Fashion at Internet Week New York 2013

Posted on June 8, 2013 by kim cihlar

Recap! Yes, it happened a couple of week’s ago, but I just wanted to note how thrilled I was to see at least one day of Internet Week New York’s schedule devoted to fashion-oriented panels, from bloggers like Girl of a Certain Age to eyewear fabs Warby Parker. Bought a pass for that day’s – Tuesday’s – activities (need to give a big shout out to my pal and colleague Tom here, cuz he always keeps me in the loop and brings me onboard when he can. Thanks, TJ!). Let the “edumaketing” begin!

Internet Week New York 2013

“Today’s Trendsetters” with Laurel Pinson (StyleCaster Media Group) as moderator, picked the brains of Mary Gail Pezzimenti (Federated Media), Kim France (Girls of a Certain Age) and Marnie Levan (L’Oreal). Loved the comments Kim was making regarding using digital tools to convey the trends to the consumer.

Trend Forecasting

Tom and I also sat in on “The Entertainment Factor: Content That Sells,” hearing Elizabeth Canon (Fashion’s Collective) head up a panel targeting Farryn Weiner (Michael Kors), Jodi Lipe (PopSugar) and Amber Venz (RewardStyle). Amber straight up blew me out of the water with her insight and poise…and her comments on connecting fashion bloggers and retailers and her philosophy on making more money off online sales. It sounded like a no-brainer.

Amber Venz of RewardStyle

The Proenza Schouler founders, always a crowd pleaser, discussed fashion and technology, acknowledging the huge rule the Internet plays for them. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez enlightened how design, creation and marketing of their clothes and accessories, especially the bags, profits from internet use and collaboration. Specifics included their love of creating GIFs, online video content and compelling ad campaigns for product marketing.

Proenza Schouler founders Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez on design inspiration and process

Another crowd pleaser, Joan Rivers. Need I say more? It was a hoot to hear her banter with Shira Lazar, host of What’s Trending, discussing her new web series “In Bed With Joan.”

Architect David Rockwell is a designer, too. Yes, not of clothing or It Bags or must-have stilettos, but of many fashion- and style-related areas, like the recent Jet Blue redesign at JFK and the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, that create community via their technological design. His low-key demeanor and creative thought process floors me.

Naturally, I had to have stepped out when Fred Armisten, the comedian and Portlandia and Saturday Night Live actor, took to the stage, talking about “everything from Yahoo’s acquisition of Tumblr to human rights for polar bears.” Fellow comedian Seth Herzog acted as his wing man, and plans to use their conversation as the first episode of his new podcast. That’s per the link below, if you wanna check out their funny tệte a tệte:

http://new.livestream.com/iwny/Day3StageA/videos/19493476

Goodwill Hunting During the Indy 500

Posted on June 2, 2013 by kim cihlar

Man, the midwest has some slammin’ style! And, yes, I could be biased. Just a little bit.

Wisconsin-based Fashionfarmboy blogger and dear friend Bjorn Nasett – the voice of style reason as the ambassador of and fashion expert for Goodwill Industries — has wonderfully creative ideas and style moxy. Love that he has shared his fav thrift shop haunts in Brooklyn with me, teaching me the secrets to his reusing and recycling brilliance. Last Feb, FashionWhirled benefited by Bjorn’s seasoned eye, scoring gorgeous Helmut Lang silk pants for $50, a daily-wear fav cashmere sweater by Vince for a little more and a pair of cool round black retro sunnies for next-to-nothing.

And just recently, on P and my annual jaunt to the Indy 500, I was able to take in the creativity, retro fashions and vintage home goods of The Enchanted Spring Market presented by The Vintage Farmhouse, thanks to my stylish buddy and fellow Hoosier native, the amazingly talented Wendy Auscherman. Wendy had a rockin’ booth of coolness that nearly had sold out since market opening that Friday at 9 a.m. Among her treasures was a wooden letter press stamp set that she’d actually purchased years ago in NYC’s West Village. Other vendors included the romantic shabby chic of Paris Rags, the hip mobile retail venue of Retro 1o1 and the one-of-a-kind furniture from your youth (tricycle or red Radio Flyer, anyone?!) purveyed by The Secret.

Both Wendy and Bjorn inspired my sojourn to one of Indianapolis’ Goodwill stores, this one at 106th Street near Carmel, Indiana. And why not? I always like to check out the local up cycling possibilities when I’m traveling. In the end, I walked away with 2 French striped cotton T-shirts, a colorful multi-stripe Dennis the Menace T, an Indy 500 race logo polo (for me but really for P), 2 sweaters, washed silk Gap pj pants and a lively floral print shirt from Kenneth Cole for P. And with my Goodwill Rewards card, all for under $25.

Now, that’s what I call slammin’ style.

Ellie the Bus, the Boutique on Wheels of Retro 101′s Heather Pirowski

IMS: Gentlemen and Women, Start Your Engines!

Posted on May 26, 2013 by kim cihlar

Our day at the races.

Couldn’t make it to Monaco today, but Indy’s the next best thing! Indianapolis Motor Speedway, you rock!

P is a happy race fan

Musicians Live played Andretti’s #nightb4 Fire & Ice party

Flambeau’s act was HOT!

Luna-C Clothing’s Lee Davis with his lovely wife Jackie

View from our seats on the outside of Turn One

IMS, the Indianapolis Motors Speedway

Getting Props: High School of Fashion Industries’ Advisory Board Honors Macy’s Nicole Fischelis

Posted on May 15, 2013 by kim cihlar

The High School of Fashion Industries’ kids surrounding their idol, honoree Nicole Fischelis of Macy’s

It’s always enlightening to be part of an event at the High School of Fashion Industries, whether it means speaking to the students and having them ask questions of you (I’m thinking Career Day here, which I have so thoroughly enjoyed being a part of for the past two years, thanks to friend and colleague Tom Julian). Or when said event involves catching up with colleagues at an industry cocktail gathering, viewing a clever student fashion show and celebrating a legendary industry exec. Triple whammy!

Last night’s Advisory Board festivities honored the retail fashion genius of Nicole Fischelis, she of former Saks fame and current Macy’s fortune.

We caught up with new and old friends prior to the awards ceremony and show, as fashion executives, designers and consultants packed the hallways of the high school.

Cocktail banter with fashion executives l-r, Tom Julian from The Doneger Group, Marketing consultant Mary Ellen Barone, ESP Trendlab’s Ellen Sideri, Design consultant Michael Arguello, ESP Trendlab’s Cathleen Sheehan, Jetsetter’s Leigh Crandall, Nikki Ridgway and Michael Crooks

Offering wardrobe choices for super heroes punctuated by those for prom and beach, with some creative outerwear and sportswear in between, the student designers gave their best on stage during their end-of-year fashion show. All while waiting – and working hard – to become the next great known name in the fashion industry.

Pre-fashion show cocktail party

Designer Rolando Santana

Principal Daryl Blanks with honoree Nicole Fischelis, advisory board chairperson Christina Neault and partnership program founder Robert di Mauro

Fashion show finale

Comme des Garcons Sample Sale – A Treasure Trove of Fairly Affordable Fashion Finds

Posted on May 15, 2013 by kim cihlar

SCORE! Comme des Garcons wide-legged cuffed trousers – new fav fash pants – one of many of my finds from Monday. Jacket J. Crew. Scarf and T-shirt blouse, vintage thrift. Bag, vintage Etienne Aigner. Sneakers, Keds.

The Comme des Garcons archival sample sale started last Friday and I was an idiot to wait Continue reading →

Behind the Seams: Styling Tom Julian’s Gatsby Girls for CBS’s “Live From The Couch”

Posted on May 10, 2013 by kim cihlar

Could my life get any more fun?!

It’s a wrap! Mike and Tom with me outside the CBS studios after the show.

It may have been a day of torrential downpours + severe flood warnings, but we were dryly ensconced in the interior maze of the CBS Studios building, working yet another great gig Continue reading →

Oh, Great Gatsby Style!

Posted on May 8, 2013 by kim cihlar

Grab your pearl ropes, your T-straps and a feather clip or two for your hair and get goin’. Flapper fashion, if you will, is high stepping another round of The Charleston these days as the fascination – and hype – heightens around the movie release of “The Great Gatsby” this Friday.

Glamour was de rigueur this morning on the CBS morning show “Live from the Couch” as John Elliot, Lisa Kerney and Carolina Bermudez hosted The Doneger Group’s Tom Julian and interpretations of Gatsby style trends. Click here to catch Tom in action with our four models wearing Gatsby get-ups and accessories, courtesy of designers Carmen Marc Valvo and Son Jung Wan and retail great Loehmann’s.

We’ve got behind the seams coverage coming in our next post (we styled the fashion for the segment, after all!), so keep checking back for more….

Tom Julian surrounded by models Natalie Manion, Nicole Wish and Daisy Diehm

Punk at The Met Tonight?

Posted on May 6, 2013 by kim cihlar

Bloomingdale’s ad from The New York Post, “ridiculously rebellious” punk

Anna Wintour wouldn’t be caught dead in anything like the looks above, especially for tonight (maybe ever).

And even though the theme of The Met’s Costume Institute gala tonight is Punk (yes, that’s with a capital “P”) for “Punk: Chaos to Couture,” the Temple of Dendur probably won’t be rocking a lot of looks straight from Sid and Nancy’s closets. No, maybe – and it will be a stretch – some gowns from Alexander McQueen, perhaps even Vivienne Westwood. I’m sure there’ll be a safety pin or two. But as Eric Wilson reported last week in The New York Times, it’s more about the scripted and – gasp! – the sale of the outfits being shown on the Red Carpet this year, since Moda Operandi became a sponsor. Read more here.

Hopefully, it won’t be Nancy’s infamous line from the movie that comes to mind after the big event…. ”Boring, Sidney, boring.”

John Bartlett Consensus Fall 2013 Collection for The Bon-Ton Stores

Posted on April 25, 2013 by kim cihlar

Designer John Bartlett

Hunky, sexy, bright.

Yes, I could be talking about John Bartlett the designer himself.

But right now I’m referring to his Fall 2013 collection for The Bon-Ton Stores that he presented a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make the showroom preview appointment (was working in Red Hook that day), but the gentle John sent me some lovely photos, and - voila! A treat for you here, now, dear reader. Continue reading →

Kevin Stewart: fashion designer || editor || style icon || our educated Professor Badass of Fashion

Posted on April 11, 2013 by kim cihlar

FASHION WHIRLED’s FRIDAY:5IVE

with KEVIN STEWART

In Roger Charles New York in Esquire's Fall 2011 Black Book

Kevin wearing Roger Charles New York, his previous shirt collection, shot for Esquire’s Fall 2011 Black Book.

You might catch Kevin Stewart scowling through his beard, coffee in one hand, cigar in the other, as he contemplates life in the thick of stylish SoHo. He’s not mad. He’s just taking it all in. And if you couldn’t recognize him by his beard, you’d know him by the cut of his jacket, the fit of his vest, his swag of his pocket watch fob, and most likely, the tilt of his hat.

Kevin captured for an issue of Distinct Homme. Photographer: Alejandro Garcia

Or maybe by the fact that my dear friend, this former fashion editor for magazines such as Details Magazine, Gear, ESPN whom I’ve known since our days cavorting around Milan, Florence and Paris, back during the twice-annual men’s wear runway shows), has his own meme – Professor Badass! as snapped by Scott Schulman for The Sartorialist in 2008. The picture was captioned, went viral and the badass was born. Crazy, right?!

Kevin, a.k.a. Professor Badass. The original photo was shot by Scott Schuman for The Sartorialist.

Like his meme, Kevin is never one to walk away from a stare down with anything. He

Continue reading →

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