18

Jul

Project Runway returns tonight!

Project Runway season 12 begins on Lifetime tonight!  If you didn’t care for the team challenges last season, this season has a few different surprises, including an expanded role for Tim Gunn. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the show’s resident sage will provide insight to the judges about the design process, and will also be able to save a designer from elimination. In another twist, the judges won’t know who the designers of each piece are until after votes are tabulated.  This season will also include a designer from Alabama: Ken Laurence!

KenLaurence

A little more about Ken:  “at the age of 10, his interest in fashion design was peaked and he began sketching. By the age of 13, he enrolled himself into a home economics class, where he began to use his first sewing machine. Mastering fashion illustration and sewing basics, he began educating himself on pattern making, textiles, and the prerequisites of being a fashion designer.  From that moment forward, he adopted FASHION not only as an art form but as a lifestyle!” 

I expect him to present a strong point of view just from viewing his home visit , closet tour and portfolio.  Planning to watch at 8PM? Follow me on Twitter tonight (@SameChicSouth) as I provide my usual commentary about the designs and designers.   Yes, I will watch while wearing my Raybans, a la Michael Kors.

To add even more fabulosity, Belk is serving as a retail partner during this season and will supplying the items for the famed Accessory Wall.  Belk President and Chief Merchandising Officer Kathryn Bufano notes, “As the authority on lifestyle and fashion in the South, we are looking forward to adding our perspective to the show. We enjoyed pulling together more than 200 items for Project Runway to use, and we look forward to seeing how the contestants utilize the Belk accessory wall for their runway looks.” 

“We’re very pleased to have Belk as our retail partner. The way they carefully curate their collection is a perfect fit for the show not only for our designers and the models on the runway but also for our fashion conscious viewers at home,” says Project Runway Executive Producer and The Weinstein Company’s President of Television, Meryl Poster.

But wait – there’s more!

During this season of Project Runway, Belk will feature the show at belk.com/projectrunway with information about accessories seen on the show, video clips and featured products based on the winning designs. Belk will also sponsor Facebook-based sweepstakes. Entrants will be eligible to win one of the following:

  • A selection from Belk accessory wall
  • A trip to New York City to see a taping of Project Runway.

Belk’s Project Runway sweepstakes will open August 8 at facebook.com/belk. The sweepstakes ends at midnight on October 25. Stay tuned!

13 years ago Short URL 2 Comments

Birmingham Live!/First Person Fabulous/Love That!

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20

May

You’re invited: shop our Stella & Dot trunk show!

StellaDot_hostessguide
*Darlings, this trunk show has ended. Regular posting will resume on June 10. See you then!*

Have you shopped Stella & Dot’s fabulous jewelry and accessory line? Well, here’s your opportunity! From May 20-24, SCDD is hosting a Stella & Dot trunk show as only we can: online! I absolutely love their pieces; whether you are looking for something delicate or want to make a bold statement, you can find something stylish, unique and well-made at Stella & Dot.

Shop by clicking HERE.

More about Stella & Dot: this direct sales retailer is driven by hostess parties and stylists who have turned jewelry shopping into an intimate, fun experience. With chic, well-crafted pieces and a variety of price ranges, Stella & Dot is about to become a billion dollar enterprise. CEO Jessica Herrin was inspired in part by her grandmother, Stella; “Dot” is Chief Creative Officer Blythe Davis’ grandmother, from whom she inherited her “style and passion for beautiful things.”

And of course I’ve handpicked a few baubles I think are just fabulous: check them out in the Wish List!

Special thanks to Stella & Dot stylist Ashley Stork for coordinating this! Connect with Stella & Dot on Facebook for style inspiration and deals; they also offer flat rate $5.95 shipping and free returns.

(Don’t snooze on this; I am still mad I missed out on the super cute Alice Temperley limited edition fox ring they had a few collections ago!)

Happy shopping!

Images via Stella & Dot (sketch is by Inslee!)

13 years ago Short URL Comments

C'est Si Bon/Love That!/Random Acts of Fashion/Shopping is My Cardio

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03

May

Shop the ‘Made in the South’ Traveling Trunk Show on May 14!

Shop chic with Southern Designer Collections as they present the 2nd Annual “Made in the South” Traveling Trunk Show!  Browse fashion, accessories, jewelry, home decor and cuisine from Southern designers at Aldridge Gardens on Tuesday, May 14, from 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM.  Meet over 15 designers and shop with special discounts throughout the trunk show.  This FREE (!) event will include complimentary parking at the Gardens as well as door prizes and giveaways throughout the day.

Vendors include Lissa Mar’s “Hampton’s-style clothing made in the South,” Moo Moo Designs “new earrings, necklaces and bracelets made out of horn and bone,” Hot to Trot Boutique’s “horse show handbags, vintage Versace/Chanel button jewelry created in a newly renovated 1964 airstream trailer,” and Emily G’s “new “curry” ketchup, pepper vinegar, apple pie jam and more!”

Come on out and browse at this one day only event; your summer wardrobe will thank you! There’s something for everyone at this show, and you will be supporting regional designers.

See you there!

Aldridge Gardens is located at 3530 Lorna Road, Hoover, AL 35216

Special thanks to Southern Designer Collections for sponsoring this post.  Want more info? Click HERE.

Images courtesy of Southern Designer Collections

13 years ago Short URL Comments

Birmingham Live!/C'est Si Bon/Love That!/Shopping is My Cardio

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22

Apr

Must-see: Dove Real Beauty Sketches

O would some power the giftie gie us to see ourselves as others see us.
(O would some power the gift to give us to see ourselves as others see us.)

Robert Burns, Poem “To a Louse” – verse 8

Does this give you something to think about? How do YOU see you?

13 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

Love That!

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18

Apr

#TBT: Party like it’s 1923

Drama. Glamour. Excess unlike any our generation has known. Starcrossed lovers caught between class restrictions, unspeakable fortunes and shifting morals. Find all this and more in the upcoming film version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, opening in theaters next month! Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, directed by Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) and featuring a soundtrack with Andre 3000, Beyonce (singing Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black!!!) Lana del Rey and more…who’s in?!

If this preview isn’t scorching hot I don’t know what is:

Ready to throw on your foxiest feather boa and headdress – or your zoot suit and spats – for a great cause? Join the Birmingham Chapter of The Links, Inc. as they host their annual fundraiser – A Harlem Renaissance Evening – at Old Car Heaven on Saturday, April 20 at 7PM. This event will feature casino games, a cocktail buffet and dancing; tickets are $75 each and can be purchased by clicking HERE.

Levy’s Fine Jewelry, established in 1922 and known for its amazing selection of estate jewelry, is offering an amazing giveaway in celebration of The Great Gatsby via Facebook! Like their page and vote for your favorite diamond pendant by clicking HERE before 4/30; the winner will receive a diamond pendant of his or her choice, tickets to Gatsby and a gift certificate to Ocean. And then you should stroll down to their store on 2nd Avenue North to browse; I’ve spent many a lunch hour drooling over their unique pieces!

Image via Levy’s Facebook account

13 years ago Short URL Comments

C'est Si Bon/Love That!

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17

Apr

Happy 40th, Fashion Fair!

FashionFair40Fashion Fair -the prestige beauty line inspired by the EBONY Fashion Fair shows curated by the late Eunice Johnson – turns 40 this year! 

From EBONY Fashion Fair:

“…Johnson noticed models, in the Ebony Fashion Fair show were mixing foundations to create the right blend to match their hues. Initially she approached existing cosmetics companies and urged them to create a line to meet the specific needs of Black women. Unfortunately, this request was met with great resistance.

Mrs. Johnson and her late husband John H. Johnson, publisher of Ebony and Jet magazine, went to a private lab that developed formulas out of the mixtures the models created. After successfully applying this makeup on the models in the fashion show, the Johnsons produced Capsule Collection, a mail-order package in 1969. Based on the overwhelming response, it was clear there was a demand for a Black cosmetics line.

Fashion Fair Cosmetics was born in 1973, named after the fashion show that inspired it. With its feminine pink packaging and a wide range of shades, Fashion Fair Cosmetics was strategically marketed to high-end department stores. The line continued to expand by introducing skin care, fragrance and hair care products that addressed black women’s needs.”

I remember this cosmetics line fondly; I grew up on it! Many little girls of a certain age remember the glamour, mystery and great freebies) at the Fashion Fair counter, and it’s exciting to see it flourish under the direction of legendary makeup guru Sam Fine. To celebrate four decades of glamour, EBONY Fashion Fair is offering a special capsule collection for $48 each.  The four limited edition sets  – “Foxy, Fresh, Sensuous, and Divine” – include “nail lacquer, lipstick, lip teaser and beauty blush in one of spring’s hottest pink hues…for women who celebrate life with a touch of luxury.”

Enter to win a set from the capsule collection by clicking HERE.

And catch the behind-the-scenes fabulosity here:

13 years ago Short URL Comments

Fashion Flashback/Love That!

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09

Apr

13 years ago Short URL Comments

He Said She Said/Love That!

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08

Apr

The Look: Betty Draper Francis

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Mad Men is back! Season 6 proved to be a dark and somewhat morbid meditation set at the end of 1967-beginning of 1968 (if you watched, did you catch the reference to the Crimson Tide?) Don’t worry; while I won’t give away any other plot spoilers, I will definitely celebrate the feminine, well put-together style of Don’s ex-wife Betty Draper, and sigh over the direction her wardrobe has taken since their marriage ended.

One of my favorite looks (from a previous season) was this bright floral sheath with white gloves and pocketbook. Proof that what goes around comes right back around, Muse Apparel offers a similar option with its Cut Out Back Bouquet Dress ($144). Florals are a huge trend for Spring apparel, and Muse keeps this look from being too much of a sweet throwback with the cutout detail in the back. The belt also nips the silhuoette nicely. Note that the florals are cast against a softer shade of this season’s “it” color. I love how this look has been paired with a bright shoe, but if that’s a bit too much color for you, you could also wear a nude one.

For more on Mad Men‘s costume design, click HERE.

In news, Lilly Pulitzer – purveyor of fun and feminine floral print designs for over 50 years – has passed.

13 years ago Short URL Comments

Love That!/Shopping is My Cardio/The Look

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04

Apr

#TBT: Avon Calling!

 

Do you remember the Avon Lady? Are YOU the Avon Lady – excuse me, Independent Sales Representative? My grandmother Dorothy sold it for a short time, and I remember thumbing through the catalogs and circling items I wanted my mother to buy. Now you can find a friend or colleague who sells it, or you can shop online!

Our Avon fave? The original formula Skin So Soft bath oil spray ($6 for 5 oz.)! It’s a great mosquito repellent, has an amazing scent, and doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy.

Images via Google search

13 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

Fashion Flashback/Love That!/Random Acts of Fashion/Uncategorized

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28

Mar

Product review: Essie’s ‘Tart Deco’

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Even though most of us are still in tights and coats thanks to this wacky weather (temps above 55 degrees, where are you?!), I’m ushering in spring with Essie’s ‘Tart Deco’ nail polish. This color was originally released as part of Essie’s ‘The Art of Spring’ collection in 2010. I love a bright pop of coral, and this which glides on easily and without streaking; it has a satin finish. Something about it just said “Wear me with short, sundresses and sandals!” when I saw it in Target, which has an amazing selection of nail polish. Essie costs $7-8 per bottle, and comes in a variety of bright and subtle shades and finishes. I forgot to get a bottle of my usual fast drying topcoat for this DIY manicure, but here’s a little secret: LA Color’s Rapid Dry nail treatment works just as well in a pinch, and can be found at Dollar Tree!

13 years ago Short URL Comments

Haute or Not?/Love That!/Random Acts of Fashion

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