Ermilio line into the world of ready-to-wear has thrilled the designer, who is anxious to tackle this “different animal” and reach a larger audience.  For her upcoming Fall 2010 collection, she has narrowed hundreds of sketches down to a handful of special pieces with themes in oxblood, ivory, olive, and navies.  Stand-outs include chiffon and tool dresses paired with military inspired jackets.

In the year since Ermilio founded her label, she has exceeded all initial expectations while continuing to “grow the brand in the most respectful way possible.” Her success has blossomed organically, supply expanding to meet the demand from the onset—it was clients’ insistence that convinced her to pursue design full-time.  The fashion that Ermilio grew up around, and that has come to define her family’s legacy, is reflected in both her timeless clothes and perceptive business outlook: “I am conscious that while I am taking the name in a new direction and breathing new life into it, it is still part of an amazing history, and I want to do right by it.” By all measures, she is doing just that. 

Note: Prices range from $500 for tops to $4,500 for dresses. For ordering information, please visit the website.