VALENTINE'S DAY DOUBLE GIVEAWAY

Looking for a fab Valentine's Day gift for your honey? Surprise your sweetie with exquisite hand crafted jewelry from Bridget Lynne Designs and/or feast on lobster brûlée and foie gras at Bruno Jamais, located on New York City's upper east side!

Celeb haunt Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club earned Hospitality Design Magazine's "Best Interior Design" designation. The chef, formerly of Nobu and Le Bernadin, whips up contemporary french cuisine for the likes of Bill Clinton and Kim Cattral.

Bridget Lynne's oak leaf necklace--real oak leaf dipped in 24K gold accompanied with green onyx gemstones--retails for $178.00.

Winning is easy! Send me an e-mail* with the name of each StyleChile post which has referenced Valentine's Day (this post is not included) and one lucky reader will receive a $50.00 gift certificate to Bruno Jamais and another will receive a piece of jewelry from Bridget Lynne Designs! Be sure to include "StyleChile Valentine's Day Giveaway" in the subject line and don't forget your name and shipping address**. Good luck!

* Please note that the e-mail address is stylechil@gmail.com (without the "e").

**Information submitted will only be used in connection with StyleChile's giveaway and will not be distributed to third parties.

ECONOMIES OF SCALE

Who says the French don't supersize? When it comes to luxury goods iconography, they definitely go large! The photo on the left accompanied this article from yesterday's New York Times...It reminded me of the photo on the right, which I took in Paris during the summer of 2004.

Left: 75 foot model of Chanel Jacket erected by Karl Largerfeld for the spring haute couture show-Grand Palais, Paris. Right: Louis Vuitton's giant monogram exterior; used to hide renovation of it's flagship store-Champs Elysees, Paris.

COUP D'ETAT BROOKLYN

Remember the daring dyad, previously discussed here? Check out their new online store at cdtbk.bigcartel.com! Coup d'etat Brooklyn has a new line, but their commitment to spreading a positive message remains the same.

Rock the grey Arabic Coup Crew with tights and grey (or black) ankle boots. Hurry up and get yours while supplies last. Tell 'em I sent ya!

Teach the Babies Tee $30.00

DRESS FOR LESS: ARTISAN WEAVE BAGS

ASPIRE
Bottega Veneta's extra large woven chocolate leather bag. Get yours online at net-a-porter. $2,420.00

ADMIRE
From Cole Haan's "Genevieve Collection". This triangular tote is made in their exclusive optical weave... it is iconic in smooth artisan leather-$495.00

ACQUIRE
From the Loeffler Randall for Target collection! Brown patent satchel with braided handle is made with silvertone studs and metal rings. It's not leather, but who can tell? It's just as cute and PETA won't come after 'ya! $49.99

WEEKLY STYLE REVIEW

Check out this week's crop of stylish celebs!

CHLOE SEVIGNY + OPENING CEREMONY

Actress, model, and style maverick Chloë Sevigny--who at a young age has already established herself as a fashion doyenne*--is sharing her flair and impeccable taste with the masses! Chloë is collaborating with NYC's concept boutique Opening Ceremony to launch an eponymous line of clothing influenced in large part by the styles she enjoyed...get this...in high school! Don't laugh yet!

Chloë was so fly back then that fresh out of high school, and shortly after moving to the city, ahem, NYC (Brooklyn to be exact) from Connecticut, she was (i) asked by a magazine editor, who was so impressed with her style, to intern at his fashion magazine; (ii) the topic of a 7 page spread in The New Yorker --written by Jay McInerney who saw her around and dubbed her an "it girl"; and (iii) do you remember her in Kids (only the scariest movie ever!)? ...all while she was just 18 years old, and this was 1994 folks, long before celebrity status was consummated upon (the earlier to occur of) release of a sex tape and/or flashing of uncovered nether regions to the paparazzi ... and certainly well before the term "it-girl" became en vogue.

A few pieces from Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony. Color me conservative, but I only like the skirt (second from right). These models styled themselves--allegedly. Is it apparent?

Anyway, all of that's to say that Chloë had then, and possesses now, uniquely imaginative and surprisingly eclectic style--I mean let's be real, that's uncharacteristic for a girl from Darien! See many pics of Chloë's distinctive style here.

* She was rocking Balenciaga well before the rest of us knew how to pronounce Ghesquière.

FACES OF FASHION: CHANEL IMAN, GAYE MCDONALD, TATYANA USOVA FOR BENETTON

Who would have thought this Faces of Fashion post would come so quickly?! Certainly not me...check out Chanel Iman, previously mentioned here, Gaye McDonald, Tatyana Usova et al. in the Spring '08 Benetton ads!

I was so pleasantly surprised to come across these pics. Benetton ads are, if nothing else, evocative! They do such a great job of pushing the envelope. The ads, more like social commentary, always make me pause and think.

Check out vintage Benetton ads and campaign history here and here. Click on the label below for vintage Faces of Fashion posts!

SHOE-IN!

The 11th Annual Shoe Inn Warehouse Sale is here, with over 10,000 pairs of shoes from designers such as Burberry, Chloe, Moschino, Uggs, Ralph Lauren and many, many, many more. All shoes are $19-$149 and Boots are $50-$199.

Pictured: Stuart Weitzman "Romancemid" available for $285.00 on zappos.com, but should be much cheaper at the sale!

Thanks to David for the heads up!

January 7, 2008 -January 11,2008 Mon-Fri; 9am- 7:00pm
311 West 34th St. Manhattan Center Studios (Btwn 8th & 9th Ave.)
Hammerstein Ballroom New York, NY 10018

FACES OF FASHION: NAOMI CAMPBELL & PHARRELL WILLIAMS FOR LOUIS VUITTON

The iconic Naomi Campbell and recording artist Pharrell Williams are two of the new faces of Louis Vuitton! Look out for these two to accompany Kate Moss and Daria Werbowy in the Spring 2008 campaigns.

“We brought to this campaign a touch of the street, elevated to a rich, modern chic that embodies the message of our ready-to-wear accessories and bags. Working with beautiful, iconic, and powerful faces, we created compositions that boldly display Vuitton's exquisite, super-luxe style."- Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton's artistic director.

Naomi, is well, Naomi...simply fab, with minor behavioral problems! Pharrell Willims aka Skateboard P will represent a line of suitcases and bags and is collaborating with Jacobs and Bathing Ape founder, Nigo aka Tomoaki Nagao, to create "bling bling" eyewear! Rumor has it, that he is also designing a line of jewelry for the brand. I couldn't have said it better than this: "So freakin' clever of LV to embrace the conspicuous consumption of hip-hop and use one of its leading artists to front their new collection."- Rodonline

So frickin' clever indeed. Stay tuned for forthcoming Faces of Fashion posts!

INTRO TO FASHION 101: HERVE LEGER

Known for his body concious silouhettes, Hervé Léger*--who honed his craft under the tutelage of Karl Lagerfeld, with whom he designed swimwear for Fendi and Chanel--has a knack for accentuating a woman's curves while resculpting and remoulding the rest. Léger is often compared to Azzedine Alaia because of the uninterrupted line and body-hugging fit of his dresses.

The woman that he designs for is "fed up with the vagaries of fashion; she does not give a damn about trends, she refuses to be a feminine clothes hanger". - Hervé Léger

His signature "bender" dresses, which are enjoying a resurgence (see the slide and pic below), are composed of hand-stitched elastic bandages and are as elegant in their simplicity as they were serendipitous in their origin. Two days before he was to show his collection in February 1989, he spotted a roll of seam-binding made from Lurex, Lycra and Elasticine lying on the floor. He began winding it round a wooden mannequin and the bender dress was born.

Kim Kardashian is a big fan of Léger's bender dress!

The New York Post reports that BCBGMAXAZRIA GROUP plans to show their Hervé Léger by Max Azria ready-to-wear collection during Fall 2008 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. This will mark the first time since the mid-nineties that the collection will be presented on the runway, and the first time ever that it will be shown in New York. The collection was originally shown in Paris. Read more here. Hervé Léger is available at four eponymous boutiques located on Paris’ legendary rue Cambon, New York’s Madison Avenue, Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive and in Las Vegas.

* He is known today as Hervé L. Leroux due in large part to conflicts with directors at BCBG which owned nearly all of his company and had the rights to his name!

Click on the label below for vintage Fashion 101 posts!

Thanks to UK reader, Thuy Anh, for the Hervé Léger by Max Azria tip!