GET the BEST shopping deals around at Planet Lulu!! Why? Because there is no car, no getting all dressed up. You can shop in your jammies and get the best deals on name brand denims, clothing, accessories and score major fashion points by NOT paying full price. It doesn't get any better than that. Check out the LA STORY BLOG for all the details.
The sale starts Thurs night 3/22 at 9:30 PM EST ( 6:30 PST) and ends Friday 3/23 at 12 midnight (9 PM PST)
"I wanted something casual but naughty, sensible but sexy. That's me. That's how I am. I wanted the collection to be for a working girl," Madonna recently told WWD about the launch of her new M by Madonna for Swedish mass fashion chain, H& M. "This is a combination of outfits I would love to wear. Bits and pieces have been inspired by the outfits in my own wardrobe, and also by what I love, like kimonos or my favorite Seventies vintage dress with the butterfly sleeves. I bought it in New York 10 years ago, and have worn it down to threads."
Unlike their other collaborations with A-list fashion talent – including Viktor & Rolf, Stella McCartney & and Karl Lagerfeld – once H&M launches the line on March 22, it won’t be limited to flagship stores but will be available in 26 countries. The capsule collection includes dresses with kimono styling, walking shorts, pencil skirts with a cummerbund waist detail, trenchcoats, cropped leather jackets & tailored jackets, white shirts – and an array of accessories: skinny belts, clutches, boots & sunglasses. Prices for the clothing will range from 15 euros or $20 (a bodysuit) to 250 euros/$330 (leather trenchcoat); accessories will start off at 10 euros/$13 (scarf with an M-print) to 100 euros/$130 (leather purse).
As always, the challenge for a chain like H&M is to balance high design with a mass pricepoint. "I think my biggest challenge was to make clothes that looked chic, sophisticated and expensive, but that weren't expensive. Going into this, I made a promise that I wouldn't design anything that I wouldn't wear myself." Such as Versace, apparently, given that the print ads shot by Steven Klein are extremely reminiscent of a previous Versace campaign Madonna shot with him.
While celebs like Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez & Beyonce have launched their own fashion lines to mixed commercial & critical success, Madonna will probably follow in the footsteps of Gwen Stefani; her L.A.M.B. line does extremely well, primarily because the songstress has so much credibility. When fans buy a celeb’s line, they are trying to buy their look; if it’s believable that the celeb would actually wear the line, then they create the necessary credibility that a celeb designer line needs to succeed commercially.
By now you should have a pretty good idea who Josh Kelley is-- maybe you have read the other blog about his CD (Just Say the Word) or heard his music on the radio. Or maybe you haven't a clue-- no matter.. there's good reason here to take a listen to this "long-ish" podcast with Josh Kelley as he's just about to go on the road.
Currently on tour with Keaton Simons, Kelley is more than just a musician. This guy brings a wealth of talent to the table musically and artistically. Savvy-smart about his musical career, he's created his own label to allow him to create and present his music his way. Not only is he into his music but he's into the production end --not only of his own music-- but of others as well and Kelley talks about it on this podcast on the LA STORY Blog-- so check it out!
The response to ShopTalk has been so amazing that we're increasing new episodes to 3 times per week! Fridays will still be reserved for our interviews with celebs and the people who make them look good, but we're also adding...
Just when fashionistas everywhere were led to believe the byword of the moment was to de-clutter & get rid of all those clothes crammed into the closet, Carson Kressley - campy fashion maven from Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy - has decided women are missing some key fundamentals...and decided to do something about it. "It's all the great basics women should have in their wardrobe, but surprisingly don't," Kressley explained to WWD about his new line of womenswear. "We didn't invent anything crazy and different, but we revitalized the basics and made them perfect." Perfect by Carson Kressley" will debut on QVC on November 29 for two hours during prime time, and then show new items every few months thereafter. For the launch, two traditionally skinny models and two plus-sized models will demonstrate the casual wear, work gear, and outerwear which ranges in size from 2 to 24, along with accessories. His line of "perfected" basics will be priced between $30 to $200. The odd men’s bomber jacket and car coat will be available for shoppers to pick up for their (hopefully) non-fashion-challenged men, and many of the women’s pieces feature menswear inspiration: from silk neckwear trim (Kressley worked for seven years at Polo Ralph Lauren mens), to equestrian details such as zipper pulls shaped like horseshoes, and even a "C" in the shape of a horseshoe in the label (Kressley is an avid horseman).
Interestingly, it was after Kressley helped to host QVC's Fashion Footwear Association of New York Shoes on Sale charity event that the idea for his line was born. "I guess that is the power of celebrity: You say something will be fun, and soon you are in China making sweaters," Kressley apparently (jokingly) told QVC execs which oversee a $7 billion home-shopping empire which is beamed into 160+ million homes around the world. "QVC couldn't be a better fit — pun intended — because it combines television with retail." In addition to his eye, there’s the Kressley charisma which should move mountains of merch in minutes. Notes Annette Repasch, vice president of QVC merchandising, "I think women will appreciate the versatility of the line and respond to his unmistakable charm." (via WWD)
For the Fashiontribes Daily 5 Minute Podcast about this, visit PodcasterNews.com.
In our fave post of the week, it's a truckload of unsolicited - but oh so necessary - advice from chicas in the know! The Bag Snob weighs
in on everything from incontrovertible evidence about why it's essential to protect one's delicate face from aging SPF, to
the right bag to carry for your frame (especially if you're teensy), to whether Terri Hatcher should get jaw realignment surgery...or simply wait 'till the end of
the full moon. FASHION:
Think ahead! Girlawhirl offers up a spring 07 fashion forecast & primer.
Meanwhile, it's fall in the here & now. A hot product: long scrunchable, cuffable socks. [Stylehive]
Paris Style Summary: Mattie Roberts cracks the French style code.
This fall's staple: the turtleneck dress. [Stylebites]
Want to Find Great-Fitting Jeans? Turn to Kasil! LA Story gives you the "skinny" (& bootcut, straight leg) in a podcast with David Lim, Kasil designer.
Coquette shares a preview of a new women's fashion line, Mademoiselle Parasuco, while attending the San Francisco launch party.
Second City Style
interviews Uluru NYC's Designer Caroline Priebe - you can't help being
drawn to the elegance and styling of her cashmere sweaters and dresses.
Not available on the Internet to purchase, but available for window shopping none the less - fab Ebel watches for men & women. [Jewelry-Weblog]
Your typical holiday gathering is awash in black-black-black. Fashiontribes shows how to turn the tables (affordably) in a chic white frock with black accents, a la the Elie Saab runway.
BEAUTY:
(left to right: red kissers at Blumarine, Costume National, Anna Sui)
Red Lips: Be Not Afraid! A step-by-step guide to nailing this season's hottest look. [Bonbons in the Bath]
Beauty Buzz
"hearts" this terrific new hair dryer: tourmaline (check), ionic
(check), ceramic (check), lightweight (check), quiet (check!!) and LESS
MONEY (check!!!!)
What you need to know before you shop for foundations, concealer and powder. [Beauty Newsletter]
eBeautyDaily reviews the newest offering from Tom Ford, Black Orchid.
Beauty Addict gives you the full breakdown of the NARS holiday collection...the good, the bad, and the...muddy brown?
(Looks from the Roland Mouret capsule collection of dresses for Gap)
After the departure from Gap of creative director Pina Ferlisi – responsible for originally launching the phenomenally successful Marc by Marc Jacobs line – fashionistas mourned…and sales tanked. For the second quarter, which ended July 29, sales fell 6 percent (compared with 4 percent a year ago), and internationally, 11 percent (compared to a gain of 1 percent the year before).
In an effort to shore up sales and overhaul its flagging fashion cred, Gap is taking a page from the H&M playbook. The fellow fast-fashion retailer brought on designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, and Victor & Rolf to create limited edition collections, and, in the process, created a PR bonanza; Gap has recruited fashion insider Roland Mouret to work his design magic. "Fashionistas who usually just pass by the Gap may go into the store to purchase Mouret items, and while they are there, see other merchandise they like," Christine Chen, senior research analyst at Pacific Growth Equities, told WWD. "H&M got people to line up outside of their stores when they joined with Lagerfeld. The Gap needs to generate buzz and get people back into their stores. Gap needs to rejuvenate their customer, whom they have been disappointing for two years. Their problem has not been their merchandise, which I think has improved drastically, it's the stigma associated with the brand."
The capsule collection – which goes on sale from November 7 through the end of December in 160 stores in France, U.K., and Ireland, and six or seven select outlets in New York and retails between 45 GBP and 80 GBP ($85-$150) – is comprised of 10 dresses, shirtdresses, Courreges’esque numbers, V necks with ruffles and bib-front tunics. Fabrics include stretch jersey, flannel, gabardine, and crepe, and hues are basic fashion neutrals: charcoal, navy, black, red and gray; the collection bears the Mouret touch: folded cap sleeves, pockets, ruffles & epaulets. "It's definitely not a diffusion of what I've been doing, but I have revisited a lot of the details I've done in the past, like the folded sleeve," says Mouret. "They came to me because they felt they weren't strong in the dress category. They wanted a new project that would take Gap dresses to a new level. I have always been a fan of Gap — I like their laid-back attitude, and it was the right mix of people to work with." (via WWD)
For the Fashiontribes Daily 5 Minute Podcast about this, visit PodcasterNews.com.
Summary: Hey, Miss Thing in your swingy frock! McCartney's fab oversized Leg O' Mutton sleeves help to make grown females look like they are when sporting a babydoll dress...while hiding a multitude of sins. Although the shimmery taupe dresses were chic-chic-chic, the colorful aqua & teal prints would be a great way to stand out from the crowd. Throw on a matching raffia sandal, and prepare to be envied.
Color Palette: khaki, black, white, aqua & teal print, bright blue, olive & forest green print, black & white chiffon print Textures & Details: chiffon; metallics; exuberant prints; swingy babydoll silhouettes
Key Looks: swingy trapeze babydoll in a blue/blue green & khaki print with balloon sleeve; same in olive drab & forest green print with cap sleeve; bright blue shorts romper; pale metallic gold tunic with oversized puff 3/4 sleeve
Summary: Despite the stripped down palette and lack of runway theatrics, Yohji always manages to send a loud message. This season, it was all about turn-up-the-volume in breeches which wouldn't have been out of place on a 19th century gentleman adventurer, and, in these days of Lasik surgery & titanium/plutonium/supa'strength/weigh nothing metal glasses frames, a surprising touch of whimsy in the form of a monocle. Extra wide menswear pants that swirl romantically when you walk and oversized starched white cuffs are textbook examples of the way to do sexy-stern style.
Color Palette: black, white, grey, olive drab, cerulean blue
Textures & Details: breeches; knee-high lace up boots; cerulean jacket; asymmetrical white ruffled "apron" tunic top; pinstripes & menswear suitings; severe dark bobbed 'dos; chiffon
Key Looks: black menswear breeches tucked into knee high boots; symmetrical white ruffled "apron" tunic top with grey pinstripe cuffed pants; black chiffon widelegged pant; monocles; white strawlike spiral necklace & ankle decoration; white starched laser-cut cuff
Summary: On the stylish boardwalk, a girl needs caftans, turbans, and black patent S&M-worthy wedges.A chic menswear grey shorts suit never hurts when dressing for dinner is required, while head-to-toe Bianca-Jagger-in-the-70s white is always in style. Especially cool: a twist on the Hermes white leather & gold hardware cuff so that it resembles an upscale Dominatrix dogcollar.
Color Palette: chocolate, black, white, persimmon, steel grey, caramel, caramel & white plaid, shiny eggplant, nude, mustard yellow
Textures & Details: chiffon'y caftans in ethnic color schemes & prints; turbans; leather pants & vests; kimono silhouettes; chiffon tunics
Key Looks: all white slouchy pants & shirt; menswear suiting grey shorts suit; kimono silhouette grey trench with rolled up yellow cuffs; persimmon floor length skirt; signature Hermes white leather cuff with gold hardware as a choker; black patent wedges
