Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Highs and Lows...the "mullet skirt"

Remember how much we loved hats this fall? Well, at last we have discovered our summer amore in the so-called mullet skirt. Breezy, flattering, festive, all rolled into a diagonal. 

The only problem is the name, which rings of unsavory scenes. What to call it? Maxi-min? Two-faced? Suggestions? Perhaps we need some aesthetically pleasing inspiration:

http://www.suzannerae.com/ 


The mullet  conch shell (maybe?) maxi dress done right by Brooklyn-based designer Suzanne Rae. We are inspired to traipse, nymph-like, through the cricketed summer night.



Another version of the mullet dart maxi dress, so named and designed by rag & bone. A simple piece that can be accessorized for most occasions.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Kickin' it at the Eurocup

For all of our Euro-phile brethren, the excitement reaches fever pitch at this time of year. For those of you recording skipping out of work to watch the semifinals over the next two days, the real question is, as it always should be, what is the proper cheering attire?* 

Spain v. Portugal. As we are rooting for Spain, the old country, as it were, naturally this means something red and/or yellow. Which leads to tomorrow's plan - 10:30 a.m., get on line for and subsequently dominate the Amanda Uprichard sample sale with the efficiency of Alonso's feet. With any luck, we will snag this and pair it with one or more red bangles: 

Italy v. Germany. Another of our homelands, Italy's Forza Azzurri is our pick. The eponymous nickname necessitates blue apparel. Leave it to the Italians to nickname their team after their uniforms. For this game we turn to Improvd for a blue maxi-dress, avant-garde couture designed by Valentino Vettori, who is, fittingly, one of our favorite Italian designers based out of NYC:



Buona fortuna, buena suerte, and so forth! 

*Because, trust us, you know no self-respecting European would dare be seen in anything less than form-fitting clothing perfectly contoured to their annoyingly petite bodies. Seriously, have you seen the Italian fans? Wistful sigh. But we digress...

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Summer Sample Sales

Today NYC swelters at a balmy 100 degrees...which means that the only reason to venture outside of any air conditioned space is to go sample sale-ing! Yes, it is unfortunate that sample sale season coincides with a heatwave, but this is it. What you've been training for all year. Remember these tips, and sally forth, StyleSetters!

While these are an abundance of sales within the upcoming days and weeks, we curated some of our favorites for those of us who don't have time to make it everywhere:

Today - Start at Shoshanna (231 W. 39th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, Suite 422) and then head on over to Parker (234 West 39th Street). Walk downtown and pick up some lingerie at Eberjey (40 East 34th between Park and Madison, suite 1215, 6/21-6/22). End your jaunt with some plastic shoes at Melissa (520 West 27th Street between 10th and 11th Aves, Suite 601).

Next week, 6/27-6/29, 11-6: The eagerly anticipated Amanda Uprichard sale at 306 West 37th Street, 2nd Floor.
Eberjey
 AmandaUprichard010512_632Amanda Uprichard

Melissa Women Melissa Ultra Girl + Jason Wu - ShoesMelissa + Jason Wu

Stay tuned on twitter for updates on our (hopefully) success at the sales!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Brooklyn Flea Market


                               Photo from www.brooklynflea.com


It’s that time of year when we flock outside, making the most of these fleeting yet glorious spring and summer months. While the options abound, there is one mainstay that never disappoints – Brooklyn Flea Market (at 176 Lafayette Ave. on Saturdays and in Williamsburg on the water on Sundays). Whether you are hunting for vintage finds while happily running into your neighbors, or people- watching as you chat with the vendors, there is something for everyone. We would suggest some favorite vendors, but there is something uniquely individual about the Flea’s offerings, so we instead suggest that you visit and figure out for yourself which best expresses your own style of dress, interior design, art, etc.

Photo from www.brooklynflea.com
 
We were lucky enough to interview Eric Demby, one of the Flea’s founders. He described some of what we love about Brooklyn Flea – the fact that it is its own community. The community includes not only the Flea’s patrons, but also the vendors, who have formed bonds of friendship among each other. In fact, perhaps the best expression of the Flea’s commitment to the community is the fact that their cleanup crew is made up of formerly homeless people that now have a place to work and interact with others.

Eric also filled us in on some exciting things that we can expect for the upcoming months! Watch for the launch of Smorgasbar in June, which will offer Brooklyn-brewed beer, wine and spirits. There will also be several interesting Kitchen Island (with Brooklyn Kitchen) events at Smorgasburg (Brooklyn Flea’s foodie sister), starting with a Daisy Flour Pie Contest on June 9th

For more info: http://www.brooklynflea.com/

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Googa Mooga





We are spoilt for choice of activity during the upcoming weekend, particularly with the weather promising to be downright pleasant. Top on the list is GoogaMooga, with a name so tongue-twisting that those who are not in the know will assume that you are making it up. Taking place in Brooklyn's bucolic Prospect Park, the self-proclaimed "amusement park of food and drink" promises to sate our foodie cravings, gathering some impressive names in one giant field. Notable on this list are: Big Gay Ice Cream, Calexico, Momofuku Milk Bar, Red Rooster Harlem, and Roberta's. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the wine tasting tent and beer pavilion. Naturally, there will be live music spicing up the atmosphere. 


Being the inaugural launch of this festival, it will hopefully deliver the awesome we expect, but more details to follow after this weekend! 


You didn't think we'd forget to shout out the fashion trending at the Great GoogaMooga, did you? Never fear, there will be live tweets (@styleshifters - follow us, we will love you for it!), recaps and photos galore. Apparel suggestions: um, well, neon obviously. Neon + sparkle-laden shoes = perfection. See you in the park!!


http://www.googamooga.com/

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations

                        


 Wallis Simpson in Elsa Sciaparelli, Vogue, June 1, 1937
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Cecil Beaton
Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby's

Summer in New York... 

Sun-splashed strolls along the Hudson River. Sundresses and sandals spotted at street fairs.


Days spent sunning in Central Park accompanied by a jaunt to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And, StyleSetters, if you share our love for fashion + art, you will want to check out the Met's current exhibit, entitled Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations.

                   















  


George Hoyningen-Huene (Russian, 1900-1968)
Portrait of Elsa Schiaparelli, 1932
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hoyningen-Huene/Vogue (c) Conde Nast

                    
Guido Harari (Italian, born Cairo 1952)
Portrait of Miuccia Prada, 1999
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guido Harari/Contrasto/Redux

Designs by the two iconic Italian designers are on display throughout several galleries, culminating with "The Surreal Body." Given Schiaparelli's friendships with Dali and Cocteau, this gallery is particularly intriguing and ranks as our favorite. [Admittedly, another reason for our adoration of Schiaparelli is the unabashed use of shocking pink in her designs.] In a wink to the surreal and to the two designers, Anna Wintour wore a Prada-designed version of Schiaparelli's famous lobster dress originally designed in collaboration with Dali to the Met Gala this past Monday.

The exhibit also features video directed by Baz Luhrmann, conjuring up impossible conversations between the two women.  

Check it out through August 19, 2012! 

Website for the exhibition: http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2012/impossible-conversations/introduction


Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Spring Sample Sale Season!!

As the last stubborn flower petals are blown out to sea, you realize that it is time to reincarnate the sundresses, shorts and shifts of yesteryear. But don't be glum as you survey these tired ensembles...why, you ask? Because it's sample sale season!! Time to put on your hunting gear and grab some choice pieces! Here are our top picks of this month's sample sales with our visual wish list (in no particular order):

1. Rebecca Minkoff, 5/9-5-13 260 Fifth Ave
                                                       Ostrich Embossed Covet- Persimmon

2. Botkier, 5/1-5/6 225 Fifth Ave
                                     Misha_clutch_csn_product_page
3. Nanette Lepore, 5/8-5/10 225 W. 35th St.
                                                     Splash Ditsy Goddess
4. Tibi, 5/15-5/17 348 W. 36th St.
                                          Orange
5. Improvd, 5/1-5/9 261 W. 36th St.

                                              Safari

And (cue drumroll) a shout-out to Yumi Kim's friends and family sale online through May 6th! Enter code FAMILY25 at checkout.

Are you a SS neophyte? Check out tips on how to dominate the fray here.