Monday, March 31, 2008

Behind the Scenes Scoop at Cynthia Rowley!

Talk about attention to detail -- I popped into the Cynthia Rowley boutique in Bucktown the other day and was chatting with the salesclerk about CR's fabulousness. A small TV screen was playing footage from her fall/winter show, and we started talking about that, how cool it was with the diorama door that dropped down to reveal a "pop-up-book"-like backdrop. That's when the clerk let me in on the drama that unfolded literally behind the scene. It seems that -- moments before the show opened -- Cynthia decided she didn't like one of the colors used in the backdrop. Rather than live with it, the pixie-sized designer grabbed a paint brush and went at it herself. Of course she got covered with paint! A mere moment before the music started, as the lights dimmed and the audience prepared to be wowed, Cynthia was scrambling to change into a completely different outfit -- lest she launch a paint-splattered look! Love it!

Saturday, March 29, 2008

True Blue? Chanel vs. Cha-not

How much more hype can there be around Mme Chanel's latest coup de nail, Blue Satin (Love last year's Black Satin? You'll Love Blue Satin!). So much that it's sold out in Chicago -- and running nearly $40 a pot on eBay. So what's a trend hound like me to do? Improvise, of course. Today I headed down to the corner nail salon -- you know the one because there's one in your town, the one with the sign that reads simply "NAILS." I figured these low-cost, low-drama shine shacks were the most likely spots to have the ingredients I needed in absence of true Blue Satin, specifically black nail polish and blue nail polish. Score! Fast forward an hour or so, past a bottom coat of black and a top coat of blue and my nails are ... dark metallic blue. Except maybe more royal metallic blue than a deep, rich shimmery Chanel blue. More Rockin' 80s than Rue Cambon, I am afraid. I'll take a photo later and snag some of the true blue to do a side-by-side (hopefully I won't have to resort to eBay). Until then, it's too late for me, I'll have to live with these ten (rather loud) blue notes until I can snag a polish change. Who knows, perhaps the trend will be over by then anyway. Truly.
NOTE: A swagulous shout out to the ladies next to me at the salon -- it was great to meet you both!

Monday, March 24, 2008

Quasi Reality Star Sighting Today

Bumbling through the Merchandise Mart Luxe Home floor (I know NUHTHING about interior design), I spied with my reality-jaded eye one Matt Lorenz, sitting on a sofa in a big reception area. As you may recall, Lorenz won last year's Top Design reality competition on the Bravo network -- making him the Christian Siriano of interior design and home decor. Tray chic!

Friday, March 21, 2008

HELP ME FIND A SHADE -- Need a nail color, can you , er, lend me a hand?

I am desperately seeking a nail polish that's gunmetal gray -- preferably with some light shimmer. Anyone out there ever seen a color like this? Psst, pass it on ...

"LV" Paris Fashion Week -- Photos from Marc Jacob's Louis Vuitton Show

THANK YOU BOBBIE FISHER!Mother. Style maven. Friend of the House of Louis Vuitton. There's one more thing Chicagoan Bobbie Fisher is, and that's nice. Oh, and generous -- case in point, she was kind enough to share these photos from her personal album, snapped at the March 2 Louis Vuitton show. Good thing Fisher is also punctual -- rumor has it the show started a mere 15 minutes late! Thank you Bobbie for thinking of Swagulous, and to all the Marcophiles (or Vuittoniacs) out there ... enjoy!

Bliss Vanilla & Bergamot Body Butter: PUTTING THE 'THRILLA' BACK IN VANILLA!


Thanks to freelanceapalooza, my Product Pile has become quite formidable. Now that I have a couple days before I have to resume the writing life, I am redoubling my efforts to apply, sniff, spray and try everything I can before my next wave of freelance hits.

So let's start with this delightful blue and white tube, shall we? True story: The other day, I was in my office working when suddenly, I had to stop what I was doing and remark, "Something smells amazing." And then I realized the good-smellin' something was ME! I pressed my arm to my nose, inhaled deeply and remembered that morning I had applied some Bliss Body Butter in the new vanilla + bergamot scent ($35 for 8.5 oz). Bliss lotions are always nice, with a heft to the lotion and a powder-soft coverage that's light and nongreasy. The lemon sage, of course, is the line's classic combination. And it is nice in a Lemon Pledgy sort of clean way (love the body buff). But this lotion -- a mix of rich nutty vanilla and light orangy bergamot (the oil comes from an Italian citrus fruit, and it's supposed to have depression-busting aromatherapy attributes) makes you smell like a cookie. And this sweet-tooth likes it. Very much.

OF MODELS AND MONEY

Eye4Style was kind enough to comment recently on my Project Runway record-straightening post. She (he?) said that many models aren't getting paid for their runway work; instead they're getting to keep the clothes. Eye4style: You're exactly right. And how wild that I was just talking about this the other day with model-slash-businesswoman Uduak Oduok of Ladybrille.com, a blogozine dedicated to bringing the high fashion of the African continent to U.S. Audiences. She was telling me that same thing, about how it's getting harder to make a living in the modeling biz because everyone wants you to work for free. Kinda like journalism! While it's true Swagulous approves of free stuff in general, I have to say this is not a good thing. Last I checked, landlords were not accepting emerging designer garments as rent! Good thing I never had to rely on my, ahem, gazelle-like height and beauty to land a job.

I MET NINA GARCIA -- AUTHOR, ELLE MAG EDITOR & PROJECT RUNWAY JUDGE!

I can't tell you what we talked about because I am writing a story on the interview, but I CAN tell you that she is LOVELY. I have seen her before at fashion week (see previous posts) but had never met her. She's very funny and gracious. I'll post my interview after I get my story done. Freelancingpalooza is almost done and then guess what: It's that time again -- FAKE TAN TIME! I just got a new aerosol can of summertime glow from Urban Decay. I am scared yet intrigued ...

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Bravo Christian! My Fashion Week Scoop on Project Runway Finale

Kudos to Christian Siriano, who sah-wept Project Runway's top honors last night with his dramatic Fashion Week runway show. You go, girl! As a NYFW attendee, here's my two cents on the Big Show:

-- There were actually two Project Runway shows that week, one on the 2nd and the finale. I got a spot to the first one, which I was not able to attend, and then was shut out of the second one - it was cray-zee hard to get invites, pretty much you had to be actively writing about PR to snag a seat (if in fact your invitation even got you a seat, which it doesn't always, case in point the egregiously overbooked Rebecca Taylor and Ports shows!).

-- Remember when everyone was kavetching about Christian's model being late? OK, she was probably late and yes that sucks. But just for the record, people, that show was at NINE AM on a FRIDAY on the last day of fashion week. Everyone was exhausted, and yours truly was still asleep at 9. By 10, however, I was throwing up and hung over all to hell thanks to the Zac Posen afterparty. But the fact remains: 9 am is early for ANYTHING to start in NYC. Obviously the show didn't start at 9, but I'll bet it was a mob scene by 8:30. Lord only knows what the call time was for that show. So cut the chick some slack!

-- I was interviewing a model today and she pointed out that the latest trend is not to pay models for shows like this, where they'd get great exposure. True? Not sure, but if anyone in the blogosphere knows, please post your thoughts.

- Didya catch Tyson Beckford in the front row looking all dapper in his suit n' tie, like he's all into the runway? Yeah, Swagulous readers know the truth: He's rude, and hardly dressed to the 9s for the other designers whose shows he "graced" that week. (See my Fashion Week coverage.)

-- Nina Garcia, love you love you love you and I hope to meet you in Chicago on the 20th. Interview request is in -- fingers xed!!

Meanwhile, freelancingpalooza is underway so I must off ... ciao y'all!