Anna Sui’s Target Collection Getting the Love

The day every Gossip Girl Fashionista has been waiting for, Anna Sui’s Target collection is finally online. Many reviews are already up, averaging around 4 stars. Many buyers were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the clothes. However, this collection is definitely on the pricier side. The dresses sell for $45 to $70, and the priciest items is a $150 leather jacket. Several people also noted that they had to go up a size, so if you are buying online, think about doing the same.

I really think this collection is one of the most commercial/mainstream and best marketed. I could really see everyday girls wearing these clothes and easily incorporating them into their wardrobe. It also helps that the looks are based on a character. When you are looking at the slideshow of looks, I’m really seeing Serena, Blair, Jenny, and Vanessa. Du Juan (my favorite Asian model) cast as Blair made me smile. The only thing they have in common is the hair style, but somehow both exude elegance.

The items I selected under ‘My Picks’ not only look good in the pictures but scored excellent reviews. Many have interesting details but are not too bizarre that no one want to go out in public wearing it. Many collaborations sound good but they don’t always translate well commercially. I remember being so excited about Alexander McQueen’s Collection- he had an amazing Fall 2008 collection based on a story of a wood nymph- but his Target collaboration left me scratching my head. Tattoo print prom dresses, anyone?

My Picks

Satin Striped Seersucker Dress - $59.99

Metallic Grey Feather Dress - $69.99
Reminds me of Burberry Fall 2008 RTW

Metallic Jacquard Ruffle Top - $39.99

Blah and Busy

Howdy folks, sorry about going skimpy on the blog but I’ve been feeling blah and busy. Sounds contradictory I know, but here’s why. So school started on August 25th and I decided to continue working part time for at least a little while because the pay is so great and the work is so not that bad. Of course that means I’ll be going to work before the crack of dawn and then working 7 hours before driving back and going to class. I’m out of the house for almost half the day. Of course when I’m not working/going to class, I melt into a puddle of blah. I have a friend who’s even worse. Every semester she takes 5 or 6 classes, works at least 20 hours a week and some of it’s unpaid, and is in at least 5 different organizations so she spends her evenings running around campus going to meetings or attending events. Yes the life of overachievers sucks. Yes, in fact it sucks the life out of us. Unlike her, I realize this kind of schedule is unsustainable so I’ve already told my boss that I’m leaving the company come mid-September. They’ve advertised the position and found a suitable replacement. I’m going to miss that place but quitting will definitely free up my schedule.

In the meantime, there's lots of fashion news I've been keeping an eye on. Spring 2010 NY Fashion Week is starting tomorrow!! I'm so excited even though I'm clearly no where near NYC, much less getting in to see the shows. However with my new iPhone, which is taking over my life, and Style.com's app, I can view the photos any place, any time. Which would be super for blogging if they get the pictures up promptly.

I'm also loving this Refinery21 article on fashion and food bloggers (I swear, my two favorite things). Great blogs like Luxirare, Maison des Reveries, and Cupcakes and Cashmere made the list. With a list this good, I'll definitely have to check out Blushing Ambition and Carb Lover Food Stylist.

Blushing Ambition

I always love high-low collaboration, if not the clothing, at least the idea. The latest one that caught my eye is the Christopher Kane for Topshop collection. The stuff looks amazing! ... And is also priced between $80-$300. Yikes, that's way out of my budget. To quote Kelly O'Reilly from the Thread: "With collaborations becoming almost generic, it would be a tragedy if their original appeal - designer designs at non-designer prices - fell by the wayside."

If you want to be in the know about all upcoming high-low collabs, definitely follow Nitrolicious. That update bunny has the best and earliest coverage.

As amazing as this collection is, I'm still holding out for Rodarte for Target coming this December! What designer collaborations are you excited about?

August Giveaways from around the Web

Lucky Mag Giveaways (August and September)
Only 1 entry per giveaway. If you register on Luckymag.com, you can cut down on the data entry. It may be worth it because there are 25 giveaways for September alone!!

Teen Vogue Mag
They have a calendar of giveaways (a giveaway every day of the month). The one on August 18th is especially good.

Elle and Elle Girl Mag
Many prizes up for grabs but keep in mind the different deadlines. It's 1 entry per day. Franky that's a little annoying for a $20 prize.

Lifetime Project Runway Sweepstakes (8/14/09 - 8/23/09)
Win a limited-edition Project Runway sewing machine, a Michael Kors Astor chain satchel, a gift card to Mood Designer Fabrics, and more. One entry per person.

People Watch $1500 Shopping Spree from Ann Taylor Loft and People (7/17/08 - 8/31/09)
A trip for two to NYC, a shopping spree, and personal styling session. Can enter 1 time per day.

Lucky Shops Giveaway (8/11/09 - 9/8/09)
Two flight tickets to NYC, $1000 shopping spree, and $500 Ed Hardy Fragrances basket. One entry total per person.

Fashion's Night Out Shopping Spree (8/11/09 - 9/11/09)
You can enter 1 time per day and there 8 prizes, with gift cards from many different stores, each worth over $5000. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

Note- If you or anyone in your immediate family works in fashion retail (see complete list), you are not valid for entry.

Neiman Marcus $5000 Sergio Rossi Shopping Spree (7/15/09 - 9/15/09)
The usual sign up for their mailing list and you are entered to win. 1 entry total per person.

100 ml Bottle of PLAY fragrance autographed by Justin Timberlake (8/13/09 - 10/6/09)
You can enter once every 7 days. A winner will be selected every week, with 12 winners total.

Beauty Travel Kit Sweepstakes (ends 10/18/09)
Different sets of beauty products worth $125 - $250 are up for grabs. 20 are available but 1 entry per household.

Bergdorf Goodman $5000 Shopping Spree (7/31/09 - 10/30/09)
The usual sign up for their mailing list and you are entered to win. 1 entry total per person.

Lucky At Your Service Sweepstakes (7/1/09 - 1/31/10)
There's a $2,500, $1,500, and $1000 shopping spree up for grabs. Only one entry total per person.

If there are other great giveaways, leave me a link in the comment section and I'll add it to this list.

Chanel- Behind the Scenes Footage

If you ask any young girl obsessed with fashion what's her favorite designer brand, you can bet 9 times out of 10, she answers Chanel. Chanel has always been synonymous with impeccable taste and class. It's no wonder when you look at some of the intricate detailing Chanel tailors put into one dress. It's a eye squinting, finger pricking, meticulous process to get from a piece of cloth to an outfit worth of the runway.

You Sure Know How to Push My Buttons Style.com

And not in a good way this time. Usually Style.com is one of my favorite websites because it covers all of the major fashion shows. Also I sometimes go through the Style File Blog for quick fashion news. As I was skimming through the posts on Style File today, I spotted "Win A Style.com Internship". Huh, sounds like a pretty interesting sweepstakes. I read a few more lines and I go from excited to down right pissed. The whole thing is an auction where you bid to work for free and they have to audacity to value the 'opportunity' at $2500. Sure you get college credit and the money goes to charity but that's a complete rip off. Not to mention internships should be filled by people who work for them not people who can pay for them!! Style.com/Vogue is in the business of pawning off overpriced designer goods that nobody actually needs (as much as we feel we need), but to actually pawn off work is unbelievable. Also, this is a style.com internship not even a Vogue internship. To quote, you will be "assist[ing] the editors with the fashion closet, trafficking samples, requesting product, assisting photo shoots, helping out during fashion week in New York". The only people who would be willing to pay for this must be the rich parents of NY trust fund babies. Yeah, I can totally see Jessie from NYC Prep doing this.

On a complete utter tangent, Bravo put up full episodes of NYC Prep online so I can brain mush my weekend away.

Beauty Samples: Grab 'em before they're gone!

A) Burt’s Bees Natural Acne Solutions

B) Bodycology Lotion

C) John Freida Brilliante Brunette Liquid Shine Illuminating Shampoo (.28 oz) and Conditioner (.28 oz)

D) Escada Desire Me Perfume Sample

Trip to the County Fair

Last weekend, a friend and I took a trip to the county fair. I had never been to a county fair so I was very excited to see the llamas and fancy chickens, buy local produce, and of course, ride the carnival rides. The fairground was about 15 minutes away in a beautiful country setting. I always like to joke that I lived ‘next to the middle of nowhere’, to which my friend replies, “No, we live on the edge of nowhere”. But it’s true- drive 10 miles in any direction and you will start seeing farms.

As we parked the car, I noticed the car beside us was an antique and clearly someone’s baby. “Do not touch” was scribbled on a piece of paper on the windshield.



We hurried on inside because the llama competition was starting. In the very last white tent, several llamas were being judged in a large pen. While the llamas were being led around the pen, I happily snapped up pictures.

I had never seen a spotted llama before so I thought it would win because of the novelty. I also loved a chestnut colored llama because of its beautiful face markings.


Isn’t he photogenic?
To my surprise, the spotted llama came in last. It turns out that 4-H competitions are more about handling than the breeding of the animal, and that spotted llama was not well behaved at all. The judge even made a comment that the animal “just didn’t want to be here”.

We took a look at some of the other tents. The largest animal at the fair had to be the draft horse. Its torso was as tall as my head. When I stuck my camera between the rails to take a picture, the horse nudged at me with its huge head, probably thinking I had food. It was very intimidating! Ironically, the miniature horses were in the next pen over.

I also really enjoyed the fancy chickens. Unlike your normal egg-laying or at-the-crack-of-dawn-crowing fowls, these hens and roosters are more colorful, have feathery feet, or have unique hairdos.


I called the rooster to the left Jefferson and behind him is Washington.
The trip was fun but exhausting. The sun beating down was making me dizzy, sweaty, and dehydrated. After purchasing some delicious blackberries, I was ready to go home. We said goodbye to the fairgrounds, but not before taking one last shot.

The Dazzling (Nineteen) Twenties

Chicago (film)

If I could be alive in any era just for the fashion, it would during the 1920s in America. I love the flapper "uniform"- short hems, beads, and feathers. Girls with short bobs and no inhibition. People letting loose and dancing. The 20s exude fun and glamour- at least on the surface. Since time travel is out of the question, it's a bit of a moot point trying to imagine living in that era. However an afternoon of online window shopping yielded some surprising 1920s-inspired treasures so I'll indulge in fantasy a bit more. Because of the recycling of trends and influences in fashion, some of today's designers are interpreting the flapper with modern twist.

Santi Beaded Clutch- $84.00


Gryphon Feather Dress-$644.00



Vera Wang Beaded Necklace- $850.00

Every girl needs some razzle-dazzle. Just one of the items above would make any outfit pop, but together...

... I think I just about died (from sparkle overdose) and went to heaven.

Shoe and Bag Eye Candy

Suffering from Food Shows Withdrawal, Saved by Hulu

My new apartment has everything I need- my own room, proximity to classes, a large walk-in closet, and a parking space. However, one thing I am giving up is cable TV. I was TV-less for over a month before my mom bought me a nice flat screen for my birthday. Being rather thrifty, I really didn’t want to pay $30+ for cable or dish when I only watch three channels, Food Network, Travel Channel, and Bravo. Instead I made a one time purchase of a digital antenna. Once installed, I could watch the basic network channels (ABC, NBC, CBS) and tons of PBS. Unfortunately this wasn’t enough to satisfy my craving for food shows. I really missed competition food shows like Top Chef, educational shows like Good Eats, and shows that feature food from around the world (Anthony Bourdain and Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern). Sure PBS has numerous cooking shows that teach you how to create simple meals, but I just like to look at good food not make them!

Then I turned to Hulu for some more variety. Unfortunately my favorite networks had many snippets but few episodes, which makes sense because who would pay if they could watch everything online. With some browsing, I found several shows that are giving me my food show fix. One of them is called Great Cocktails.


The premise of the show is to teach viewers how to make great cocktail intertwined with a bit of history and tips from professional bartenders. It has Alton Brown’s fun facts (of Good Eats) and Iron Chef’s flair. I mean they lit alcohol on fire within the first 2 minutes of the first episode! I’m really excited about this show because I’ve always wanted to learn how to make cocktails. Now that I’m 21, I can finally make and enjoy some tasty alcoholic beverages.



PBS has a show called Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie. Like Anthony Bourdain and Bizarre foods, Diary of a Foodie takes a look at the foods found around the globe. People eat some marvelously strange things and I drool while watching them. I mentally tally all the things I have to try when I travel.



Another show on my 'To-Watch' list is Three Sheets. To my surprise, Hulu offers full episodes of several Mojo shows. I’ve actually watched Three Sheets before, but not regularly. My Dad remarked it was a good show but I usually stuck with my Food Network. Three Sheets follows Zane Lamprey, the human alcohol processor, around the world as he samples the local beers, wines, gins, whiskey- you name it, he’s tried it. It’s really funny to watch more than anything, and it helps that Zane is a comedian. A great show for the 20s crowd.




It's really sad that I finally have a nice big TV but nothing good to watch. I'm waiting for the fall prime time to start up so I can at least watch Grey's Anatomy. In the meantime, food shows on Hulu will be how I spend my evenings. The hard part is limiting how much I watch. Must not watch 20 episodes in one night!

Tim Gunn (my Hero)

It's a crazy world when my favorite reality show host is turned into a 2-D action super hero. Actually, it feels like an extension of Modelinia's Spiked Heel episodes (supermodels as superheros- starring the one and only Heidi Klum). I love you Tim Gunn, but this is getting too weird. If you're interested in what the comic is going to be about, check out the New York Times article.

Geeks Unite

Satisfy your inner geek with these quirky, but functional items. They can be worn, make your sofa more comfortable, or even clean, not to mention add character. Your guests will surely take a second look at your Ctrl+Alt+Delete pillows. Of course if you don't want to flaunt your geekiness, you can always give them away as gifts. Who doesn't want Playstation controller soap?

Fred and Friends Ice Invaders: $7.50

Ctrl - Alt - Del Three Pillow Set: $58.00

Nerdy Giraffe Tee: $24.50

Brave Space Design Tetris Bookcase- Pricing upon request

Realistic Xbox Controller Replica Soap : $12.00

Free Lacoste Perfume Samples

I’m not really a perfume girl. Most of them come off too strong for me and it’s not something I would routinely use so most of the bottle would be wasted. Instead I actually prefer the scent of my shampoo (Herbal Essence has some of the best smelling shampoo and conditioner out there). However, I do like to collect little perfume samples which I can spray on when I’m in the mood or spray on cards I give to friends. If you like perfume samples too, Lacoste is giving out samples of Lacoste Challenge, Lacoste Touch of Pink, and Lacoste Love of Pink. All you would need to provide is your name, email, and address.

Lacoste Scent Samples: http://www.lacoste-parfums.com/free-sample/

What I'm into Now

My Facebook friend is enjoying her summer in China. She post some pictures of bunny shaped mochi dim sum. I can't decide if I want to eat it or pet it- but I know I want it.


Taghrid's desktop background worthy photo shoot for PIKNIK Magazine.


Recently I've been obsessed with Tiffany blue. In my fantasy future house/apartment, I want to have Tiffany blue walls with white columns and crown molding. Hanging in the dining room, will be this romantic blue chandelier (too bad someone bought it already).


A castle made of paper = hundreds of hours of meticulous work. Definitely check out Tokyobling's blog for more breathtaking images.

Neiman Marcus' digital catalogue usually has some cute spreads. I'm loving the one for Chanel's Pre-Fall 09 collection (pg 48). The Russian themed spread includes adorable Russian nesting dolls with Chanel logos for buttons. The video will bring a smile to your face, as it did to mine.


How The Average U.S. Consumer Spends Their Paycheck
I'm very interested in personal spending and being thrifty so I regularly check out Wisebread and Get Rich Slowly. This was on GRS and it was amazing to see where average American families spend their money. Can you believe that we spend almost the same amount for groceries as we do for restaurant food?

DIY Chain and Ribbon Woven Necklaces

A couple of Christmases ago, I received a chain link necklace with crown charm. The necklace really wasn’t to my tastes. It had a Juicy Couture-ish appeal and I got a thing against brands that stick their label on the hinny area of gym pants. I decided to throw away the charm but keep the perfectly good chain. It was a bit boring on its own so I wanted to find a different pendant but it needed to be hefty pendant with a large hole in order to hang in on the chain. Of course I didn’t own such a pendant. Instead, I soon forgot about it and the necklace stayed in my jewelry case gathering dust.

Inspiration

A few weeks ago, Gilt was selling woven ribbon necklaces by Lulu Frost. The chain was interwoven with brightly colored satin ribbon and tied with bows. They were adorable and inspired me to finally do something funky and chic with my chain necklace.

The Supplies

A chain necklace
Colorful ribbon that is at least twice as long as the chain
A bit of tape

Instructions

1) Taper one end of the ribbon with the tape. This will make the ribbon easier to weave in between the links.

2) Take the chain necklace and pull the ribbon through the first link. Make sure to pull enough of the ribbon through. I recommend at least the necklace and a half length of ribbon.

3) Begin weaving the ribbon into a pattern. To do this I straightened out the chain so the first link lies flat, the second link is on its side, and the rest of the links alternate in that pattern. I threaded the ribbon from bottom to up for the 1st, 3rd, 5th, etc links and the right to left for the 2nd, 4th, 6th, etc links. Of course you can also choose to weave randomly but I liked the braid-like weave my pattern created.


4) Threading the ribbon is a bit tedious so I actually stopped about 1/3 the way through. I tied the ends of the ribbon into a bow and closed the necklace clasp so it created a double chained necklace. If you do this too, make sure to leave the ribbon long enough so the necklace can go over your head. You wouldn’t want to tie and untie the necklace every time you wear it!

5) Or you can also weave the ribbon through the entire length of the necklace to get something more like Lula Frost.

6) I kept mine simple, but you can add brooches, charms, feathers, and gems to it as well.

Happy 21st

Yes, today is my 21st birthday. Therefore I'm posting appropriately celebratory fashion photos.

Not doing much today (ie. no drinking because I have work tomorrow), but I will be treated to both lunch and dinner tomorrow. In fact I will most likely be eating way too much, way too good, food all this weekend. Okay, jogging... next week.

Oh, and I went on a mini shopping spree today at noon. Three words- Gilt Final Sale!!

Finally!! Leanne's Collection on Bluefly

Since season 4 of Project Runway, all winning designers get to create a collection to sell on Bluefly. I'm actually really enthusiastic this time because I adore Leanne and her 'pleating' skills. The long awaited collection was finally revealed yesterday. I must say, I think it will actually sell!! I remember some of Christian Siriano's stuff heavily discounted during final sales, like 70%+, which is highly unusual for Bluefly so I suspect it didn't sell very well. Leanne's collection is more wearable and generally well priced. The price point is actually lower than the apparel on her website. The only thing that bothers me is that Bluefly states the retail price at $210.00 and then discounts it 20% to $168.00, when really the retail price is $168.00 and there was no discount. I hate when businesses initially mark up an item only to pretend discount it immediately. Anyway, annoyance at Bluefly aside, I think this is a great start for Leanne. Go Leanimal!