Carleen Pop-up at Erica Weiner’s Brooklyn Locale

Posted on December 2, 2014 by SMM

Erica Weiner, vintage jewelry-maker extraordinaire, is going to be hosting a pop-up for Carleen, a vintage-minded women’s clothing line, created by Brooklyn-based designer Kelsy Parkhouse. This exciting venture began on Nov. 21st, but don’t fret, it is up & running until Jan. 1, 2015. Erica Weiner has 2 locations, but the one you need to know about for this exciting collaboration is her shop in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn — 360 Atlantic Avenue.

Carleen’s pop-up will host highlights from the Fall 2014 collection. In addition, there will be an exclusive version of her hit Utopia Sweatshirt, customized with the phrase “WEINER.” “Our shared obsession with historical ephemera and American manufacturing tradition made this event a no-brainer,” says Weiner of the partnership with Carleen.

Parkhouse has also exclusively created for this pop-up several one-of-a-kind outerwear pieces incorporating vintage quilts and textiles—a motif that has become a trademark of her three-year-old line. Weiner’s Brooklyn store will be the sole New York City retail outlet to showcase Parkhouse’s Fall 2014 collection!!

Designer Kelsy Carleen Parkhouse grew up in Long Beach, California. She later moved to NY where she competed a BFA in Fashion Design at Pratt. Afterwards, she founded Carleen, using the five looks from her thesis collection (which was built around quilts and vintage textiles) as the starting point for her line. In the mythology of the line, Carleen, like her ancestors, feels the “pull of the unknown and leaves home to experience new places; while simultaneously exploring craft, handiwork, and the meaning of the domestic space.”

Erica Weiner is of course being a gracious host in allowing the Carleen pop-up. After earning her degree in Art History at Vassar College, Erica Weiner toured the world as a theatrical wardrobe assistant and worked as a sample-maker in the New York City fashion industry, all the while making jewelry as a hobby. Her vintage-inspired earrings and necklaces caught on with friends and colleagues, and before long she had a her own business and a full-fledged cult following. She opened a store in Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood in 2010, where she began selling antiques alongside her collection. A second retail location in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, followed in 2012.

Despite offering different products and price points, the two brands are so complementary—both have a focus on storytelling through their designs, and bring a touch of nostalgia and kitsch to modern, wearable products.

CARLEEN FRINGE WRAP SKIRT $482 SKY PAISLEY

Additional Pop-up Details:

Store hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 12 – 7; Sunday 12 – 6
Phone: (718) 855-2555
Email: store@ericaweiner.com

Some additional Carleen looks —

WCM’s Overstock Blowout Sale!

Posted on December 1, 2014 by SMM

Huge sample sales and the like are all around NYC. And one such sale I’m excited to announce to my Fashion Nexus readers is from that of Roma Industries, with major brands on board such as WCM Belts, Nanette Lepore, Isaac Mizrahi, Kooba, Rochet, & more! This great sale begins today! The basics are all on the flyer below —

Location — 12 W 37th Street, 10th floor
Dates — Dec. 1 – Dec. 12
Times — 10am – 6pm

Roma Industries is a design, manufacture, and distribution accessory company for women and men. They work with a few major fashion brands such as Nanette Lepore, Isaac Mizrahi, & Kooba, as well as their own in-house line, WCM Belts.

So what’s in store for the masses at this major blowout — belts, bags, wallets, card cases, bracelets, scarves, gloves, jewelry, and other small leather accessories galore! Everything is up to 70% off. And if you have any questions, the # to contact is (212) 268-0723.

WCM continues to flourish as a design-based brand for the elegant, trend savvy, modern woman, cutting edge, yet maintaining a classic core. WCM is a niche of its own, tying trend to quality, uniting modern with classic, interpreting runway for the everyday.

Excited and can’t wait to check out this sale live and in person! I hope if any of you are in NYC that you can make a stop by this phenomenal sale.

It’s Time Again for the PONO Holiday Sample Sale!!

Posted on November 29, 2014 by SMM

Black Friday, Schmlack Friday! Here in NYC it is all about the Sample Sale. And Fashion Nexus is more than thrilled to provide the sample sale details for a fave jewelry brand of mine — PONO by Joan Goodman. All of the major details are right on the flyer above —

Location: 347 W 36th St., Room 405
Dates: Dec. 3 – 12
Times: Weekdays ONLY, 9 am – 6 pm

With this Sample Sale you can save 50-80% off bangles, cuffs, necklaces & more! You can collect stunning accessories like the Italian resin jewel-toned Ski Jump bangles at $20 a piece, originally $50. The sensational Sea Rope link necklace is on sale for $60, original price of $265. Or there is the new retro 70s style color-blocked Catamaran necklace, originally $200, now set at $50. A vast array of elegant, yet eclectic bangles are priced at $40, original price of $250. Designer Joan Goodman will be present. And I can attest that she is such a kind and creative spirit. You do not want to miss out on the chance to meet such a talent!

PONO offers so many options, lots of colors, varied styles, and there is so much you can do with these pieces to compliment your day to day outfits, or looks of a more special occasion. The pieces are truly statement-making, very eye-catching. You will not go unnoticed, whether at the office or for a night out on the town! Personally, I have had tons of fun styling my own looks for various occasions.

Attend this Sample Sale, find some just as amazing pieces, and trust me, no doubt you will find some jewelry you instantly fall in love with and will be so ready to incorporate into your own looks!

And hey, it’s not just me! PONO is even seen on hit shows like The Good Wife. So getting a really phenomenal deal on top of now being able to accessorize in true style, this is the precise definition of a win-win!

PONO is a true friend of Fashion Nexus, a supporter since I launched my fashion blog. Check out my many other features on this dynamic brand — introducing PONO, 10th Year Anniversary, PONO at Accessorie Circuit, 4th of July feature, & collaboration with fashionable sports apparel brand Slater Zorn — just to name a few! There is plenty of time to hit the PONO Sample Sale, and if you are like me, hitting a sample sale twice is quite alright too!

Kenley Collins — This Thriving Designer Marches On!

Posted on November 19, 2014 by SMM

The lovely Kenley Collins is a long-time friend of Fashion Nexus so I’m very pleased to continue to show my support of her outstanding work! So here I am now to feature her latest collection launch, “American Geisha.”

Fans a Blossom crop top & skirt, and Geisha Garden Party dress

First though, just as a quick recap, here is a brief bio on the insanely talented Kenley. She made a huge name for herself by appearing in 2008 on the hit competitive realty TV show, Project Runway, season 5. A few years later she made a stint on the 1st season of Project Runway All-Stars. Since then, she has been working diligently as a fashion designer, creating collections that not only I love, but that truly speak to the heart of any burgeoning fashionista. Her collections make me smile, touch my heart, and make me feel so nostalgic. She takes an inspiration and really makes it come to life. She’s gone “As if” with Clueless

said it’s Grease lightning with her Pink Ladies line

taken us back in true fashionable style with her Marilyn Monroe inspired collection

and gave us her take on PopArt!

Her current holiday collection is once again entitled “American Geisha.” This line has all the Kenley touches that I have come to know & love! As always, I can see Kenley’s unique designer POV & hand in each piece. Her amazing work is ever-present and more captivating than ever. Her work is vintage, an era of long ago, but as with any Kenley piece, there is still a modern vibe.

Hummingbird party dress & Cherry Blossom Fan Wiggle dress

Her looks are always playful and full of character, demonstrating a genuine spirit for whatever underlying inspiration she is creating from in her mind. She is doing again with these American Geisha pieces what she does so well — fully embodying a given concept and making it come to life in true Kenley form & fashion. She designs for the masses and it’s so hard to not instantly fall in love with every print, style, silhouette, and piece.

Land of the Rising Sun dress

As always, you can make this collection work for you in a dress or separates piece. Here are some more amazing pieces from the American Geisha line!!!

Birds a Humming crop top & pencil skirt, and Land a Rising crop top & pencil skirt

Geisha Garden Swing dress

Cherry Fan Mandarin dress

Hummingbird Mandarin dress on left

You can now shop online for these amazing pieces! And yes, there are still some fun menswear and accessories pieces to peruse as well!

You can also shop for Kenley at Slapback in Brooklyn. And check out Slapback’s owner having a great time in Collins’ American Geisha pieces!

Besides designing imaginative and stunning collections, Kenley has achieved other great feats as well. A huge success for Kenley is her custom design work for major pop star Ariana Grande. Since I’m obsessed with both Kenley & Ariana I have to share Kenley’s crazy cool pieces for Ari!

Most designers are generally pleased if a major celeb dons one or two of their pieces, but clearly Ariana loves her some Kenley originals just as Fashion Nexus loves to feature them! Until the next collection launch……eagerly awaiting…….can’t wait!

PRAS Designers’ Showdowns — Good v Wicked

Posted on November 16, 2014 by SMM

Well the set-up was all there. The challenge was couture inspired fashion. The underlying inspiration was the Broadway hit musical Wicked. We had the drama, huge showdowns between equally talented designers with “Good v Wicked”. But all in all, I was somewhat underwhelmed this week. I wasn’t WOWED by many of the looks. I was expecting some touch choices to be made between pairings on who had the best design. Instead I witnessed a battle of who had the worst look. The episode wasn’t all terrible, so first let’s backtrack a bit and get all the details on this week’s challenge.

Alyssa descended upon the Wicked stage to greet the designers and provide the challenge details. Joining her were Wicked’s stars, Christine Dwyer (Elphie The Wicked Witch) and Jenni Barbour (Glinda the Good Witch). A major theme for Wicked is that every story has 2 sides. So as a tribute to the musical and the witches’ rivalry, this week, the designers would too rival one another by facing off and presenting a couture look representing the concept of “good” or that of “wicked.”

The pairings were set —

Justin (wicked) v Fabio (good)
Kate (wicked) v Sonjia (good)
Ben (wicked) v Helen (good)
Chris (wicked) v Michelle (good)
Samantha (wicked) v Jay (good)
Dmitry (wicked) v Gunnar (good)

Part of the issue with the designers’ work this week I think could partly be blamed on the challenge details & parameters. Couture work means so much more work than a mere 2-day challenge. That is PR though and even in short time frames we’ve seen some stunning work come down the runway in the past. I did feel as if a $250 budget for Mood seemed a bit low for such a high stakes challenge. I’m looking for a bit of blame though because I still feel as if something was off with the work this week. I felt with many of the designers I didn’t dislike their entire look. There were aspects I very much enjoyed and was impressed by. Some had a decent start and I’m not sure whether it was a lack of time, a bit of nerves, or maybe not enough of a budget, but somewhere, somehow, things went off course a bit.

As the designers headed back to the workroom for their 1st day of work many recognized some stiff competition for themselves with who they were paired against. I think head games might have been a factor with lackluster looks. Gunnar seemed to be the only one with a diehard spirit on wanting to truly beat out his competition — Dmitry. The 2nd day of work brought us Zanna-time and model fittings.

Zanna announced a prize for winning the challenge. The winning look would be on display for all to see at the home of Wicked, the Gershwin Theatre. Sadly though, this incentive nor were Zanna’s encouraging words enough to boost many of the designers’ looks. Zanna encouraged the designers to think couture, replace crafty with exquisite details. Samantha & Fabio were likely given the harshest critiques. Samantha was told her original look was a snooze-fest so she started over. Fabio’s dress/pant combo had Zanna worried so he hesitated on moving forward. But ultimately he stuck with his gut and his original look that he loved.

The morning of the runway saw a few designers working away, lots still to do. But for others, there was confidence and a ready-to-go spirit, such as with Chris, Dmitry, and Jay. Of course, not all of these designers had true reason to be so confident! The judging panel was sans Georgina this week, but there were 2 guest judges — eclectic designer Betsey Johnson and star of ABC’s hit comedy Modern Family Ariel Winter. Betsey was a little on the nicer side, but Ariel, to be so young, I was very impressed by a lot of what she had to say. She knew what she was talking about and what she liked. Not sure why Georgina was out, but it was probably best because we didn’t need 5 judges, let’s keep it at 4 every week!

The only designer I want to give a side shout-out to is Kate. I think the Kate/Sonjia pairing was the only one where both designers went all out. For every other pairing I was able to pick the high score, except this one. This was certainly no white dress or bridal type look this week. I love this skirt, the vine detailing and the tons of tulle covering up the skirt. Also, Mary Kay shout-out, great call being dramatic with the make-up. A lot of the designers for “Wicked” went with a bold, dark lip and a dark, smoky eye. But Kate mixed it up and was wise to try out this “white-out” eye. Gorgeous!

From here, we can easily transition to discussing Kate’s face-off partner, Sonjia, who was also this week’s winner. Sonjia wasn’t my pick for the winning look, but she definitely did a good job.

The judges loved this cover-up skirt over a shorter fitted dress. I was not a fan of this aspect. It took the luxe, couture factor down a notch for me. The reason I think I disliked it was actually because of how much I loved what Sonjia was doing with the under-dress, the lacier portion.

The neckline, the sleeve detailing were all just insanely gorgeous. I think a dress going more in this direction, all of this type of work, would have been a total knockout and a winner for the night in my book.

Shout-outs for QVC, love the metallic gold sandal heels, & Mary Kay beauty look, subtle smoky eye & semi-dark lip combo worked beautifully together and with this look!

You can see above Sonjia’s winning look on display, but my winning look for the week and more fitting for a Wicked display was Dmitry! This dress was full on wicked and it was stunningly eye-catching. The feather detailed work, the cut-outs at the waist, sheer tulle overlay, the stunning back, I mean WOW! I can’t believe Dmitry wasn’t even in the running for the win, so yes top 3, but to then not be top 2, really?!?

Michelle said you could see the model’s cooter in this dress, yet then we saw Isaac & Betsey wanting more skin. Not sure about more skin here, I think we can see enough! I’m not sure I could rock such a high slit, but it’s definitely a red carpet trend right now and Dmitry was smart in knowing many celebs and starlets would love this aspect.

The back and the neckline did it for me with Dmitry’s very wicked-esqe dress. So sad it was not the winner, but had it not been in the top 3, that would have been a true travesty!

No disrespect to Samantha this week, but I in no way believe she even thought she would be in the top 3. Actually she was in the top 2, very near winning this week, which is still a bit mind-boggling to me. We as viewers got see her many troubles over the 2 days in creating this look. But even had that not happened I still wouldn’t have pegged this look as a near win. The entire back side is very disappointing, poor execution, nothing special going on.

Chi hair shout-out for this gorgeous fishtail braid though! I’m just not sure how the judges overlooked the entire back side of this dress. I will say her showdown pairing with Jay wasn’t as much of a slam-dunk as Jay thought it would be. Jay’s dress was not amazing at all so Samantha being the higher score made sense. But top 2, still scratching my head on that one.

Even the front had execution issues to me, but I think the judges called this “raw” or “organic.” The sequins are gorgeous, but really are Samantha’s saving grace this week. They did all of the work to make this dress sparkle the little bit that it did. The dress had potential so Samantha going this direction made sense. And I’m sure with more time it could have been so much better. But maybe since so many dresses this week were safe or lackluster, the judges decided to grade on a “Potentials” curve. Mary Kay beauty shout-out, beautiful cat eye and deeply bold wicked lip color!

Fabio was the first of the bottom 3, being saved from near elimination. The judges said this dress/pant combo was not couture and I agree. He clearly has an aesthetic, but his style has a way to transition into a couture look and this was not it. If the printed pants weren’t enough to catapult this look into a non-couture zone, the harnessed back certainly did the piece no favors.

Fabio already won a challenge and I think the judges took that as well as couture work not being in his wheelhouse into consideration. But he can’t let his work be so confined into one box or one type of design work. He needs to be able to show growth and development.

Mary Kay shout-out for this sweet & delicate beauty look and QVC shout-out for these cute black sandal heels. Great choices to help in some way for this look!

During this episode we saw Helen working tirelessly away on ruffle details. I was super-excited to see where she was going, but this end result was not great. I knew she would be in for some trouble. The ruffles didn’t marry well with this embroidered fabric. Also, the ruffle placement was too much for the look. It made the garment really heavy feeling. The judges were spot on in saying just because something takes you so long to do, it doesn’t mean it will be the best part of an ensemble.

Helen works with eveningwear so this letdown was a bit of a surprise. I’m not sure what she was thinking here. It’s clear she really wanted to do these ruffles so the only way I think she could have made it work was maybe to make use of them at the bottom of the dress? And then even as gorgeous as the vines on the shoulder were, I’m just not sure how all of these elements were supposed to combine and work together harmoniously.

Love these QVC ivory sandal heels though, so QVC accessories shout-out!

So with Chris rounding out the bottom 3, sadly this meant it was goodbye Chris. I know Chris has talent, but something did veer off course here. It was not his best work. The judges expected more from Chris on this challenge, and coupled with his bottom appearance last week, were reasons leading to his ouster this week.

It was no surprise Betsey loved his dress. In fact, the bottom portion looked very Betsey Johnson-esque. But to me, it kind of felt costume-y. Chris didn’t want his “Wicked” look to be black, guessing like a few others. But there are tons of colors you can go wicked with, really anything dark, browns, blues, purples, reds, etc. Being wicked is not all about color! Color aside, this shredded detailing didn’t help either.

The fabric, the shredded detailing, it just didn’t feel couture or high red carpet quality. Sad to see Chris go so soon, but I’m sure that will be a constant sentiment for many designers on this season of PRAS. Another QVC shout-out though over another pair of heels, dying over these silver sandal heels!

More on Pop-up Shop Creeds Collective — A Fashionably Good Cause & Events Galore!

Posted on November 13, 2014 by SMM

So last week I introduced a brand new NYC pop-up to my readers, Creeds Collective. They opened Nov. 1 and will be open until Dec. 28 — so just a short 2 months! I urge everyone to get there quick and often! But even with such a short time frame, the pop-up still had so much more to discuss so I thought it best to do a follow-up post. There are just so many details to go over — more brands, a charitable partnership with Global Citizen, and in-store activations and events! But first, once again, here are the shop basics —

The location, 54 Crosby St., between Broome & Spring Streets
Hours of operation, 7 days a week, 11 am – 7 pm

Moving on, I want to elaborate more on the pop-up’s work and involvement with Global Citizen, being that it’s such an admirable cause. Creeds Collective and the brands carried are of course all about top-notch, high quality fashion. But they too have a more mutual cause, giving back! Creeds Collective brands are selected not only for their superior talent,” explains co-founder and Conscious Consumerism expert, Phillips, “but for their social impact and motivation to shift the industry paradigm” she explains. Moreover, 10% of all net sales made over the entirety of the boutique’s presence will be donated to a specific charity working with the pop-up, once again, Global Citizen.

Global Citizen is a nonprofit organization that is building the movement to end extreme poverty by 2030. As Global Citizens, we stand against the greatest injustice of our time: extreme poverty. Global Citizen is a tool to amplify and unite a generation’s call for justice. It’s a place for you to learn and act, to bring an end to extreme poverty. We celebrate the efforts made to cut extreme poverty by half, but recognize more still needs to be done. We use Global Citizen to learn more about issues, so we can take effective action for change and find opportunities to support campaigns and organizations creating sustainable change. Global Citizen features new issues, with the latest information and action opportunities, so you can take effective action for change. Learn more about Global Citizen here.

Creeds Collective has a number of in-store events and activations going on throughout its 2-month time frame. Events that are open to the public are their “Sip & Shop” Trunk Shows, which are every Saturday & Sunday from 4-6 pm. Another fun event you might want to check out, “Pop Up Visionaries — The New Retail”, which will be on Dec. 8th from 7-9 pm.

Beyond clothing, accessories and beauty baubles, the seasonal retailer will further house a THANN Natural Hair & Skincare lounge, a Primp and Polish nail art bar, #hashtag photobooth, “new-tech” station, art exhibitions, and a speak easy menswear lounge entitled “Grotto de Homme.”

My intro post detailed only half of the brands Creeds Collective will be carrying. Here are the rest!

ACCESSORIES

Angela & Roi

Angela&Roi meticulously designs minimalist handbags in a variety of silhouettes and colors. With a classic aesthetic and touch of modern every bag is then made with vegan leather and durable fabric.

Desideri Designs

Roman born designer Claudia Desideri’s background is Art and Drama. Her love of architecture and nature inspire her to create unique pieces that combine both “hard” and “soft” elements. Collections of rings, necklaces and earrings are made using Swarovski crystals, natural stones and fresh water pearls. These one of a kind pieces are a perfect combination of organic and futuristic materials.

Parme Marin

Parme Marin necklaces arouse curiosity and each unique piece is made by hand. The designs are inspired by tribal art, African textile design, the architecture of the 1930’s and vintage fashion.

Lauren Cecchi

Lauren Cecchi New York is a luxury leather handbag line that strives to inspire women to make the most of every day. Made from the finest Argentinean leather and crafted in New York City’s Garment District, Lauren Cecchi New York handbags are inherently elegant.

Lionette NY by Noa Sade

Lionette was born with the vision of creating a brand and a collection that was both glamorous and unique, that would stand out in the industry and be the perfect accessory for any occasion, day or night. Over the last 4 years, the brand has evolved organically and the designs have proven to be distinctive from the rest, leaving an indelible mark on the jewelry jungle. Every piece is handmade in NYC with a lifetime guarantee policy.

Jess Rizzuti

Jess Rizzuti’s innate creativity and extraordinary artistic abilities allowed her to indulge in interests such as mural painting, which further encouraged her to unearth her many design influences – travel, art, history, nature, textures and exquisite colors. We now see that come to life with some gorgeous handbags & clutches!

Fortune & Frame

Founded by designer Gretel Going, the original concept came about two years ago when she came across an insightful fortune, shoved it behind a refrigerator magnet, and forgot about it. When the fortune kept falling on the floor, an idea was born. The resulting line relies on jewelry and accessories to bridge the gap between the value people place on fortunes and the lack of dedicated places to keep them. All signature fortune-holding and fortune cookie pieces come with an original fortune. Written by Going, the fortunes shy away from the prophetic and arbitrarily optimistic, and instead focus on the intersection of hardship and light at the end of the tunnel.

Reason to be Pretty

Inspired by everything pretty, designer Nophar Haimovitz captures her distinctive aesthetics of beauty, grace and delicacy with her unique line of handmade fabric jewelry. All hand dyed, handmade, crafted and plated in USA, Reason To Be Pretty aspires to create an exquisite, unique and comfortable day to night jewelry to prettify any outfit, from a T-shirt to and evening gown, so that the customer will feel and look pretty at any at given moment. As Haimovitz always say, there is always a Reason To Be Pretty…

Victoria Road

A luxury boutique with an eye for style and sustainability, Victoria Road works with socially conscious designers in emerging markets to bring you one-of-a-kind finds. Assisting small business owners in emerging economies by establishing sustainable avenues of trade and distribution to the U.S. marketplace. By empowering these driven entrepreneurs and the skilled artisans they employ with connections to new markets, Victoria Road is supporting a healthy global economy from the ground up. Victoria Road travels the world in search of exquisitely hand crafted luxury items, bringing together a carefully curated collection to complement your lifestyle.

WOMEN’S APPAREL

Made by VOZ

VOZ empowers indigenous artisans and their craft through collaborative fashion design. The hand-made garments feature premium quality natural and ecological fibers, hand dyed and woven to celebrate ancient traditions. Voz works to empower women and their communities financially, creatively, and professionally.

Morphew

In 2005 Bridgette Morphew launched Paradox Designs where she sourced and curated an archive collection of 5,000 vintage prints and shapes that industry leading designers seek for design inspiration. Currently operating in the heart of the NYC fashion district she again revamped the industry with bringing MORPHEW to the forefront of the industry..

Romy & Ray

Romy & Ray is a new Parisian brand that designs high-quality knits that are innovative, comfortable, and perfect for every occasion. Romy was sourcing the finest quality yarns (wool, cashmere, silk, cotton…) and creating the best styles for the top French fashion brands for years.

Bela Criacao

Portuguese for “beautiful creations” Bela Criacao is inspire by the sights, sounds, and cultures of South America coupled with a love for pace and intensity of the modern woman’s lifestyle. Designer Felicia Persaud speaks to today’s woman on the go with her distinctive contemporary sportswear collection where quality fit and fabrics are her priority. A collection of staples designed to seamlessly fit in to a woman’s wardrobe and take her from day to night, Bela Criacao is a collection for the woman not afraid to indulge in fashion among the demands of her daily life.

Sofia Roman

Made in Argentina with the best French and German silks, Italian brocades and Argentine Leathers. Designer Sofia Roman has created a line the speak volumes for females with a simplistic touch of edge and toughness.

MENSWEAR & ACCESSORIES

Dharma Eyewear

Dharma creates high quality sunglasses and eyewear, inspired by classic vintage silhouettes. Every item is $99.00 and gives 5% back to Optometry Giving Sight. Helping underprivileged individuals globally to gain access to eye care and exams.

Enter Accessories

The Enter Accessories brand was born out of a love for vintage clothing and fabrics. Inspiration lies in the style and heritage of the golden ages of music, fashion and sport. Enter offers a range of products from simple everyday items featuring classic fabrics, to premium all-leather travel bags constructed using tradition methods and machinery. The more you use an Enter Accessory, the more unique it becomes.

Conscious Step

They believe that the world is changed by the small actions of many people. That’s why they created Conscious Step: Socks That Fight Poverty, so that the purchasing decisions everyone makes everyday could add up to big impact. Conscious Step was founded by three twenty-something social entrepreneurs – Hassan Ahmad, a medical doctor and past WHO intern; Adam Long, an industrial designer and marketing strategist; and Prashant Mehta, a finance major and microfinance expert. You will find their our team working in Sydney, Australia and in New York, USA, although you may also find us tracing our supply chain from the organic co-op cotton fields in India through to our Fair Trade Factory.

BEAUTY

Flickable

Flickable is putting the pop back in your pucker. This quirky themed sweet lollipop lux lip gloss won’t just give you the cool kitty cat badge of approval, but their non-sticky formula is moisturizing, provides volume, sparkle and shine. Flickable’s 5 choice colors are all a girl needs to perk up and pout out. Flickable is animal cruelty free and proudly Made in the USA.

CLEANSE by Lauren Napier

Over a decade has passed since Napier began her career. Her works have been seen in the world’s most recognizable publications and media outlets including Vogue, Vanity Fair, and on NBC’s long running Today Show and late night comedy institution Saturday Night Live. Lauren has worked with some of the world’s most famous celebrities, including: Academy Award winners, civil rights activists, Olympic gold medalists, indie film darlings, Billboard chart-toppers, silver screen royalty, a Beatle, and even an American President.

GIFTS/DECOR

White Faux Taxidermy

WhiteFauxTaxidermy, strives to ensure clients are receiving a truly superior experience- from the time they add their new, name-brand faux taxidermy wall sculpture to your cart, to the moment you receive it and have it adorning your wall. Each animal sculpture is completely special to them, which is why they make sure consumers are 100% satisfied. They have developed numerous and professionally/artistically crafted sculptures to meet your wants and desires: recently, we have introduced faux unicorn head wall mounts, added a wide array of mini deer and moose heads, redesigned our elephant heads, more vivid gold bear and lions heads, and much more.

Libratone

Libratone is one of the most innovative audio companies in the world. We believe in design and we believe in freedom. Founded in 2009, in the age of streaming, our goal is to emancipate music from the slavery of stationary listening and to give it the freedom modern wireless technology allows. Quite simply, we are reinventing speakers for the 21st century. At Libratone we create all-embracing, high performing sound refined through organic wool for a warmer, brighter listening experience. We call it 360 Scandinavian. 360 alludes to their FullRoom technology, where sound is dispersed in all directions, like an acoustic instrument. It also refers to the Scandinavian design heritage.

I Love My Type

I LOVE MY TYPE is a cool typographical poster universe with posters that will inspire you to make a difference to others and benefit fully from what life has to offer. You will find positive and life-affirming statements that match your life and personal development as well as posters that you can offer to people who are special to you. I LOVE MY TYPE also produces posters that are quite unique and specially designed with you favorite quotations, personal greetings, names and remembrances etc.

The awesomely talented team behind this boldly innovative pop-up are as follows —

Evie Phillips, Founder & Chief Visionary — Creeds of Love
Stephanie Halphen, Founder & Brand Evangelist — Concept Collective
Jodi Lin, Public Relations Specialist
Shirley Sanchez, Wholesale Director/Brand Liason — Creeds of Love
Greg Spielberg, Founder & Innovation Journalist — Imagination in Space
Janine Just, Chief Connectologist — Janine Just Inc.
Aliana Galan, E-Commerce Expert — House of Galan
Desiree Rabuse, Founder & Editor in Chief — Stylefox.Co
Lorie Delmundo, Sponsorship Catalyst — Janine Just Inc.

Partners of Creeds Collective —

PRAS Designers Are on a Runway to the Danger Zone!

Posted on November 9, 2014 by SMM

Well so the runway was not quite a danger zone, at least for some of the designers. The danger zone was in fact the inspiration for this week’s challenge. The designers met Alyssa at the Skylight at Moynihan Station, which serves as a runway for many major designers.

Currently it’s under construction, leaving the designers with tons of construction related materials for their challenge. The designers were to create feminine looks from the masculine materials at the construction site. So yes, check mark for the cliche PR group challenge, and now it’s time to get another one out of the way, the unconventional materials challenge!

The designers had 15 minutes to gather the materials for their 1 day of work. As the horn blew everyone began crazily running about, grabbing as many materials as they could. PR often highlights who might be in danger of elimination for a given week. And this week we saw a somewhat Alexandria-centric episode, beginning with her intensity as she was gathering her materials. She was clearly not around to play nice!

Everyone was back to the workroom, which for this week can be rightfully dubbed as the “new danger zone”! The designers had traded in their sewing needles & machines for toolboxes filled with screwdrivers, glue guns, and wire cutters. Jay began ripping to part the tarp he was planning on using, driving some of the designers bananas! But a clear issue soon became about designers working with similar ideas/concepts, or with this week being all about unconventional materials, it was really the use of the same materials.

Earlier on, Ben & Justin feared their looks might be too similar as both would be working with zip ties. As we later saw, both wanting to use zip ties was where the similarities ended. But Chris & Dmitry passed a mere similarity fear with Chris straight up calling Dmitry a copycat! So Dmitry was working on a green garment, but was not loving it. We didn’t really see this, but he apparently went by Chris’s work station, and all of a sudden wanted to work with ropes, just as Chris was doing. I’m not sure why Dmitry wanting to use ropes makes him a copycat, materials were limited this week. And if Dmitry gathered ropes to use, why shouldn’t he be able to use them. Just as we saw with Ben & Justin, the looks could have ended up being distinct, but Chris decided to change his look up. More on this later, but for now, let’s get to some Zanna-time!

Zanna made it clear from the get-go, she didn’t care what materials the designers were using, she still wanted to see feminine and dreamy fashion forward looks. She thought a few of the looks were going in one wrong direction, Michelle — sporty, Alexandria — goth, and Kate — bridal. But only one designer actually went with a completely new direction, a new look, Sonjia.

It was soon time for the the model fittings, many of the designers poking fun at Alexandria’s crazy use of a wire for the bottom portion of her look. But no time for poking too much fun because the morning of the runway was quickly approaching, and as per PR usual, many designers were still frantically working away.

The guest judges this week were reality TV stars, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Jenni “JWoww” Farley, as well as acclaimed fashion designer Elie Tahari. But wait, what was PRAS thinking this week — did we really need 6 judges?!? There were way too many cooks in the kitchen, way too many voices and styles in the mix. And what we were left with was a major lack of agreement on the top and bottom, and ultimately who should go home. I’m always intrigued by the unconventional challenges, just to see what looks the designers put down the runway made from these odd materials. I could definitely discuss a few other designs, but let’s stick to the judges’ “top” and “bottom.” The top made the most sense, not as much disagreement, so let’s begin there.

At first glance, Justin’s look this week did kind of take me back to his finale collection during his season on PR. He used a lot of white, the completely adorned dress of test tubes, and his work with 3-d fashion printing was clearly re-visited in this look. I don’t think this is a bad thing, but clearly this area, the use of non-traditional materials, is where Justin thrives, leaving him with a well-deserved win! His look came up short last week so I applauded his bouncing back so strongly. Regardless of a reminiscent type look, I was still intrigued and pleasantly surprised at how intricately crafted this look was. It was also positively shocking it was mainly made of zip ties.

Even though the judges, namely Isaac, found a way to nit-pick just a bit, I felt this look was the most well executed considering the unconventional materials being used. The black ombre into the white was beautifully done, very black swan-esque. I almost want to give a beauty shout-out for the make-up here, but it was a little too over-bronzed, or orange-y for my taste. But hair shout-out with Chi, love this chic up-do!

Jay was the other contender for the win this week. I think the main criticism came from Isaac over the use of nails to make this statement necklace. I didn’t love the sleeves as much as the judges did. For me, they were way too crinkly, just not showing the best craftsmanship. But we are dealing with tarp here, not fabric, so that aside, Jay did a commendable job this week. And caution aside, this necklace of nails was pretty eye-catching! I thought it was smart of him to mix textures, giving him an extra special element. A tarp dress with over-sized sleeves wouldn’t have been enough and it’s great Jay recognized that.

Snooki had a few interesting comments as she critiqued the various looks. I think she meant them as compliments, but they didn’t seem that way to me. Jay was the recipient of one such critique-pliment — “this reminds me of a dress made of garbage bags”? Apparently her & JWoww attempted a garbage bag dress, failing to do so as well as Jay did. Either way, great work from Jay & lots of shout-outs from me. Hair shout-out from Chi with this perfectly chosen structured ponytail. Make-up shout-out from Mary Kay, making use of more pops of blue and burnt orange, great bit of color on both the eye and the lip here respectively. And also, QVC shout-out, great way to coordinate more with burnt orange with these heels!

Kate rounded out the top 3, despite some slight criticism from Mr. Tahari. He thought the dress should have been longer, which is odd since all episode Kate’s goal was to steer away from being too bridal. Wouldn’t this dress, being longer, have been way more bridal than the shorter version?? Discussing this bridal point, I’m not sure why it’s such a big issue. Yes, this dress, I could see some bridal qualities. But last week, just because she made a white dress, doesn’t mean it was automatically bridal. If that’s the case, then I guess the white dress I own is bridal too right! Ahhhh, NO! I say get over it.

I think Kate landed in the top because Snooki might have been having some bridal fever. But a couple of other judges had some great comments to add. Even if Snooki’s scoring wasn’t the reason, I didn’t see this look being anywhere near the bottom. The bodice was intricately crafted and it was stunningly gorgeous. She was right in keeping the length shorter. Even though the top knot bun didn’t make this look any less bridal, I still loved it, so hair shout-out for Chi! But also Mary Kay shout-out, the more edgy, bolder eye worked here!

Chris landed in the bottom 3, but I am super excited he was in no real danger of going home since he was not in the bottom 2. I agree with the judges and am happy they were able to see Chris had more to offer. But Chris did mess up this week. He changed his design and it threw him off. I would say next time, if that were to happen again, just screw it. But here is why I am not so sure if that statement should be made. The top portion of Chris’s look this week, from my understanding, was what Chris was working on when the “copying” issue popped up. This is the part of the garment the judges took most issue with though. Because Chris decided to change up his design, this is how the skirt came about. The judges loved this. So I think Chris making the change actually helped him a bit this week.

But we wont’ know because Chris didn’t fully do what he wanted and that’s never best for any designer. What he ended up with, with this top & the bottom, it wasn’t harmonious. But a couple of shout-outs, QVC shout-out, love these black booties! A little too much on the Curly Sue-esque hair, but great, subtle beauty look, so make-up shout-out for Mary Kay!

Michelle was in the bottom 3 last week, but not the bottom 2. This week though, she barely escaped elimination, not only landing in the bottom 3 again, but actually the bottom 2. I’m shocked this wasn’t given more consideration. I think the judges rolled around the concept of this being a basic, safe dress, which sort of was an issue last week. Neither look had much going on design-wise to really stand-out. And bringing up the “safe” aspect, generally a designer who does too little goes home. That was not the case this week. I guess what really helped with Michelle staying was maybe the fact she won her season??

Michelle got one of Snooki’s critique-pliments, comparing this dress to duck tape. I actually thought the exact same thing and I know I didn’t mean that thought as a good thing! And one other perplexing thought for me on this look was why was there was no discussion on the chevron points, that of the same colors, being so way off, not meeting up properly. I’m not a designer, so I’m not sure what the proper terminology is, but I’m fairly certain on almost every other look I’ve ever seen on PR that had points meeting such as this, if they were off, even just the slightest, it was brought up. So why not here?? Also, what was Michelle doing with this model’s hair, trying to blind her so she couldn’t see the runway. It’s called a bang trim people!

I’m not the hugest Alexandria fan so her being eliminated didn’t bother me so much. But I hadn’t seen any dreaded drop crotch pants and I liked her look last week so I think she should have stayed this week. The wonky wiring on this look was crazy & not needed. I agree with the judges in that it was way too 80s, but I would just call that dated. It was also too costume-y. I think Alexandria would have benefited more from trying to do something with this wire on the neckline.

Poor JWoww tried her best to make a case for Alexandria, but she was never going to outweigh Isaac’s vote. And Isaac did not like this look at all, so I think that was what led to Alexandria’s elimination.

Can’t wait for next week, Wicked, good v evil, and showdowns!

Get to Know Creeds Collective, a Holiday Pop-Up Shop

Posted on November 5, 2014 by SMM

If you are familiar with NYC, retail spaces, various fashion brands, then I’m sure you know what a pop-up shop is! They are amazing gems you can find throughout different times of the year, such as summertime or the holidays. Well I have a brand new pop-up to inform all of my Fashion Nexus readers about, Creeds Collective. Creeds Collective just opened on Nov. 1st and is in Soho for 2 months, perfect timing with the holidays right around the corner! The basics —

The location, 54 Crosby St., between Broome & Spring Streets
Hours of operation, 7 days a week, 11 am – 7 pm

Creeds Collective is all about socially conscious fashion, beauty, lifestyle, art, and decor. This concept is represented from the brands carried to the set-up of the space. It is the love child of Creeds of Love and Concept Collective, which have now partnered to bring to the millions of NYC residents & tourists this socially responsible, interactive holiday pop-up shop!

“Creeds Collective is an all encompassing experience that stimulates every sense, educates to break barriers in commerce and society, while spotlighting innovation and great design.”

There are 3 levels of retail & event space that make-up Creeds Collective, a great opportunity for all of the featured brands & activations to be able to access. Beyond clothing, accessories and beauty baubles, the seasonal retailer will further house a THANN beauty bar, a Primp and Polish nail art bar, #hashtag photobooth, “new-tech” station, art exhibitions, and a speak easy menswear lounge entitled “Grotto de Homme” “We want to bring “on the verge” designers to a highly trafficked retail district and space, executing events that both showcase their products, and connect them with their consumers on a whole new level,” explains Halphen, pop-up Founder.

Dedicated to locating and showcasing emerging excellence in fashion, beauty, lifestyle and wellness, the grand gift shop serves another “Special” purpose. “All Creeds Collective brands are selected not only for their superior talent,” explains co-founder and Conscious Consumerism expert, Phillips, “but for their social impact and motivation to shift the industry paradigm” she explains. Moreover, 10% of all net sales made over the entirety of the boutique’s presence, will be donated to charity. Collective will carry 45+brands ranging from fashion to footwear with prices ranging from $20 to $2000. And without further adieu, here are some of the various categories and brands, with some exciting details for you all to check out!

ACCESSORIES

nOir Jewelry

LOVE THIS BRAND!! Can’t wait to see what exciting new pieces Creeds Collective has in store from nOir. Many of my own personal fave jewelry pieces I own are from this brand! The brand has also garnered a notable celebrity following over the years including that of Madonna, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Kate Perry, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica Parker and Gwen Stefani. Here are some of my own pieces! MY RINGS!! —

Glass Handbags

Love that light technology has finally advanced to the point that a lightweight, non-breakable, no-heat illumination system could be integrated into fabric and now you have GLASS Handbags committed to style and quality, as well as form and function. Love my own clutch from GLASS and can’t wait to gain another to add to my collection!

H. Williams

The unique styling of H Williams Shoes has been inspired by the architecture of designer Heather Williams’ two home cities: New York and Milan.

Dharma Eyewear

Dharma creates high quality sunglasses and eyewear, inspired by classic vintage silhouettes. Every item is $99.00 and gives 5% back to Optometry Giving Sight, which helps underprivileged individuals globally to gain access to eye care and exams.

Eva Shaw Designs

Eva Shaw Designs is a Mother/Daughter design duo, part gemologist, part art historian. Drawing inspiration from gemstones, fine art, the tradition of adornment and eclectic cultural interests, their multifaceted and exclusive jewelry collections are handmade in New York City.

Silk by Byrony

Silk is a Luxury brand that takes original photography by Fine Art Photographer Bryony Shearmur and creates beautiful silk scarves. Each collection consists of 6 new images from a new series. Shot on film, the negatives are scanned and printed digitally using state-of-the art technology. Each scarf is 54 inches square, available in two weights of silk, hand finished and signed by the artist. Every Silk Scarf is to be something that lasts from this generation to the next. A timeless piece that will be treasured.

Coye Nokes

The Coye Nokes collection is hand made with only the finest leathers to uphold their high standards of quality, fit and comfort. The brand boasts a signature style that resonates with fashionable women around the globe. They are known for their classic silhouettes, stunning details and unique material combinations. Years of searching for the perfect balance of style and function have yielded their wide range of colors, materials, and heel heights perfect to move from the boardroom to a cocktail party.

WOMEN’S APPAREL

Nicolino

Conceived from the aspiration of accessible, laidback luxury, NICOLINO brings a refined aesthetic to the world of contemporary womenswear. Crafted from globally sourced luxurious silk blends, supple, distressed leathers, novelty wools, and signature designed abstract prints, NICOLINO’s clean lines, functional details, and leather/mixed metal finishings manifest as a style that stands out with subtlety and simplicity. NICOLINO designs reflect a mash-up of classic sophistication, vintage soul, and youthful, urban edge, together achieving an inimitable balance of trend and tradition that is grounded in both elegance and timelessness.

Snowman NYC

SNOWMAN represents New Yorkers’ character by prioritizing fashion, warmth and comfort, creating high quality down outerwear tailor-made for sophisticated city life.

d.brand

d.brand started out as a denim brand that was introduced as an alternative to overpriced designer jeans. At the core of d.brand’s philosophy are exclusivity, denim and affordability.

Victoria Road

A luxury boutique with an eye for style and sustainability, Victoria Road works with socially conscious designers in emerging markets to bring you one-of-a-kind finds.

Kriss Soonik

Since the first collection launch in 2009, Kriss Soonik has stayed true to her signature way of mixing fashion-forward lingerie with luxe loungewear. It´s about exploring your individuality and pushing boundaries. It’s not cute and sweet, it’s sexy, powerful and a bit cheeky!

MENSWEAR & ACCESSORIES

House of Horology

Breaking traditional watchmaking down to its elements, distilled the essence of both luxury and fashion design philosophy, and engineered a brand new watch from the ground up. As a result, HOH watches are beautiful and functional – they have luxurious components, a cutting-edge design, and a down-to-earth price.

Soxiety

SOXIETY is proud to be the world’s premier source of high-quality, Italian-made socks. Established by—and created for—discerning dressers around the world, we at SOXIETY are committed to taking socks seriously.

Cuff by Grandino

The Cuff is a simple, tangible product that brings added fashion versatility to your existing button up shirts. It is an attachable shirt cuff that covers the existing cuff on button up shirts. The Cuff attaches with just the shirt’s existing cuff button.

BEAUTY

THANN

THANN is a range of natural hair and skincare products formulated from botanicals derived by combining the art of natural therapy with the modern dermatological science.

Primp & Polish

Specializing in decadent nail art, and with three locations nestled in the heart of Williamsburg & one in Greenpoint, Primp &Polish is quite simply reinventing the salon experience. Their focus on client satisfaction, along with wall to wall arrays of polishand tastefully designed space (also available for event hosting) transcend the norm. From classic mani/pedis to traffic-shopping custom nail art, these ladies consistenly provide a most excellent experience, whether it’s in-store or on the go through their discrete and efficient mobile service program.

GIFTS/DECOR

The Tepot

A range of fine quality aromatic tea carefully picked from renown plantations with superior craftsmanship to serve urban tea lovers.

Feya Candles

Inspired by the love of family and the love of food – Feya Candles will buy a full meal for a child in need with every candle purchased. This lifestyle of giving back has the power to continue throughout the life of the company as well as change thousands of lives – including our own. At Feya – we have a philosophy that if we make our living out of helping others then we’ll always have work to do! In June of 2014 we go on our first giving trip to Montrouis, Haiti with our friends at Jacob’s Well. Click HERE to learn more about who we’re going with and what we’ll be doing!

The awesomely talented team behind this boldly innovative pop-up are as follows —

Evie Phillips, Founder & Chief Visionary — Creeds of Love
Stephanie Halphen, Founder & Brand Evangelist — Concept Collective
Jodi Lin, Public Relations Specialist
Shirley Sanchez, Wholesale Director/Brand Liason — Creeds of Love
Greg Spielberg, Founder & Innovation Journalist — Imagination in Space
Janine Just, Chief Connectologist — Janine Just Inc.
Aliana Galan, E-Commerce Expert — House of Galan
Desiree Rabuse, Founder & Editor in Chief — Stylefox.Co
Lorie Delmundo, Sponsorship Catalyst — Janine Just Inc.

Partners of Creeds Collective —

Global Citizen
Creeds of Love
Concept of Love
JJI
Jodi Lin PR
Storefront
PEP Real Estate
Imagination in Space
Open Source Fashion

THE CREED COLLECTIVE MANIFESTO

For the visionaries, the creatives, the lovers, the
peaceful fighters, the evangelists, the diligent, the no break takers,
the no nay sayers, the soft hearted and strong willed.
Those not after gold, but pursuing the golden opportunity to change a life,
change a mind, shape a situation, forge a bridge. Because it is true in deed that
a small group of citizens can in fact change the world, shift the paradigm,
alter an industry, shake up a community by creating a cause that delves
deeper than just living life day to day, hustle to hustle, tit for tat.
We say this for that!
Give us ideas, give us innovation, give us purpose, give
us connections, give us one another. For how we think in our
hearts so are we. We love without boundaries, give without
expectation, care beyond reason, create without measure.
We may wander, but we are not lost.
We aren’t elitists, we are a community.
Never for the sake of fortune or fame, but joined together to
produce legacies of love, advantages breed for those less fortunate.
Lives lived with humble hearts, motive and intention.
Similar mentalities produce real life actualities.
Our streets… our streets are paved in love.
Failure is nonexistent because trying is achievement.
So here… in this place we stand,
we vow to help one another
validate virtue and advocate change.

XO CREEDS COLLECTIVE

Goodbye PR Season 13 & Hello PRAS Season 4!

Posted on November 2, 2014 by SMM

So this week, with the whole Project Runway franchise arena, we are bidding farewell to PR season 13, all the ups and downs. But no worries since it’s also time to welcome back PR All-Stars, season 4! Before season 4 officially kicked off there was a special reunion episode with the outgoing PR season. I could really do an entire post on that alone! Drama was re-visited. Disputes were settled. Indeed, a great deal was in store as the designers sat back down with each other. We did learn that Amanda received a $5000 cash prize for using the Aldo accessory wall the best during the season. I remember often giving her an Aldo shout-out on my recaps so congrats to her! But all in all with the reunion, it was great to watch and see how everyone was doing. Very happy to know Korina is going to be having some pieces at Lord & Taylor — that’s AWESOME!! But moving on now to PRAS, I’m excited to blog about this upcoming season and it looks like we will be in for some drama, spectacular creations, and much more! I’m excited & can’t wait!!

The episode kicked off as all of the designers came together at Grand Central Terminal in NYC. From season 12 we had Justin LeBlanc, Alexandria von Bromssen, and Helen Castillo. Some tensions were revisited between Helen & Alexandria. Will there be more of that this season?!? Only time will tell, but of course more designers were ready to make their entrances. Kate Pankoke was on both season 12 & 11. So she was reunited with the group above, but also with fellow castmates from season 11, what I dub as “the dreaded groups season”, which included for this all-star cast, Benjamin Mach, Patricia Michaels, and Samantha Black. We also saw quite a few designers from Season 10, Fabio Costa, Gunnar Deatherage, and Sonjia Williams. Oh, and then one designer, having to go a bit further back seasons-wise, we have Chris March.

Returning host & judge Alyssa Milano was there to greet everyone with a few surprises. One being that she was expecting, which fits perfectly with PR & PRAS’s theme of “expect the unexpected”!

But another huge surprise was that these designers would also be working with 2 previous winners, Dmitry Sholokhov and Michelle Lesniak. So note, if the competition was not already tight, they would now have to all step up their game even more! This goes for the winning designers too as they have titles to defend. The designers also were reminded to always be on their game as there would be no immunity, yikes! There would however be some prizes along the way. Gotham West would be the designer’s new home.

The challenge this week was all about NYC, to create a collection inspired by the uptown or the downtown scene. The collection aspect of course meant group challenge. And with an equal number of men and women, what would make better sense than to pit the girls against the guys. The designers had to think collection, think cohesion, but ultimately, each would be responsible for their own look. Being in Grand Central, a subway token decided the fate of the teams. Dmitry called gold-side on the flip, he got it, and the guys chose downtown, leaving the women with the uptown girl. There would be a losing team and a winning one. From the losing team, a designer would go home, and from the winning side we would of course have a winner. Each team would have a $1500 budget and it was up to the groups on how to split it. And no surprise, there would only be 1 day to accomplish this all!

The groups were off to their locations with an hour to chat and find inspiration. The women went uptown and were thinking of a classy girl, but with some edge. They were creating for a socialite party girl. Hanging around The Plaza Hotel provided a great deal of inspiration with colors and the vibe. The men went downtown and were thinking of a raw, edgy girl. It was surprising to see from the guys’ team the first bit of tension as some of the men were worried about Ben’s outfit looking more uptown than downtown. Everyone was then off to Mood with 30 minutes to shop. I would have loved to see more on the decisions of how the budget was divided up — was it equal? Oh well, back to the workroom we go!

The workroom was dope — decked out with the QVC accessory wall, Brother sewing room, relaxing lounge, and kitchen area. It was nice to take in some luxe workroom aspects, but it is still a workroom so quick to work went the designers. As the guys were unpacking, Fabio learned his fabric was missing. There was no clue as to what exactly happened, but a plan was put in place and everyone handled the situation professionally. As the men were starting to gel, the women then seemed to show some tensions. Just as the guys were worried about Ben, Alexandria was concerned Kate’s look didn’t fit with their collection. Some of the ladies were concerned about Patricia and her working process, as we saw many times during Patricia’s first PR stint. Next up, Zanna-time!

I thought her comments were spot on. She reminded a few to keep their theme of uptown or downtown in mind. She too reiterated some of the guys’ concern with Benjamin’s piece and from that, he knew some changes were needed. Also with a couple of the guys, Zanna wanted to make sure the looks were not too short! Zanna reminded the designers of how important styling was. She introduced to them that Chi Hair Care and Mary Kay cosmetics teams would be on board for this season to help with all of their styling needs!

As the first day came to end, many thought it was over way too soon, another no surprise moment for the episode! The morning of continued with a little more last minute craziness. The designers were off to receive their styling help. The ladies went for the same beauty look, thinking of spring, so going fresh and sunny, with a citrus lip from Mary Kay. The guys gave us the inside scoop on their hair look regime, wanting a stylized look, but something that looked as if the girl did it themselves, all courtesy of Chi hair care. It was soon time for the runway where Alyssa introduced to the designers what would be in the store for the winner. It is a truly phenomenal prize package consisting of

the chance to create their own capsule collection with QVC and appear during QVC’s Spring Fashion Week programming;
a fashion spread in Marie Claire and a position at the magazine as Contributing Editor for one year;
CHI Haircare will send the winner to stay in a luxury spa resort as a special guest at their International conference in Cancun, Mexico, plus product and staff for entire year of runway shows;
from Mary Kay, an entire year’s worth of beauty products for their fashion shows and professional makeup artist services for their debut show;
a cash prize of $150,000 and
a complete custom sewing & crafting studio to launch the designer’s winning line from Brother Sewing and Embroidery.

The designers were also introduced to returning judges, talented designers Isaac Mizrahi & Georgina Chapman of Marchesa. This week’s guest judge was Ivanka Trump, successful businesswoman, and too a designer, with her own apparel and accessories brand. After the runway, it was announced that Ivanka would don the winning look.

As far as which team won this week, I really thought it could go either way. Both teams had some hits and misses. I thought the ladies had a more cohesive collection, but the men had more innovative designs. I did like a few more of the women’s looks though, more my style. Both teams had looks with execution issues though so a few will have to step it up or they will be out sooner rather than later! Let’s start with the winning team, drumroll please, THE GUYS!

The judges were right with their top 3 choices, Fabio, Chris, and Benjamin. Fabio was the ultimate winner, but I think Benjamin had the winning piece.

I think from where Benjamin was originally at, no asymmetry, the more ladylike neckline, this was a drastic turnaround and he really made it work. I think it was the piece that maybe didn’t fit quite so well in the guys’ collection, but as a standalone, it was a knockout. Most of the guys thought downtown, and went literal, lower east-side or east village. Benjamin rightfully remembered in downtown there is also Soho, Tribeca, FiDi. Great back, wonderful movement, a great piece from Benjamin indeed! Also, love the black bracelet, great choice from the QVC accessory wall!

The judges however selected Fabio as the winner. He also had a stunning look from the back! And don’t get me wrong, I was very much impressed with this jumpsuit. This was far better than anything I remember from Fabio during his season of PR. But for this look, I could have done without the cinched waist and dangling piece on the front. And to also mention for the guys, shoutout for the distressed, yet chic look with the hair, courtesy of Chi hair care. But I think both teams got it wrong with beauty/make-up looks this week. So for the guys, the eyes just had way too much make-up on them. It looked more like morning after eyes than the original “going out” look.

I also loved Chris’s work this week so I was happy to see him land in the top 3. I want this skirt! I loved the layers, the safety pin detail, the leather, just everything about it, I’m a fan. I can’t say this leather top was deserving of such a rave, but he still very much deserved his top 3 placement. He also gets a QVC shout-out for perfectly pairing his look with these knee-high black boots. So funny, I really wanted a pair of these myself this week for my Halloween costume!

So with the ladies dubbed as the losing team, we had a bottom 3 consisting of Kate, Michelle, and Patricia.

But because the ladies as a whole were on the bottom, no standout looks from their team received any praise. No worries! I can take care of that. First, for Helen, I mean WOW! She could have won with this look. The fit, the execution, such clean lines, it was all spot on perfection. Breathtaking!

I can almost guarantee this was a split-type look when it came to the judges’ scoring. Some will love it. Others won’t. That point of debate is likely over this iridescent fabric. Personally, I’m a fan. I love the pairing with this faded green. I think the back was cut beautifully. Also, shoutout for the QVC heels!

And a surprise for me, I really loved Alexandria’s top this week. I wasn’t a fan during her season, but this top was spectacular. I don’t think its pairing with this ivory floor-length skirt works with the collection’s vibe of an uptown girl, but shout-out nonetheless is owed for this top. My thought is if the women had landed on top, this would be the top 3, likely Helen winning! I will also mention now the styling choices for the ladies’ team. Just as with the guys, shout-out for the hair, very chic up-do by Chi hair care. But the beauty look, not right for the uptown girl at all. The citrus lip, bad choice. I would have gone with a nude lip or light pink, but I guess the ladies were trying to insert a bright pop of color. Something just looked off with this color choice though.

But alas, the girls were the bottom group this week so let’s discuss the bottom 3. Michelle was a surprise with ending up in the bottom. She won her season. And all episode all we heard was how much she didn’t like Kate’s look, yet her look was just so luxe, with high priced suede. And for her girl, she just had so much money to spend. The problem, this wouldn’t be a dress a girl would want to spend her loads of money on. Ivanka was a fan, but I agree with the other judges. This fabric didn’t look so high quality and expensive.

This left Kate & Patricia in the bottom 2. I was also surprised Kate landed in the bottom. I’m a fan of Kate and her work. I’ve followed her success since her time on PR. She creates such beautiful bridal gowns. But this look did have a bit too much going on. The slit in the back, the overworked bust, etc. I know she can bounce back though so I think it was the right decision she stayed this week. Shout-out for the QVC metallic silver heels!

Patricia was unfortunately the first to go. She had many issues going on. If you look back at any of her previous work, you would have no clue as to how this look below would fit in that aesthetic. It didn’t read Patricia at all. During the episode, all we saw Patricia working on was some leather detailed work, which was nowhere to be seen on this piece. All she had was a plain boring ivory A-line dress trimmed in black. This bottom 2 represents what many PR bottom twos consist of, a look of too much and one of too little. The look of “too little” generally goes home and that, in a nutshell, is why Patricia was out.

Very much can’t wait to see how this season plays out!!

PR All-Stars Season 4 Intro, Let’s Go…..

Posted on October 30, 2014 by SMM

Season 4 of PRAS starts back this week, and we will be in for some high designer talent and dramatic action. I’ve seen the preview once and I do feel we are in for a good season, some great looks, exciting challenges, and more! I always still have a teensy issue with why for only 13 seasons of PR that we are already at such a high # of all-star seasons. Generally, all-star seasons for reality shows are every once in awhile, truly encapsulating the best of the best. I think PR gets a pass, it’s the exception to the rule. In any given season of PR, great talent can go home too early. And even by the time we reach the finale, there is only 1 winner. This means there are still so many in the top 2 or 3 that were worthy of the title. But really, PRAS is a great fix for all of us true, diehard fans of PR. I am one of them and am very much ready to see what Season 4 has in store for us!

Returning as this season’s host and judge, we have the very talented actress, Alyssa Milano. Also returning as judges, two very amazing designers, Isaac Mizrahi & Georgina Chapman of Marchesa. And one other familiar face, returning as this season’s mentor, the female Tim Gunn, we have Senior Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, Zanna Roberts Rassi.

What’s in store for Season 4? Well of course we don’t know all of the fun details quite yet. But what we do know is 14 of the most talented “Project Runway” designers are returning to compete in the biggest and most competitive “Project Runway All Stars” season ever! In this cut-throat season, former standout designers come back to New York to compete for runway gold (#PRAllStars), premiering Thursday, October 30, at 9pm ET/PT. The designers will be in for a little surprise since 2 former winners are joining the mix, Dmitry Sholokhov and Michelle Lesniak, making for an even tougher competition.

Some of the biggest names in fashion and entertainment make up this year’s A-list celebrity guest judges including Emmy® Award nominee Laverne Cox of “Orange is the New Black,” Emmy winner Debra Messing, “Modern Family’s” Ariel Winter, Academy Award® winner Mira Sorvino, singer Nicole Scherzinger, Emmy nominated host Cat Deeley, reality stars Snooki and JWoww, celebrity photographer Nigel Barker, QVC® Program Host Lisa Robertson and many others. Designers appearing this season include Betsey Johnson, Michael Bastian, Elie Tahari, and Ivanka Trump, and special appearances by “Project Runway” judges Nina Garcia and Zac Posen.

This season’s highlights include a surprise visit to London for a challenge featuring British royalty, a collaboration with Broadway’s “Wicked”, and the first ever wedding ceremony live on the runway. And this year’s prize package, not disappointing at all! I mean at least compared to the actual season of PR we just had, a Red Robin fashion accessory, still SMH on that on!

the chance to create their own capsule collection with QVC and appear during QVC’s Spring Fashion Week programming;
a fashion spread in Marie Claire and a position at the magazine as Contributing Editor for one year;
CHI Haircare will send the winner to stay in a luxury spa resort as a special guest at their International conference in Cancun, Mexico, plus product and staff for entire year of runway shows;
More Mary Kay!!, With an entire year’s worth of beauty products for their fashion shows and professional makeup artist services for their debut show;
a cash prize of $150,000 and
a complete custom sewing studio to launch the designer’s winning line from Brother Sewing and Embroidery.

Here is the full list of this season’s contestants, what they’ve been up to and some recent work! ENJOY!!

Kate Pankoke

Kate is a great friend of Fashion Nexus. I’ve been happy to cover her bridal collection for Elaya Vaughn in the past. In fact, I will soon be getting another piece out very soon!

She’s been doing a lot of bridal, which I’m sure will translate nicely to eveningwear or red carpet looks if need be. But I’m also ready to see her back to doing some great RTW, such as what she showcased during her redemption season.

Dmitry Sholokhov

Dmitry is a PR winner, from season 10, seeing if he can take home the title twice! On top of winning PR, he does host a great many other award recognitions — GenART Award, Saga Furs Design Competition Award, Gap Design Competition Award, showcase at Debut, winner of 24 Hour Cat Walk (lifetime), amongst others.

With winning PR, he designed a capsule collection for Lord & Taylor. I was able to attend, meet him, and gaze at all of his amazing looks! I loved them all!

Helen Castillo

Helen was on season 12, eliminated right before making it to the finale, likely one of the worst feelings for anyone on this show. The judges weren’t sure she was quite ready. She is now back to prove them wrong! Some redemption maybe?

As seen above, the talented singer/songwriter Mary Lambert loves her some Helen Castillo!

Michelle Lesniak

Michelle is another winner coming back for this PRAS season. She won the dreaded groups season of PR, season 11. This was a task certainly worthy of commending!

Michelle is committed to staying in her native hometown of Portland. Dedicated to local manufacturing and ethical business practices, Michelle is undoubtedly playing a key role in shaping and growing the Portland Fashion Industry.

Benjamin Mach

Poor Benjamin was on the dreaded group’s season of PR, season 11. I think he got lost working in this capacity. I saw plenty of his work before PR and I expected him to be on the show for quite awhile. I’m thinking sans group we will see more and better work from him!

He officially launched his own line earlier this year. His capsule collection is influenced by the art deco era and takes inspiration from the chic and timeless style of Halston in his heyday and the urbanely sensual approach of Vionnet and her technical innovation.

Chris March

March was a finalist on PR way back when, like way back to the Bravo days, Season 4 to be exact! But he has certainly kept himself busy. Many major celebs have donned his garments — Beyonce, Madonna, & Meryl Streep, just to name a few.

He developed and starred in his own show on Bravo in 2011, Mad Fashion. He’s also had an exclusive Halloween partnership with Target!

Justin LeBlanc

Justin hails from my hometown, good ole’ Raleigh, NC. I’ve attended NYFW, the PR show once, and I was so glad to see many great pieces come down the runway, including some from Justin!

Samantha Black

Samantha has kept quite busy since season 11 of PR, putting out collections, dressing celebs such as Keri Hilson, and more.

She is all about feminine, modern, sexy urban appeal. How will this translate to her work on PRAS, can’t wait to see!

Sonjia Williams

Sonjjia has been designing, blogging, and more since PR, season 10. She seems to have focused a great deal on outerwear, very luxe looking and tons of layers!

She also creates pieces for Annabelle NY.

Gunnar Deatherage

Season 10 has quite a few familiar faces, Gunnar included. He definitely brought a little sass to his season, very interested to see what all he will bring to PRAS! His 2014 RTW collection launch coincides perfectly with premiere of PRAS, what a kawinkydink!

Jay Sario

Going back to season 7, Jay worked great with prints, as well as with bold pops of color!

Alexandria von Bromssen

Alexandria was a force to be reckoned with during her time on PR. Here are some of her pieces from her fashion week collection as a finalist on PR Season 12. She was a tough cookie. I’m looking to see how she’s grown in the last year, so no more drop crotch pants!!

Patricia Michaels

Patricia was quite an interesting character on her season of PR, again, the dreaded groups season. Being on stronger groups definitely helped this lady out. She won’t have that on PRAS, so can she step it up solo?!?

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, of TV’S hit show Modern Family and longtime fan of Project Runway, was so impressed with Patricia’s performance on the show, he asked her to be a Guest Designer for his line of JTF Bowties. She’s also taken in part in numerous speaking engagements and designing away since her 1st stint on PR.

Fabio Costa

Fabio was a finalist on season 10, creating looks with a very distinct and unique POV. He co-founded a brand, NotEqual, which has been donned by celebrities such as Chris Brown and America’s Next Top Model star Allison Harvard.

He creates looks for both men and women. PRAS is a bit more on the high fashion side, where it seems Fabio is more RTW, streetwear. It will be interesting to see how the judges take to his work, if it will need to be amped up some or accepted as is.

Fashion Nexus

A fashion blog for anything & everything fashion, including fashion law topics

Tag Archives: New York

Carleen Pop-up at Erica Weiner’s Brooklyn Locale

WCM’s Overstock Blowout Sale!

It’s Time Again for the PONO Holiday Sample Sale!!

Kenley Collins — This Thriving Designer Marches On!

PRAS Designers’ Showdowns — Good v Wicked

More on Pop-up Shop Creeds Collective — A Fashionably Good Cause & Events Galore!

PRAS Designers Are on a Runway to the Danger Zone!

Get to Know Creeds Collective, a Holiday Pop-Up Shop

XO CREEDS COLLECTIVE

Goodbye PR Season 13 & Hello PRAS Season 4!

PR All-Stars Season 4 Intro, Let’s Go…..

A fashion blog for anything & everything fashion, including fashion law topics

Related articles

Related articles

Related articles

Related articles

Related articles

Related articles

Related articles

XO CREEDS COLLECTIVE

Related articles

Related articles

Related articles