IC FASHION CHIC

ICFashion Flix: Star Trek Into Darkness

britchardesellers — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:08:00 -0400

Summer blockbusters have started and last week @SkimMilkProject and I saw Star Trek Into Darkness. Star Trek Into Darkness is JJ Abrams second Star Trek Film after rebooting it with Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban and Simon Pegg. The first of the rebooted series established an alter timeline, so these films are to be completely separate entities from the original series. Star Trek (2009) was an extremely successful reboot grossing over 250,000,000 in the US. So obviously, Star Trek Into Darkness was a highly anticipated sequel. JJ Abrams has also been tapped to direct the reboot of Star Wars. His plate’s quite full.

Star Trek Into Darkness takes place a few years after Star Trek where James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) has commandeered the USS Enterprise with his First Officer Spock. After saving dying planet, illegally, Kirk and Spock get into a morality argument and part ways. But after Starfleet is attacked by John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Kirk loses a friend, Kirk and Spock have to fight together to destroy their newest nemesis.

Overall, I liked Star Trek Into Darkness. There were nice twists and turns that I will not give away. There was only one problem I had with the film. The stakes weren’t high enough. Once you see it, you will know what I’m talking about but what I found missing was a sense of true urgency and retribution for the villain’s actions. Benedict Cumberbatch was a welcome addition to the Star Trek universe as John Harrison, the new foe and terrorist. His performance and otherworldly appearance lent great credibility to the film. Misused or underused (?) was Zoe Saldana as Uhura. I think JJ Abrams and the writers didn’t quite know what to do with her character as they already established sexual tension and a relationship with Spock, so all she had to offer was more sexual tension.

Costumes of course always play a big role in future or otherworldly films and Star Trek Into Darkness was no different. Michael Kaplan did a great job of creating wonderful outer space garments and some pretty awesome future ones too. I loved Uhura’s costumes. As they were edgy and I could see myself wearing them now, especially her civilian clothes.

The most intriguing of the uniforms were the uniforms for the Nibiru scenes. The scuba suits were interesting. I wouldn’t mind have those onesies!

The Designs of the Klingons were epic. Sadly, there was no Worf, my favorite Klingon! But I loved the war helmets and military uniforms!

Have you seen Star Trek Into Darkness? What did you think?

photos via gil-mansergh.blogs.petaluma360.com, itsartmag.com, news.moviefone.com, hdwallpapers.in, collider.com, upi.com, dailykos.com

Jorge Vega Umana Fall 2013

britchardesellers — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:28:00 -0400

I had the pleasure of running Front-of-House for the Jorge Vega Umana show this season on February 13, 2013 and was never more excited! Not only is Jorge a brilliant designer from Nicaragua, but he’s a friend of mine through our working together for Porsche Design. So I was ecstatic to work with him and see his new designs for Fall 2013!

Behind the Scenes:

Running Front-of-House for Jorge’s show was an exhausting experience but very rewarding I got to see the clothes behind the curtains, or in this case, in the offices of Alvin Ailey Studios! The exhaustion mainly came from the flu that I had and contracted the day before. I was literally running around with a 103* fever but it was all worth it!

Interview with Jorge Vega Umana:

Now I don’t normally get the opportunity to interview the talented designers I write about, but Jorge gave me this unique opportunity as a friend and the extremely nice person that he is!

About Jorge: Jorge Vega Umana was born in Nicaragua and trained as a lawyer but found his calling for fashion overwhelmed his lawyer sense. He was drawn to the calling of the cloth through the visions of the fashionable ladies of Granada. Shortly after moving to New York, Jorge became a Visual Merchandiser for Porsche Design, designing gorgeous window displays and throwing fabulous special events in the SoHo and Madison Avenue stores.

While working as a Visual Merchandiser, Jorge was approached by glamorous women who wanted him to design custom dresses for them. He began running a small side business with these custom creations. Due to the success of his side business, Jorge decided to breakout even more. He launched his first collection “Amore” in the Spring 2013 season at Alvin Ailey Studios on September 13, 2013.

ICFashionChic: Where were you born?

Jorge Vega Umana: Born in Nicaragua

I: What was your first fashion adventure? When did you decide fashion was your calling?

J: It was either being dressed as a child to go to a party my grandmother was giving and seeing all the elegantly dressed women or my first trip to the Bal Harbor shop in Florida as a kid and seeing all the beautiful clothes in the stores and the well dressed people walking around.

Calling? Mmmmmm let me think I always have the calling. I used to admire the clothing in the paintings of women and use to ask myself. How were they made? So I started draping at an early age.

I: If you could do anything else besides fashion, what would it be?

J: Anything related in the creative field.

I: What was your inspiration for the Fall 2013 collection?

J: The inspiration come from a book I was reading named “The Power of Style”.

The women there struck a chord by how they conducted their lives and particularly Babe Paley. I wanted to bring that woman into the 2nd decade of the 21st century.

I: When designing, what is the first thing you do and what do you do after a garment is finished?

J: Sketch, sketch, sketch and then check, check, check and look , look until I’m satisfied.

I: Where do you see Jorge Vega Umana in 5 years?

J: Good question :) ! Doing what I’m doing, having a line and perhaps starting a lifestyle section.

I: For aspiring fashion industry people, what’s the one piece of advice you would give?

J: Hang on to your dreams. Don’t give up, give it all you have. Look and learn from all around you.

As you can see, Jorge Vega Umana is the next designer to watch with gorgeous silhouettes and cuts. His designs have a sense of classiness without being boring and a fun sense of glamour!

You can view Jorge’s Spring 2013 on his website JorgeVegaUmana.com!

Photos by Mariela Murdocco

ICFashion Flix - Iron Man 3

britchardesellers — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:59:00 -0400

Well the Summer blockbusters have begun with Iron Man 3 marking the first official Summer blockbuster release on May 3. This past weekend was also The Great Gatsby’s premiere but it seems like it just couldn’t beat out the comic book hero fans hauling in over 20 million less than the metallic man on its second week.

Now you may wonder why a fashion fanatic such as myself would see the premiere of one of the most highly anticipated fashion films of the Summer and would instead pick a less fashionable comic book hero. Well here’s why, The Great Gatsby is boring. Sure Baz Luhrman has spiced it up and sparkled the Hell out of it but the story is just not compelling enough for me to watch. I also know what’s going to happen, not that I have ever read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel but everyone pretty much knows the story: guy loves girl, girl is married to another guy, other guy is having an affair, things get messy, someone dies…blah blah-dy blah!

So I decided to hit the theaters for my favorite on-screen movie hero, Iron Man. Iron Man was very good. I’ve heard that Disney neutered the films from the original comic book appeal but I have to say, they got it just right for the 3rd film. I just loved Robert Downey Jr. snarky comedy and his chemistry with the young boy, Ty Simpkins, was amazing!

Iron Man is back and he has made some enemies in the past. Now one in particular has it out for Tony Stark. “The Mandarin”, played by Ben Kingsley, is terrorizing the world and Iron Man must stop him.

Well as you know, I try not to give too much away. The cast is made up of Robert Downey Jr, as Tony Stark aka Iron Man, Gwenyth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, and Don Cheadle as Colonel James Rhodes aka War Machine. There was some great supporting by Rebecca Hall, Guy Pearce (who may not be just a supporting character) and James Badge Dale.

Well the fashion of Iron Man is very contemporary minus a brief flash back to 1999 where “I’m Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 65. Tony Stark’s sunglasses are always points of envy for me!

What I found truly interesting were the costumes for “The Mandarin”. Super cool and with asian influence even though you weren’t quite sure where he was supposed to come from. His costumes really supported the image of “The Mandarin”. Well done costume designer, Louise Frogley!

Since super hero movies aren’t really fashion based, What did you think of Iron Man 3? Was it all you hoped it would be?

images via hypable.com, imdb.com, and screenrant.com

Runway Weddings and Fairytale Brides

britchardesellers — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:57:00 -0400

Ok. Whether you like it or not, wedding season is here. May 1st officially marks the first day, kinda like the 20th of March marks the first day of Spring. I don’t have anything against wedding season, I actually rather enjoy seeing the newest wedding gowns and bridal accessories. What I hate about wedding season is the expectations that arise.

I have been with @SkimMilkProject for over 4 years now. It’s been a very interesting ride, some ups (lot more ups lately) and some downs. We have been living together for 3+ years, so of course the question of, “when are you guys going to get married” pops up frequently. But we are not ready for it. However, that doesn’t stop me from preparing for the hopeful inevitable. So I’ve put together some of my favorite gowns from the Fall 2013 Bridal Collection Season.

Vera Wang’s opening look from this season was truly a stunner! I love the layers and the delicate laser detail on the bodess of the gown. I’m not a gown person…but I think Vera Wang is changing my view!

Empire waisted dresses and tops are suited for my body type and Badgley Mischka showed one of the most beautiful empire waisted sheaths for Bridal Fashion Week. The lace and beaded detailing makes the dress stand out. It also evokes a Jane Austin feel with the sweetheart cut!

I am not one for a short bridal dress but this Jenny Packham sheath is too adorable to let go. I would actually wear this at a special function, maybe not as my wedding dress. But I love the lace and the cute satin buttons.

My favorite gown from Jenny Packham is this gorgeous sheath. Now, I’m not a fan of themed weddings but if you were to do a themed wedding, the 20’s or the 30’s is not a bad era to channel. A Great Gatsby themed wedding, not too shabby!

Ok, so the model’s body is not really suited for this dress but I admire the design of it! Marchesa’s short wedding dress makes me almost want to get married in a short dress. It’s perfect for that beach wedding that we all secretly fantasize about! I love the uniqueness of the bodess and the ruching of the skirt.

Reem Acra always has a flare for the dramatic and it was no different for Bridal Fashion Week. This A-Line dress was spectacular. This is the dress that would make you stand out and go broke. Absolutely beautiful!

(all images via MarthaStewartWeddings.com)

This season, the big statement in wedding dresses was color. Gold, red, black, but I can’t bring myself to embrace it. Maybe if I was married more than once. Some of the black and white wedding gowns are chic and sweet but that’s as far as it goes with me.

What do you think? Will your wedding dress or style be in color? What has been your favorite gown, sheath, A-Line, or short dress of the season?

Women Taking Back the Streets!

britchardesellers — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:22:38 -0400

As some of you might know, I live in the Bed-Stuy, Bushwick area of Brooklyn. I have lived there for 3 almost 4 years now and have to say that in that short time, it has changed a lot. When I first moved to Brooklyn, you would be hard pressed to find any hipsters and now you can’t sit on your stoop without wanting to trip a dread head smelly hipster (hehehe). But when I first moved to Brooklyn, all I ever saw were guys staring at women cat calling. Ugh! I’ve always hated that. When I would go to the playground in my hometown at the young age of 14, I had to deal with it. In Brooklyn, it’s even more common and artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh has had it!

When I walked down Broadway one day with @SkimMilkProject, I noticed a poster of a black woman on one of the construction fences.

Well this poster just about read my mind! I’m so sick of hearing, “Yo Shorty”, “Hey Ma”, and “Ooo Nice Nice, slow down!”. And this is when I’m wearing an old t-shirt and sweatpants. Could you imagine the days I have to walk by when I’m actually looking nice?

When I saw the poster, I was like, “yeah! That’s right!” But two short weeks later, I found the poster ripped in half. I was upset because I thought the poster made a valid point. My name is not Baby! But after a a while, I forgot about Tatyana’s statement until I saw an article on WNYC.org about the posters!

I think Tatyana’s effort was solid in trying to limit cat calling but I knew Bushwick and Bed-Stuy wasn’t ready for it. It so annoying how objectified women are. What do you think? Are men born pigs? Is it only in certain neighborhoods? Who whistles after you? Do you say anything? Am I the only one bothered by this?

Sunday February 10th was a very hectic and cold day as I...

britchardesellers — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:07:00 -0400

Sunday February 10th was a very hectic and cold day as I remember. It was snowy and freezing, I had to buy some last minute boots from H&M because I was not prepared for the weather! But all that didn’t matter when I got to the tents for the Emerson by Jackie Fraser-Swan Show.

Everytime I write about the Emerson show, I talk about how excited I always am for it! This season was no different. Previously, I wrote about Ms. Fraser-Swan’s Fall 2013 season’s inspiration of post-apocalyptic fashion and shared her preview photos with Shiny Toy Guns lead singer, Carah Faye. There was more anticipation for this season than expected as Ms. Fraser-Swan’s family were stuck at the airport in a delayed flight due to the awful weather. People’s Revolution’s, Kelly Cutrone, stepped out from her usual post as show operator to make the announcement that we were waiting for family and everyone ooohhh’d and awww’d. So sweet!

Who was there:

Jackie Fraser-Swan’s family did finally make it to the show and the show started promptly, but who else was there? Actress Helena Mattsson from Seven Psychopaths and 666 Park Ave. was there along with Eric West from upcoming film World War Z. Sadly no Paula Abdul this season.

The Collection:

As mentioned in my previous post, Jackie Fraser-Swan was highly influenced for her Fall 2013 collection by a post-apocalyptic theme. With all of the post-apocalyptic shows and movies out like, Zombieland, Warm Bodies, The Hunger Games series, it seems like unfortunately, these scenarios are what’s to be expected. But Jackie Fraser-Swan didn’t picture your usual derelict wasteland, she pictured a beauty, much like the Capitol in the Hunger Games. A land where aesthetics are still held high and you make loveliness from what’s around. This is clearly evidenced by her Fall 2013 collection.

One of my favorite looks features that beauty from a militaristic armageddon. With her leather patches on the shoulder and the warmth of the sweater with the awesome net effect on the pants, this model’s ready for fashion war!

Not every designer can make plaid chic, elegant and expensive looking but Jackie Fraser-Swan did it with this gorgeous plaid gown. Patched and with a burnt effect, Ms. Fraser-Swan kept the warlike inspiration.

Another favorite look of mine is the gorgeous leather gown with netted detail and a leather and fur jacket. This is my favorite jacket in the collection and has the right amount of warmth for those cold zombie filled nights! Pretty bada$$ is what this look says to me.

Last but not least, one of the truly simplest dresses in the collection was one of my favorite. Sharing in that same warm fabric as the military inspired sweater, this dress’s sweet cut and silhouette make for the perfect date night in the ruins of the cities!

Future:

There’s no doubt that I love Jackie Fraser-Swan’s style and her hard edged style very much suits me. But what I truly like about her designs, is that she’s not afraid to mix and match. Not every designer can do that comfortably. It’s not easy blending sexy with cute and edgy with sweet and fun with elegant. Jackie Fraser-Swan manages to make these elements all work for her instead of against her and that is why I think she is a great designer. Can’t wait for next season’s show!

Last night at the MTV Movie Awards, the Catching Fire trailer...

britchardesellers — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:07:21 -0400

Last night at the MTV Movie Awards, the Catching Fire trailer premiered. Now if you were expecting a glimpse of the 75th Hunger Games arena or tributes, you will be disappointed. The trailer focuses mainly on the first part of the 2nd book which furthers my argument that there should be 2 movies for Catching Fire because it dissects so nicely with the pre-Hunger Games/Victory Tour and the 75th Quarter Quell, but cest la vie. Here’s nice almost scene by scene break down of the trailer!

(Warning: This post contains Catching Fire spoilers)

The trailer starts out with Katniss and Peeta on their Victory tour in District 11 announced by the somber looking Mayor of District 11. Now if you remember from the Hunger Games book and movie, this is the district little Rue and Thresh came from. There are lots of black people in this district as it represents a lot of the south in Panem. Then we are welcomed by the chilling voice over and scene of President Snow talking to Plutarch, the new game headmaster. Snow talks about how they need to eliminate Katniss, not Peeta, Katniss. Plutarch agrees (anyone who’s read the books knows that Plutarch has an ulterior motive) but he explains that in order to destroy the mockingjay, you don’t necessarily have to destroy her physically, just her image. A riot breaks out again in District 11 and an older gentleman is dragged from the crowd as Katniss is pulled away leaving her with the last glimpse of a gun being raised to the old man’s head.

Katniss and Peeta seek Haymitch’s advice on how to stay alive after the Hunger Games which is proving to be difficult. Things are unraveling faster with Gale and Katniss’s kiss and Gale’s whipping. I was really happy they kept the whipping scene in as this is the pivotal point in Gale, Katniss and Peeta’s relationships! The trailer ends with both the Seam’s ignition and Katniss’s refusal to back down.

Now I have expressed this many times before that I think that Catching Fire should be a two-part movie. There is so much that goes on in this book that I fear will not be included in the movie, like the District 13 moment with the 2 women. Or her escape of the electrified fence where Peeta bonded yet again.

I’m really excited about this movie. What do you think? Is this everything you were looking for regarding Catching Fire? Are you excited?

ICFashion Flix - Jurassic Park 3-D

britchardesellers — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:37:00 -0400

Jurassic Park 3-D came out last week in celebration of its 20 year anniversary! I was overwhelmed with excitement! Jurassic Park is the movie that made me want to become an actress, also the first couple of seasons of ER. It’s also the movie that made J.J. Abrams want to become a director. Without Jurassic Park, we wouldn’t have this amazing new Star Trek to look forward to!

So in honor of the digitally remastered and re-dimensionalization of Jurassic Park, I have put together outfits through Polyvore that evoke the spirit of running away from raptors and possibly attending that San Diego opening!

Jungle Safari:

This outfit was mainly inspired by the ill-fated Muldoon with his awesome safari hat. This ensemble will allow you to easily blend in and hide from the vicious raptors, or at least you can confuse them with your reflection!

Jurassic Park 3-D!!!! by icfashionchic featuring yellow gold pendant necklaces

Dorothy Perkins safari jacket / Jumpsuits and romper, $76 / Halter romper / Qupid / Sperry Top-Sider water resistant boots / Anuschka satchel handbag / Michael Kors jewelry / Jules Smith yellow gold pendant necklace / Alexis Bittar gold earrings / Amrita Singh jewelry / Trina Turk jewelry / Borsalino , $270 / Mercy Delta wool scarve, $215 / Safari hat / Anthony Peto safari hat / 1824 zebra original antique safari print mountain zebra

Jurassic Park Opening:

Don this beautiful outfit for the opening of Jurassic Park in San Diego. There you can view the baby T-Rex with his mommy and a nice re-enactment of Godzilla! Happy Hunting!

Jurassic Park Opening by icfashionchic featuring a resin bracelet

Mara Hoffman dress, $385 / Top / ALDO pointy-toe pumps / Sigerson Morrison blue high heel shoes / Fornash jewelry / Amrita Singh resin bracelet / Fornash jewelry / Folli Follie zebra earrings / Folli Follie zebra ring

After seeing Jurassic Park in 3-D I can officially say, it is still one of the most amazing movies of all time. Ok, so the 3-D wasn’t all that great, it’s still a really compelling story and it holds up 20 years later. After all, everyone thought that its appeal would go extinct but its clearly evolved to be better than most of the newer movies!

#MadisonAvenueWatchWeek!!!!

britchardesellers — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:06:00 -0400

It’s that time again! Madison Avenue Watch Week is in its third year with 17 boutiques participating, Antiquorum Auctioneers, Asprey, Blancpain, Breguet, Buccellati, Chopard, David Yurman, de Grisogono, FP Journe, Fabergé, Georg Jensen, Girard-Perregaux, Graff, Hublot, Montblanc, Porsche Design, and Vacheron Constantin.

As most of you know, I am the project manager of Madison Avenue Watch Week and am extremely proud of this week of festivities and watch admiration. Last night was the kick-off night and several participating boutiques threw private receptions, exhibitions, talks and unveilings. I started off on 57th and Madison at Montblanc where Rudy Guliani just stepped out after buying his next Montblanc addition! Montblanc unveiled their new Nicolas Rieussec Rising Hours clocks and I had a wonderful time checking out the newest pieces.

After Montblanc, it was time to go to the Gallery Talk hosted by Antiquorum Auctioneers as a preview to their Modern & Vintage Timepieces Auction taking place April 10th. This was a fun trip because I saw some old friends from last year’s Watch Week and was able to catch up with them. I also loved the collections at Antiquorum. The thing I love most about pocket watches, is the ability to wear the watch around your neck like a pendant.

Last stop of the night had some of my favorite jewelry. I know it’s supposed to be Watch Week and I am supposed to be paying watches special attention, but I could not resist the jewelry in Fabergé. All of it was so gorgeous. I like the watches as well but could not get over an Emerald necklace and emerald ring with a canary diamond ring next to it!

What I love most about Watch Week is its ability to bring people together with watches. All types of watches are brought into this enormous American Basel and the different varieties suit the different people checking them out. Also, Watch Week is not just marketed towards men. Many women were there to check out the new editions and several stores cater to their women customers!

I look forward to next year’s! Please check out Madison Avenue Watch Week on http://madisonavenuewatchweek.com/ and see the debut of many different watches. Also, remember, this is a free and open to the public event and this is your chance to learn more about the art of watches!

ICFashion Flix - Oz the Great and Powerful

britchardesellers — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:13:00 -0400

Well it’s been a while since I have had the privilege of seeing a movie and being able to write about it. This one is a little late but better late than never. (BTW this story contains SPOILERS!)

Oz the Great and Powerful opened March 8 to the chagrin of all the Wizard of Oz lovers out there, presently writing blogger included!

Oscar, aka OZ, played by Jimmy “The Money” Franco is a struggling magician in good ol’ Kansas, prances around romancing unsuspecting future assistants with music boxes from his fictional Grandma. His old fling (Michelle Williams) comes by to tell him goodbye, she’s tired of waiting for him to get his act together. His almost remorseful convo with her gets interrupted by a fellow carnival act, after breaking the carnival man’s wife’s heart, Oz has to flee to avoid annihilation. He boards a hot air balloon drifts off and finds he’s in the middle of a tornado. When he falls, almost to his death, he swears he will do great things. Oz wakes up to find he’s in Oz and shortly meets the beautiful and impeccably dressed Theodora (Mila Kunis), who is happy to see he is the wizard that will free Oz from a terrible wicked witch! She brings him back to the emerald city after running into a flying monkey (Zach Braff) and introduces him to her sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz). This is when things really fall apart as Oz finds he must kill the wicked witch in order to claim the throne of Oz (yes, land of Oz is still called this even though the wizard’s name is Oz). After a brief stop in Chinatown that’s been demolished by the flying baboons and gluing a tiny china doll (Joey King) back together, Oz approaches the accused wicked witch to find, she’s Glinda (Michelle Williams again) and not wicked at all. Now he’s confused! The rest of the tale will remain a secret until you see this film on Netflix as I recommend because it is not at all great or powerful!

The costumes and the feel of Oz were taken very seriously. Because Disney is not a part of MGM and MGM owns the rights to The Wizard of Oz. Many iconic elements from The Wizard of Oz had to be taken out of this Oz. But what Disney could do, was evoke the feel and romanticism of Oz.

Mila Kunis’ Theodora was the epitome of romance. Looking more like Puss in Boots or a Musketeer, she rocks an awesome wide brimmed hat circa French Victorian age of the 1620’s. I love how they made the costume which was the uniform of the King’s guard and considered manly, at the time and gave it the feminine details with toggle buttons and the purple lining in the coat. Her feather in her hat would make Jack Sparrow jealous! This costume correctly identifies the land of Oz.

Oz’s costume shows a suit that has worn out it’s welcome. Oversized, wearing thin and vintage, the suit that Oz dons is in the same shape as his career in Kansas. It also is the only thing that Oz presents that isn’t a lie.

The Wicked Witch of the West clad in all black also has an affinity for leather. The costume is very dominatrix meets Alexander McQueen. I can’t say that it was a very interesting costume because I have to say the biggest thing was missing from it. When I think of The Wizard of Oz I think of the first appearance of the Wicked Witch with her gigantic cape sweeping over her. That was the pinnacle of her costume!

Evanora’s elegant bejeweled gown embodies the character’s need for power, riches and darkness. Her gown nicely compliments the Wicked Witch’s green skin with it’s hunter green beaded sleeves and green feathered cape. I love the edge they gave Evanora with her cape.

And last, Glinda makes her final stand in Oz with a sequins and feathered white gown. Nothing in the movie alludes to her affinity for pink. Instead, they deck Glinda out in whites, golds and silvers and for some odd reason, a shell crown? Don’t know what that’s about!

So overall, the movie was pretty disappointing. I was not enthused by James Franco’s performance and I felt Mila Kunis was grossly over-witching! lol. This is definitely a wait for Netflix movie.

Tonight…It’s Jurassic Park 3D. Get ready for next week’s ICFashion Flix!

Saturday afternoon on February 8 was booming with Fall...

britchardesellers — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:34:00 -0400

Saturday afternoon on February 8 was booming with Fall collections! But at 2pm in the Stage, pattern queen, Mara Hoffman debuted her Fall 2013 collection. What is so interesting about Mara Hoffman is her uncanny ability to create an everlasting summer in her Fall collections without making it forced. But before I really get into the collection…

Who was there:

Sitting front row across the stage was the lovely and incredibly sexy Nigel Barker. I love seeing him at shows, even if he distracts me from watching the clothing. Also there, but hardly ever mentioned in the press, the famous Fern Mallis, aka “The Creator of New York Fashion Week!” And for some reason gymnastics girls Nastia Liukin and Tara Lipinski were oddly stuck in the front row with Angela Simmons.There were countless other notables in the front row but unfortunately not noteworthy enough for me to mention.

The Collection:

As I was mentioning before, Mara Hoffman has this wonderful ability to make the Summer last all Fall/Winter long. Even in her Fall collection, there was the bright, patterned and chiffon clad models walking down the runway. She does however tone down the summer a little more with numbers like this leopard print cardigan with a black cowl neck wrap tunic and belt with camel colored leather pants.

This look was one of the favorites because not only could you wear it right off the runway, it also looked incredibly comfortable. I wouldn’t mind lounging in that right now as I stare out the window looking at the snow fall.

Another dress that I just loved was the gorgeous navy dress patterned with an almost Aztec geometric pattern.

While cutouts might feel forced in the fall, I felt this dress fell right into the Fall collections and brightened it up with enough of a summer feel to make sure your Fall wasn’t drab. Paired with the knee-high boot, made it fit so perfectly in with Fall.

I have a distinct feeling that Mara Hoffman really wanted a geometric theme going throughout this collection so when I saw this coat, I was not surprised by the pattern but more about how it is so clearly winter, with the only hint of summer in the scarf.

I think this coat was my favorite coat in the collection. It fits so well in my closet but not only that, I praise it for it’s transformative ability. Not only can you wear it as a coat, but it also doubles for a dress. It would look amazing with a pair of black leather leggings and above-the-knee boots.

Bold:

Last but not least, Mara Hoffman pulls off the one thing I have not seen on her runway yet, THE SUIT. Now this suit is not like any other suit you’ve seen. Being from Mara Hoffman, of course it has to have edge.

Now in the picture you might not be able to tell but that is a skirt over the pants! An awesome tiger-striped pattern with a variety of colors makes this my favorite look of the entire collection. Hardly any jewelry (Pamela Love) is on this model, as to not distract from the clothes. Even though I wish there was another shoe (Miista) chosen for this outfit, I still love the entire look.

Future:

This was my favorite Fall collection that I’ve seen of Mara Hoffman’s. It was entertaining, relevant to the season, and innovative with patterns and colors. If Mara Hoffman keeps taking the risks that she takes, I see no end to her genius!

Images via MaraHoffman.com

As you know, most of my posts are not about celebrities but I...

britchardesellers — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:49:17 -0400

As you know, most of my posts are not about celebrities but I have to post about Pink! who stopped a concert to address a fight and a crying little girl. Apparenty, 2 women were fighting in front of a little girl who got upset and started crying. Pink then approaches the edge of the stage to ask what was going on. Tells the little girl she’s beautiful and that she can cry when she’s older. She then proceed s to give the little girl a stuffed frog and a rice krispie’s treat. Nevermind how those got on the stage, it’s the act that matters! After presenting the little girl with treats, Pink! then addresses the women again, telling them to Cut it out. And goes right back to the song, but from the beginning because no one can sing a song from the middle.

Can’t count the many times I love Pink!

crushabledotcom:

Watch Pink stop her concert to comfort a crying little girl in the audience, feel warm and fuzzy.

(gif: motionlmags)

bobbyfinger: Justin and Jessica have a meal.

britchardesellers — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:15:14 -0400

bobbyfinger:

Justin and Jessica have a meal.

African Queen article in Numero Magazine

britchardesellers — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:01:07 -0500

I have been asked by my best friend to talk about the issue of blackface in the March Issue of Numero Magazine, a French glossy that launched in 1999. For their March issue, they somehow got it in their minds that Sebastian Kim’s idea of creating a girl to portray the world’s melting pot was a good idea but took a blond-haired, blue-eyed girl, Ondria Hardin, and slapped on some blackface. To further add insult to injury, they called the article, “African Queen”.

Some how thinking that an apology would be enough, they sent a letter to the Huffington Post. I’m not going to repost the entire letter but I feel that it was not a real apology.

Some people are asking why black people are so up in arms about the shoot. This is because they have not been told by society their entire lives that their race is not beautiful enough.

Balanchine once described the perfect ballerina as having skin “like a freshly peeled apple”. And as evidenced by the runways of New York Fashion Week, most models booking jobs are caucasian unless you are walking on fabulous Mara Hoffman’s runway or a black designer’s show.

This article was just another dagger in the young black girl’s self perception. It sent the message that black is not beautiful and that in order to be beautiful as an African Queen, you still have to be white! It makes no sense! And Sebastian Kim’s explanation of why they chose a white model is no better.

It was never my intention (nor Numero’s) to portray a black woman in this story. Our idea and concept for this fashion shoot was based on 60’s characters of Talitha Getty, Verushka and Marissa Berenson with middle eastern and Moroccan fashion inspiration. We at no point attempted to portray an African women by painting her skin black.

Well if it was not your intention to portray a black woman but to portray a middle eastern woman, why didn’t you use a middle eastern model? There are so many types of models out there, why not use the correct ethnic model of what you are shooting for? It makes no sense to dress up a white woman as if she were from another culture, just as it would not make sense to dress up an asian woman and make her black or a black woman and make her white. This world has so much to offer with so many different types of women and models, why limit yourself?

I truly hope that one day, we will not have these occurrences and the world will really be a melting pot.

What do you think? Do you agree with my statements?

Saturday morning was the start to a very busy Saturday....

britchardesellers — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:52:00 -0500

Saturday morning was the start to a very busy Saturday. @SkimMilkProject, @PMelville_ and I all arrived at the tents at 8:45am to make the Ruffian show. Clad in my Saturday tent wear, which included a gold sequin sleeved blazer, a Ruffian T-Shirt, those fantastic Topshop pants from my Holiday post and the sturdiest waterproof ankle boots from Steven Madden because the blizzard, Nemo, wreaked havoc on New York the night before. I was already incredibly excited for this show because I got a sneak peek of drawings in Brian and Claude’s studio a few weeks before! They were so vivid that I felt they were designed for a woman like me (or slightly more sophisticated). So I couldn’t wait for the show!

Who was there:

Joe Zee from Elle Magazine was there as well as Steven Kolb the CEO of the CFDA! Actress Lydia Hearst from upcoming Cabin Fever: Patient Zero was sitting front row along with yours truly. I scored a front row seat thanks to my Ruffian shirt and outfit!

The collection:

Reverie is Ruffian’s latest fall collection inspired by The Bowery which has been historically a place of theatre, entertainment, saloons, bars, and opium dens! The infamous reputation of Bowery lent a hand in the 70’s influenced clothing with its enormous flair and decadence.

My favorite look in the collection is the fantastic gold print pants paired with the crisp white collar bow shirt and corset. What I loved about this outfit was not only the ability to dress it up or down but the fact that it has a costume-like affect. Very Sherlock Holmes!

This outfit was so theatrical, it screams Bram Stoker’s Dracula! 90’s Gary Oldman here we come!

Probably one of my favorite outfits would be this gorgeous gold sheath dress with a velvet coat and fantastic tassel necklace. The Frye boots add to the casual side of the outfit. Just perfect! I definitely wouldn’t mind having that in my closet!

My favorite colors are blue and gold, so when I saw this beautiful baroque dress, I was all over it! Chic and elegant!

The Frye oxford booties are so fantastic. It’s amazing that they were created specially for Ruffian and I wish that I could’ve taken them with me right there! I love the victorian collared shirt placed under the understated sweater in this outfit.

Future:

Well the Ruffian boys have done it again. I enjoyed the beauty and time that the collection evoked. Each piece was meticulously placed on the models without chance. The collection was perfectly held together with accessories as well. The tassel necklaces are the next pieces that I’m eyeing. They are so beautiful and fun!

I love that Ruffian always has a story in mind while designing and am excited to see what story they will have for Spring. Most of their inspiration comes from the City neighborhoods. What would they have to say about the West Village or the Upper East Side?

Watched The Devil Wears Prada the other day. Love how the...

britchardesellers — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:33:24 -0500

Watched The Devil Wears Prada the other day. Love how the fashion is so timeless!

incomparablyme: Jennifer Lawrence backstage at the Oscars after...

britchardesellers — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 03:13:54 -0500

incomparablyme:

Jennifer Lawrence backstage at the Oscars after she fell (x)

Tilly and William Fall 2013

britchardesellers — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:01:00 -0500

Friday night on February 8 after a long day of preparation for our two events for Fashion Week, @SkimMilkProject and @PMelville_ headed to Tilly and William! This was to be the first show that @PMelville_ would see and what a show it was!

Tilly and William is comprised of designing duo Jessica Lapidos and Thomas Barranca who started designing at the University of Delaware and became roommates in New York City. Lapidos got a job as fashion editor of FashionIndie while, Barranca began writing his first novel! But soon they realized their collective dream was to create a fashion label!

Who was there:

I found @Loudpen at the show and we found ourselves perched at the end of the runway with the perfect view of the collection. Also there was one of my favorite PR people, Eduardo from Omen PR, who generously sent me invitations to all of Omen PR’s shows this season. Omen PR is one of the best teams with the greatest clients, I suggest looking them up!

The collection:

The Tilly and William show was in the designer’s loft in Chelsea, which was enormous! The runway was set up to be grand and yet intimate with the chairs set up to be level with the walkway and close to where the models were walking. I’m a big fan of the first come first serve mentality for shows, which of course meant that we got the best seats because I always try to be early. The collection felt futuristic and almost Blade Runner-esque. The clothing was multipurpose and flexible with jerseys, separates and accessories of arm warmers and leg warmers. Also perfectly suited for dance!

My favorite looks for women was the tube top with the colorblocked skirt and armers as well as the reversible multiforamen with reversible thigh riders. The look with the thigh riders gave a very elegant silhouette. Also throughout the collection were a number of looks with tie dye! Nice to see tie dye making a comeback in a big way this year! Both of my favorite looks were both pieces that wouldn’t look out of place on the set of The Fifth Element!

My favorite male looks were the awesome onesy or so it seemed as the correct name for it is a paneled tunic with grey oxford switchers and the reversible paenula moleskin side, with the light brown oxford switchers and paneled tunic. Both of these looked incredibly comfortable and I loved the look of the “onesy” and how the colorblocking complimented the model’s skin tone!

Bold:

The big surprise of the show was this amazingly scary and wonderful dance that broke out in the middle of the show without warning. The model comes out wearing a multiforamen with armers and a bandeau top and gets to the end of the runway looking very nervous. She starts shaking and the audience starts to squirm getting uncomfortable not knowing whether this is a part of the show or not. After a male model finally gets to the end of the runway with her and whispers something, there is a break where a dance begins. While the dancers were dancing, they displayed how the multipurpose clothing worked and dressed each other! It was truly unfortunate that I was not able to figure out my video and capture some of the dancing. But I did catch a quick shot!

Future:

After seeing the Tilly and William show, I found out that this was their first major runway show! Wow! What a first show! I really loved how the looks were very dancer oriented but I feel like that could get limited, I’m very intrigued to see what they would have in store for the spring/summer collections.

Fashion week started with a bang when designers Nicholas Kunz...

britchardesellers — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:34:53 -0500

Fashion week started with a bang when designers Nicholas Kunz and Christopher Kunz of Nicholas K showed their Fall/Winter 2013 collection. After a chilly brisk walk to the tents, the Nicholas K FW13 collection was just the heat I was looking for! At 9am on a Thursday in February, one could expect a slow arriving crowd but the tents were buzzing early in high anticipation for the show to start.

Who was there:
I met up with a friend and fellow blogger Lila Delilah of Madison Avenue Spy and was happily surprised! It didn’t take long for me to spot some other famous faces: Housewife Alex McCord, Elle Creative Director Joe Zee and actress Gena De Niro.

The Collection:

As the lights were dimming and the crowd was roaring with hushed whispers, you knew that there was a rush of excitement that even the models backstage couldn’t hide as they were repeatedly ssshh’d and told the show was starting. With the boom of the first bass, the first look hit the runway and instantly set the tone for the show. Draped jerseys, over-sized knits, trendy parkas and comfy furs dominated the runway in hues of whites, blues and blacks. My favorite pieces were the parkas that looked completely useful, the updated 19th century military jacket and hooded ponchos!

Nicholas K were inspired by the Artic explorations in the 19th and early 20th centuries where clothing was not purely for show but were life preserving. Each piece of wardrobe was meaningfully placed on explorers’ bodies. The Nicholas K FW13 collection embodied that philosophy with each piece of clothing having a purpose in a harsh climate.

In this collection, Nicholas K also gave us mummified footwear for women. The wedges worn on the runway had everyone wondering what wear they can buy them. The men’s shoes were made by Danner. Many of the men’s shoes were with boot bottoms with the rest of the shoe fitting over the foot comfortably like socks. They looked so comfortable, I wanted to put them on right there.

My favorite look from the men’s collection was this amazing military jacket inspired by the early 20th century. I could definitely see this on @SkimMilkProject!

And my favorite woman’s look was the gorgeous teal batwinged dress with a hooded overlay! Chic and elegant yet awesomely edgy! I want!

Bold:

Nicholas K is never afraid to set a new fashion statement! Parkas that hang on your shoulders like backpacks never occurred to me but the idea came to Nicholas K! With bulky jackets making a comeback with the bubble coats and the parkas, it’s nice to know that you can streamline your silhouette by hanging your parka up on your back!

Future:

I love that Nicholas K is not afraid to try new things and explore new landscapes but I see from the military jacket that their tailoring is impeccable, I can only hope they feature some trench coats next season!

Photos via ImaxTree/Zimbio

It’s the end of the world as we know it…Or at least...

britchardesellers — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:53:00 -0500

It’s the end of the world as we know it…

Or at least Jackie Fraser-Swan, designer of Emerson, thinks so, as she was inspired by post-Doomsday Earth for her Fall 2013 collection.

“With all the talk of 12/12/12, and “end of the world” movies coming out,…in my story, the earth would come back to life in a much more beautiful way than ever imagined” —Jackie Fraser-Swan

To celebrate Jackie’s vision, stylist Masha Orlov and photographer Marlene Marino shot hard-edged but sweet Carah Faye from Shiny Toy Guns! Looking less war-torn and more glamourous, the shoot took place in the Gramercy hotel.

As Jackie mentioned, there has been a large flux in cataclysmic movies: 2012, Armageddon, 28 Days Later and most recently Warm Bodies starring Nicholas Hoult and Theresa Palmer. @SkimMilkProject and I saw Warm Bodies on Sunday and were thrilled with the Romeo and Juliet storyline being expressed in a “fresh” way! The romanticism of Shakespeare was not lost in the film, very much like in the Emerson collection. While the world is crumbling, there still remains that beautiful rose.

Check out the Emerson Fall/Winter 2013 show live on MBFashionWeek.com Sunday night at 9! And don’t forget to tweet me about the collection as I will be at the show!

Photos via Marlene Marino