NYC Event: Gilt-Free Shopping This Weekend

OK, it’s not really free, but practically! Gilt.com’s local experience site Gilt City, is bringing its pop-up warehouse sale to NYC tonight and tomorrow. This is your chance to experience Gilt’s luxury online sales site in person. Find women’s, men’s, children’s and home goods for up to 80% off! There will also be some extras like makeup applications by Benefit and men’s manicures and shoeshines from Spiff. ‘

However, you need an entry ticket ($10-$20), so get to it! Visit: giltcity.com/newyork/warehousenyc

The Altman Building, 135 W. 18th St.
Tonight, 10pm to midnight; tomorrow, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Accessories Spring 2012 Trend: Not Your Grandma’s Cameo

When I think of cameos I think of stickpins and old-lady jewelry. No offense. In fact, I have a cameo that belonged to my grandmother collecting dust in my jewelry box. It’s just a little too old-school for me. Recently I have been thinking about a do-it-yourself project and trying to modernize it. Then I remember that I stink at do-it-yourself projects and mine usually end in disaster. Oh, and that I have 2 little kids and if I get a free minute to myself, I’d rather sleep. Needless to say, the cameo is still in it’s original form.

Then I started to notice that cameos are back, but what I like to call “funkified” which in my mind is a very good thing when discussing cameos. I mean, how can one resist a monkey cameo ring, neon resin cameo pieces or earrings with red onions? You can’t! What a great conversation starter. Grandma might be horrified, but I’m not. I say bring it! Here are some modernized cameo pieces to spruce up your jewelry collection:

1. Tarina Tarantino I Hate You Cameo Stone Earrings, now $35.99

2. Tom Binns Samba Swarovski Crystal Cameo Bracelet, $465

3. Amedeo Oxidized-silver, Sardonyx Shell and Diamond Monkey Cameo Necklace, $1,220

4. Mawi Gold-Plated Crystal Cameo Brooch, $198

5. Dolce & Gabbana Brass and Resin Cameo Ring, $177.50

6. So Glad You Cameo Earrings, $11.99

7. Tagliamonte Three Graces- 18k Gold Turquoise Mother of Pearl Cameo Ring, $838

8. Bottega Veneta Ruthenium-Plated Silver Cameo Bracelet, $2,200

9. Dolce & Gabbana Cameo and Onion Clip Earrings, $350

- Lauren Dimet Waters

Image Layout: Katie Schmitz

Outfit Of The Day For May 17, 2012. How Less Is More With Accessories.

Today I worked my outfit around a simple bright blue silk dress. So with a simple dress I can layer on the accessories, right? Wrong! As I will show you, less is more. The weather in Chicago is once again perfect, but I know it will get cool, so I am wearing a little black leather jacket by Chicago designer Melissa Serpico. It is too soon for me to go bare legged, and it is still kind of cool out, so I find fishnets to be a great option for this season. I know it’s kind of hard to pull off fishnets without feeling like a Vegas showgirl, but when some guy in your office says, “Wow – fishnets!” just tell him that it is too warm in the season to wear opaques or tights and he will get so bored he will forget about the subject.

Dress: Ulla Johnson Wash Silk Kimono Dress from Intermix, no longer available. See this Chelsea Flower Intermix Exclusive Tab Roll Sleeve Shirt Dress, $275, or this Black Halo Jackie O Belted Dress, $390, or this Esley Tried and Blue Dress, $69.

Jacket: SERPICO Short Sleeve Black Leather Jacket, no longer available. Roll up the sleeves on this Parker Leather Pleated Shoulder Jacket, now $400.

Statement Necklace and no belt or single strand necklace and belt but all together these accessories looks tacky!

Accessory Options: 

Statement Necklace and No Belt

Necklace: Statement Mixed Metal Necklace from Sequin NYC, no longer available. This Marie Chavez Large Mixed Metal Multi-Chain Necklace, $185 s similar.

OR  (the option I choose)

Belt and Thin Necklace

Belt: Vintage 80s From Henri Bendel, no longer available. See this Versace Studded Leather Belt, $675

Necklace: Gold 18″-20″ Chain Necklace, my own, much like this 14k Gold Necklace, 18″ Omega Chain, now $1,419

BUT NOT ALL TOGETHER! You can see how quickly this look turned tacky.

Stockings: HUE Fishnet Fishnet Tights in Black, $13.50

Shoes: Chloe Pumps, no longer available. See these Gucci Leather Platform Leather Pumps, $525.

Handbag: Gorgana Black Leather with Gold studs, no longer available. This Marc Jacobs Rio Studded Leather Tote, $1345 is similar.

Hair: Cut and Color by Sassoon Chicago

- Carol Calacci

Photos: Barry Weiss

Retail Detail: H&M To Open It’s 11th NYC Store At The Time Warner Center.

Rendering of H&M's New Time Warner Center Store

H&M, Hennes & Mauritz, is apparently trying to take over Manhattan. They have just announced the opening of its 11th store in NYC at the iconic Time Warner Center. Scheduled to open Fall 2012, this will be H&M’s first store on the Upper West side. Time Warner Center, a 2.8 million square-foot complex, is comprised of two towers, which have become part of the legendary New York City skyline since opening in 2003. The Center’s towers are nearby New York institutions such as Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Lincoln Center…and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

The 21,000 square foot, two floor H&M store will be located at the Shops at Columbus Circle, which is commonly known as the gateway to the Upper West Side. This will be the first store in Manhattan to feature an exclusive men’s shop with its own separate entrance. “This H&M location will be a great addition to our already impressive roster of stores, as well to the phenomenal retail mix at this location,” says Daniel Kulle, U.S. President for H&M. “H&M believes strongly in the New York City market, and with our first store on the Upper West Side, we are excited to offer local Manhattan shoppers even more access to the brand’s fashion-forward, quality collections.”

H&M at the Shops at Columbus Circle will feature collections for ladies and men including lingerie, underwear and accessories. This location will also carry H&M’s fantastic children’s collection, featuring quality clothing for new-born up to kids age 8.

Time Warner Center, a 2.8 million square-foot complex, is uniquely comprised of two towers, which have become part of the legendary New York City skyline since opening in 2003. The Center’s towers are the home of New York institutions such as Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Per Se, the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Beauty Beat: M·A·C’s Hey, Sailor!

Hey Sailor! It’s time for another M·A·C limited-edition collection. Set sail this summer with a color and bronzing collection designed to drop anchor in the most sophisticated Port of Call May 24.. Decked out in stylishly sailor-striped packaging, a fabulouscollection of Small Eye Shadows, Lipsticks, Lipglass, Powder Blushes, Pigments, Powerpoint Eye Pencils, Pro Longwear Lip Pencils, Nail Lacquers and Zoom Waterfast Lash. Get sun dipped with Bronzing Powders, Pro Longwear Bronzing Powders, High-light Powder, To The Beach Body Oil (we love this!), Suntints SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balms (love these too) and a 167SH Face Blender Brush.

Get ready to make waves with these Riviera ready carryalls. Their instantly recognizable Mariniere pattern, originating on the coast of Brittany, gets modernized with an op art inspired twist. The accompanying bucket-style canvas cinch tote is perfect for on or off dock leisure. The navy-and-white striped canvas Makeup Bag Set, replete with bright red patent edges and golden roped hardware closures, make them stylish enough to carry on their own. Consider them l’essentials for lazy beach days and breezy bay nights. Take a look at the entire collection below.

MAC Hey Sailor Collection

M·A·C Hey, Sailor will be available May 24 -  July 5, 2012 at all M·A·C Cosmetic counters nationwide and at maccosmetics.com.

- Lauren Dimet Waters

Today’s Fashion Headlines. May 17, 2012.

Tomoko Ogura moves up at Barneys New York

‘Fashion Star’ Winner’s New Deal

Tuesday night marked the finale of “Fashion Star,” where designer Kara Laricks won the deal that most designers literally only dream about. Laricks, who was a fourth grade teacher in Kansas before taking a step into the fashion industry, won exclusive signature collections with H&M, Macy’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Laricks is planning on the six million dollar deal only being the beginning, hoping that more collaborations and endorsement deals will occur. Currently  Laricks’ winning ten-piece collection is for sale at H&M, a collection that H&M believes will be best selling for the season. Laricks’ collections can be purchased from H&M and Macy’s within hundreds of their stores, along with online sales. Meanwhile Saks is “very pleased” with their early sell-through of the collection.

Barneys New York’s New Fashion Director

Tomoko Ogura, who has belonged to the Barneys’ company since 2005, keeps moving up within the company, working many jobs for the beloved retailer. Most recently Ogura held the title as the fashion director of women’s Co-op, however now she is moving up. Ogura is now serving as senior fashion director, where she will be Barny’s chief merchant. This also includes being an executive vice president and general merchandise manager for both women’s merchandising and barneys.com.

St. John Looking to Become Adopted

The famous fashion firm St. John, based in Irvine, California, has had Vestar Capital Partners hold the title as the majority owner since 1999. Most recently though, the company has hired the investment bank Rothschild to look for suitors interested in the St. John’s brand. For a private equity firm, Vestar has held a position within St. John’s five to seven years longer than the typical firm. They purchased controlling interest from the founding family, Gray, for $520 million back in 1999.

Both Rothschild and Vestar has declined to comment, however,  the search for a new buyer is planned to continue on for the next six to eight weeks. The brand is valued to be worth $400 million in annual revenues, before interest, taxes, amortization and depreciation. All of these will be key factors in deciding the final cost of the fifty-year-old brand. As for who will buy the brand, no one is quite for sure yet, making St. John join the many other fashion companies that recently placed their ‘For Sale’ sign on the lawn.

– Lindsay Grundy

Article and Image Source: WWD

Photo: Barneys New York

Beauty Event. The Makeup Show NYC 2012 Recap

I’m still running off a high from this past weekend’s 7th Annual The Makeup Show as it delivered a phenomenal industry event once again. I wasn’t able to attend opening day, but that didn’t matter because the energy was still there for day 2. Every year I look forward to The Makeup Show as it is the time to restock my products, meet up and network with fellow artists, and to catch some pro classes. It is one of the only events where you can bump shoulders with some of the most influential artists in the industry.

Each year brings something different, and I was on the lookout for any and everything new. James Vincent, per our previous (Second City Style’s interview of James Vincent), always strives to bring us the best and newest brands, products, and education to over 6,000 beauty professionals, buyers, industry educators, press, and retailers every year.

Once I arrived in New York , I hit the pavement running. I only had time enough time to put some gloss on in the cab before I was at the front door of the Metropolitan Pavilion. Unlike previous years, this year I had a strategy, and that was to make a list first, so I wouldn’t overspend and product crazy.

I’m always excited to see new brands. It’s good to see the ‘faces’ of the brand who send us products for review and to discover newer brands.  Some of my favorite brands at The Makeup Show this year included NARS,  Stila Cosmetics, OCC Cosmetics, Kevyn Aucoin, Kissable Couture, Amour Beauty, Makeup Forever, Glamcor, Bdellium Brushes and the list goes on. With a few oooh’s and ahhh’s, and ‘that color looks great on you”, I ended up with 8 glosses and lipsticks from celebrity Makeup Artist AJ Crimson’s line Kissable Couture. Yes, I got sucked in.

Armour Beauty

Micheal DeVellis and I

For education, some of the top educators this year included, Frances Hathaway (amazing), Troy Jenson, Buckley, and Ve Neill the ‘Hunger Games’ Head Makeup Artist, and many more. As I was not able to attend a lot of the classes, I can say The Makeup Show always has the best platforms and seminars for just about every area of makeup artistry. Micheal Devellis, founder of  ‘The Powder Group’, keynotes are always inspiring and informative. I ran into him on his way to a seminar, and was able to get a quick picture (see right). I thanked once again for such a great event.

Another highlight of this year’s The Makeup Show was the Career Fair which welcomed hundreds of attendees who were eager to network and get face-to-face interviews from the top industry experts. Even though I didn’t make the career fair those that did attend thought it was brilliant. How often can you meet that many brands at once for possible amazing opportunities?

In the end, after a day on my feet non-stop, several products, chats with some of my favorite celebrity makeup artists and an amazing lunch with some fellow artists, I can say this was probably one of the best times I have had at The Makeup Show. I’m so looking forward to next year, and can’t wait to see what’s in store. Til next time!

–Kelley Woods, Second City Style Beauty Editor

Photos: Second City Style

Fashion Star Names First Winner!

If you haven’t been keeping up, Fashion Star on NBC, named its first winner on Tuesday night’s season finale. Kara Laricks is this year’s “Fashion Star,” earning her six million dollars in orders for capsule collections in Macy’s, H&M, and Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

Laricks is known for her love of menswear and her innovative, androgynous designs. Before winning this seasons Fashion Star, Laricks was a fourth grade teacher, always encouraging her students to follow their dreams. Leading by example, Laricks pursued her dreams of being a famous fashion designer, winning the title of “Fashion Star,” she is well on her way!

Fashion Star gives fourteen designers the opportunity to show their designs and sell their clothes to one of the three retailers on the panel (Macy’s, Sak’s, or H&M). The show is hosted and executive produced by model Elle Macpherson and  includes mentors, Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie, and American designer John Varvados who all play a crucial role in guiding and mentoring designers to better help them appeal to the butyers. Each week the stores decide whether they would like to make an offer for the clothing designed on that episode and that same evening the items are available for sale.

After the great success of this first season, Fashion Star will air its second season Winter 2013 on Sunday’s. So mark your calenders if you missed out on this first season!

To catch up on episodes of Fashion Star visit NBC.com and for more information, pictures, prices and fashion star news check out fashionstar.hm

-Laine Pepp

Sources; Fashionstar.hm, NBC

McQ Alexander McQueen Exclusive Private Order With NET-A-PORTER

NET-A-PORTER has just announced it will exclusively offer customers a private order service for nine looks from the FW12 collection in celebration of Sarah Burton’s first and much lauded runway collection for McQ Alexander McQueen.

This amazing limited-edition collection will be available to customers for seven days only from May 16. NET-A-PORTER is the exclusive global retailer for this pre-launch period. You can reserve these special pieces – which will then be made to order and delivered in time for the upcoming fall winter season.

With Creative Director Sarah Burton now at the helm of Alexander McQueen, the collection offers aspirational pieces to define the trends and silhouette of the season. Highlights include a broderie anglaise embroidered oxblood velvet dress, a traditional blanket wool coat in Black Watch tartan, a black leather jacket with shearling sleeves and a hand dyed silk and wool dark military green dress.

Here are some of our favorite pieces:

MCQ ALEXANDER MCQUEEN The broderie anglaise velvet bell dress, $6095

McQ Alexander McQueen The flocked velvet and silk-tulle bodysuit, $2005

McQ Alexander McQueen The Black Watch plaid coat, $7220

McQ Alexander McQueen The mouline-knit dress, $1525

McQ Alexander McQueen Leather and shearling jacket, $3530

McQ Alexander McQueen The silk-chiffon embellished dress, $12,030

Shop the MCQ ALEXANDER MCQUEEN collection here.

OK, Now What Is Next For Coty and Avon?

Coty has been trying to court Avon for the last 2 months to try to buy the troubled direct seller – but they abandoned their bid on Monday. So what now?

Investors seem to be taking this seriously and sent Avon’s shares sliding 9.7 percent to close at $18.71 on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. Avon’s declining stock price could prompt another bidder to make an offer for the company.

Industry observers speculate that Coty may make another public offering soon, and look for another beauty firm to buy. Coty chairman Bart Becht said Avon’s presence in emerging markets is what made it so attractive to Coty. Meanwhile Avon’s refusal to engage in talks with Coty over the last several months has left some industry analyst in disbelief. On May 10, following Coty’s sweetened bid of $24.75 a share, or $10.65 billion, Avon said its board “will consider the letter in due course.”

Today, Avon staffers were on the phone calling representatives to instill confidence in the company.

According to WWD, Becht wrote a letter that expressed Coty’s frustration with Avon’s response stating, “Yesterday, we received a two sentence e-mail indicating, without explanation, that Avon’s board would need another week to consider our request. Since receiving your e-mail, we have reached out to Avon’s board, management and advisers to understand why additional time is needed, but we have received no explanation. I find it remarkable that since we made our revised proposal, and despite repeated requests over the last 24 hours, no one from Avon’s board or management has been willing to speak with us, including Fred Hassan, Andrea Jung and Sheri McCoy.”

It will be interesting to see what Coty does next and if anyone else has any interest in acquiring Avon.

- Carol Calacci

Source: WWD, Images: Coty and Avon