My friend Michelle recently launched a super hot 100% sterling silver jewelry line, NTO (Never Take Off). All of her pieces are hand-made (and hand-hammered). Check it out! www.ntodesign.com
Molly Crabapple for Dirtee Hollywood
I feel like I’ve been hearing the name Molly Crabapple everywhere these days. Known for her unique burlesque style animation, Molly has illustrated for a wide array of publications including Marvel Comics, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, as well as for NYC hot spot, The Box. She has also exhibited her work internationally as well as founded the Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School. Now Crabapple is entering the fashion world thanks to her recent partnership with Dirtee Hollywood, where she has designed for their Spring, Summer, and Fall tshirt collections.
Dirtee Hollywood celebrated the collaboration at Fred Segal in LA, and Atrium in NYC, where Pretty Connected had the pleasure of meeting Molly and watching her work (she literally transformed a blank canvas into a burlesque-vixen with an octopus before our very eyes (see pictures below).
Pretty Connected (PC): How did you come to be apart of this collaboration?
Molly Crabapple (MC): Dirty Hollywood approached me about a year ago. I had never thought I would do a fashion line before but they gave me complete creative freedom. They said ‘Molly you’re known for doing saucy Victorian girls, do saucy Victorian girls for us’ and it’s just been this wonderful collaboration ever since.
PC: How did you come up with the drawings for Dirty Hollywood?
MC: I suppose I should have a more rational explanation
Earth Day with Kiehl’s
For the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, I decided to spend the evening at the Kiehl’s Flagship store to partake in the celebration of their ‘Give Kiehls, Give Back’ campaign.
Photographed by David LaChapelle, the campaign features actress Julianne Moore, musician Pharrell Williams, pro-surfer Malia Jone and artist Jeff Koons; all of whom designed a limit edition label for Kiehl’s Acai Damage-Protecting Toning Mist. For every one sold, Kiehl’s will donate 100% of the proceeds (up to $200,000) to the RainForest Alliance.
With actress Taryn Manning on the turn table, we celebrated Earth Day and Kiehl’s philanthropic efforts in style; great music, fun drinks and snacks (all acai berry based), with an influential crowd of actors, artists, TV personalities, photographers and press. Guests included Malia Jones, Tinsly Mortimer, Robert Verdi, Parker Posey, Adrienne Bailon, Shiri Appleby, Richie Rich, Heather Matarazzo, Kelly Benisom, Ally Sheedy, Norman Reedus and KAWS.
The collection is available at Kiehls.com
DVF Ups the Ante on FREE SHIPPING!
In my post from this morning (where I drooled all over the new DVF iPhone cover), I expressed some confusion over the promo code ‘DVFSHIPFREE’ that Diane von Furstenburg posted about on their Facebook page as well as some difficulties I was experiencing while trying to order it off their website.
Go figure, I check my email and within an hour of the post going live the lovely people at Diane von Furstenberg sent me an email! They clarified the promo code ‘DVFSHIPFREE’ (to sum it up you could buy as many $400+ dresses you’d like but if there wasn’t an item in your shopping cart for under $100 –like the $20 iPhone cover, you don’t qualify for free shipping). But lets forget about that nonsense considering they shared an even better promo code with me! Use APRILSHIP at checkout during the month of April and receive free ground shipping on
DVF’s iPhone Cover
I’m obsessed!!! How hot is the new Diane von Furstenberg iPhone Cover? She designed it in honor of the new iPhone application DVF launched earlier this week.
I saw on Facebook they are running a free shipping promo. ‘Use DVFSHIPFREE for free ground shipping on any order with an item under $100’. Is it me or is that awkwardly worded? The iPone cover is $20, which is under $100 so I think that means I’m getting free shipping? And on that note, ONLY $20!!!! I’m so impressed (and surprised) they didn’t price it higher.
I need it and am ordering it now! Or at least trying to, the website seems to be having a meltdown at the moment when it comes to ordering them. Maybe they weren’t expecting the entire female population to be ordering it all at once.
It also fits iPod Touches, for more information visit dvf.com
A Modern Dose to Spruce up Your Apartment! Plus 10% off with the Promo Code “SPRING10”
Well it’s that time of year again in my household –spring cleaning! And my apartment could use a bit of an upgrade. As a busy New Yorker I never took much stock into seriously decorating since I was never home, but now that I work out of my apt that’s all changed. And as a bit of a website junky, I’m always looking for inspiration, since I’m a merchandiser, not a designer. What I mean by that is coming up with concepts I’m somewhat deficient in; I never know what I want. But put me in a room full of fun furnishings and I can easily maneuver my way around to achieve the look I never knew I always wanted (I’m that way with clothing as well).
Fortunately, the website Moderndose.com recently entered my life when I met it’s Founder, Estela Lugo, at a Fashion Week event hosted by Robert Verdi (where he called her website, ‘the future of interior design’). I was intrigued to say the least. That’s quite an endorsement from
The Big Window Challenge: Bloomingdale’s vs. Apartment Therapy vs. ELLE DECOR
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who will design the best window of them all? Will it be Bloomingdale’s, Apartment Therapy, or ELLE DÉCOR? Bloomindale’s has designated a big window at their flagship store on 59th Street and Lexington in NYC to the following representative from each company:
- Eileen Joyce, Bloomingdale’s Operating VP Interior Design
- Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, Founder of apartmenttherapy.com
- Eddie Ross, ELLE DÉCOR Window Designer.
The windows will be installed January 19th and it’s game on! From January 20th-28th visit the windows in person at the 59th Street location or online at BigWindowChallenge.com; then cast your vote online or by texting the number of your favorite window (1, 2, or 3) to the phone number 89800.
1-ELLE DECOR
2-Apartment Therapy
3-Bloomindale’s
YOU’RE INVITED: Meet the designers, Eileen Joyce, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, and Eddie Ross, January 28th from 6-8pm on the fifth floor at Bloomindale’s. RSVP at [email protected]
For more information on the designers and the challenge visit BigWindowChallenge.com
Party for a Cause – Do You Really Need More Stuff?
Take a queue from Scott Harrison (Founder of charity: water) and Sean Parker (Napster Co-Founder, Founding President of Facebook, Chairman and Co-Founder of Causes) and consider asking your friends to donate to a worthy cause instead of gifts.
CHARITY: WATER
Founded by Scott Harrison, charity: water is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing clean and safe drinking water to people globally. He launched this project on his birthday in September 2006, and asked guests to donate $15 instead of giving him presents. That evening, Scott raised $15,000, and charity: water was born. It’s been a recurring event ever since. This birthday campaign has become such a success, between Scott’s birthday and those who followed suit, they were able to raise $965,000.
Join Scott Harrison and host Adrian Grenier for the charity: ball 2009. Monday, December 14th, 7pm. For more information and to buy tickets click HERE
Don’t have the funds? Donate your time (or both). Charity Water is always looking for volunteers. That’s what I’m doing, so I hope you’ll join me at the charity: ball or at future volunteer nights. Visit charitywater.org for more information.
MALARIA NO MORE
In celebration of his birthday, Sean Parker threw a benefit for Malaria No More, the non-profit organization dedicated to ending malaria deaths, by asking for donations instead of gifts.
Let’s help Sean reach his goal of $50,000 by donating at www.facebook.com/malarianomore, and to learn more about the cause visit malarianomore.org.
On a beauty note, Sean has really good taste in skin care, sporting Molton Brown’s Naran Ji Fine Liquid Hand Wash and Soothing Hand Lotion in his guest bathroom. A celebrity studded birthday and I’m taking pictures of his hand soap…go figure!
A Night to Remember…
Having recently ordered Francois Nars’ latest book NARS 15×15, I could not pass up the opportunity to see the man behind the brand that began my career in beauty almost 5 years ago (and I wanted my book signed!). So I began my evening at Barneys, where Mr. Nars (alongside Simon Doonan) was more than gracious with his time and appreciation for my past work with NARS. Having the opportunity to see Francois Nars again and reunite with some of the makeup artists and NARS team was very special for me.
He signed my book ‘For Lara, with many thanks and love, Francois Nars’! My copy and I are going to have a very long and loving life together. The book is stunning and the proceeds will be donated to 15 charities selected by the featured celebrities.
I then made my way to the Kiehl’s Since 1851 Flagship Store to celebrate the holidays with
Beauty Brief
Here are some headlines that caught my attention this month:
* Francois Nars launched his latest book 15×15 (only 1500 copies!). Get it while you can.
* This weekend, Bernard and Ruth Madoff’s government auction brought in over $1 Million. The proceeds will go toward reimbursing victims who lost their investments in the Madoff scam. PETA wanted Ruth Madoff’s furs to be donated to the homeless, to keep them warm this winter.
* Privately owned, highly regarded (just ask Prince Charles and First Lady Michelle Obama) fragrance brand Creed will open it’s first doors in the US on Madison Avenue in December.
* Tim Burton’s exhibit officially opens today (and will be up until April 26) at MoMA. Burton’s influence on film and art has had a heavy impact on the fashion industry. WWD reported last week the Dollywood trend for Spring 2010 is no doubt attributed in part to Burton’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland premiering March 5, 2010. I’m so excited!
* Gossip Girl’s costume designer Eric Daman will launch his latest book, You Know You Want it: Style-Inspiration-Confidence, on December 15. Available on Amazon now to pre-order. You know what I want? That dress Serena wore to Rufus and Lilly’s wedding. Oh and Jenny’s sequence dress that she’s wearing in the group shot on their website, and-I’ll stop. I could play this game all day.
* James Franco joins the cast of General Hospital for 2 months. Drool!
* Kate Moss’s motto, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”. Well she must feel great!
* Concerns/rumors of Sammy Sosa’s sudden change of skin tone being due to a skin infection or byproduct of alleged steroid use have been put to rest. The former Chicago Cubs slugger was reported saying “It’s a bleaching cream that I apply before going to bed and whitens my skin some.” Keep that cream away from me! Pictures HERE.
* After 25 years, Oprah is ending her run of the Oprah Winfrey show in 2011. But considering the debut of OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) slated to launch in 2011, perhaps a new talk show will be in the works.
* Tomorrow, November 23, Bergdorf Goodman unleashes their holiday window! You know where to find me.