INTRO TO FASHION 101: MARIMEKKO

Founded in 1951, Marimekko--which mean's "Mary's dress"-- is a Finnish textile and design company that produces bold, graphic, brightly colored, printed textiles.

Left: Juhannustaika, designed by Aino-Maija Metsola 2008.Right: Nuppu, designed by Maija Louekari 2008

The distinctive prints are surprisingly versatile. In addition to clothing and shoes, you'll find that quentessential Marimekko patterns are often used for home decor, umbrellas...i've even seen a Marimekko inspired cake! The textiles were a favorite of Jackie Kennedy, who wore Marimekko dresses frequently during John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign.

H&M's "Marimekko collection will be joyfully fresh, like a vitamin injection". -Margareta van den Bosch, H&M's head of design.

Marimekko has not only withstood and transcended time, but it is enjoying a resurgence! Vogue featured Elizabeth Kendall's account of how a Marimekko dress inspired confidence during her tumultuos college years in the April 2008 issue. Manolo Blahnik used Marimekko prints in his Spring 2008 line and H&M has also collaborated with Marimekko to launch a line, check out a few pieces depicted on the slide above.

Blahnik Spring 2008 collection features Marimekko patterns, including the "Unikko" (red poppy pattern on left). Maija Isola created the pattern in 1964 in protest. Apparently, Marimekko’s founder, Armi Ratia, forbade floral patterns in Marimekko.

You can purchase Marimekko pieces in select stores throughout the United States. Click on the label below for vintage Intros to Fashion 101, TextStyles and Style Collaborations posts!

Update: Look out for Marimekko for Avon! Marimekko's Unikko pattern will be used on a number of limited edition Avon beauty products to be launched at the end of 2008.

THE LAST STRAW

Want to exude boho chic? Emulate safari inspired styles? Go neutral or vamp up the color? Leave a small(er) green(er) carbon footprint? Swap out last season's leather "it" bag for one of these. Prices range from $14.50-$535.00.

Clockwise. Outter semi-circle: Kotur "Natural Lind" clutch $311.00 at chickdowntown.com; Michael Kors Santorini Shopper $278.00 at Macy's; Beehive clutch purse $15.80 at forever21.com; Anya Hindmarch Basket Tote $535.00 on vivre.com; Michael Kors Santorini Clutch $126.00 at Dillard's; Straw tote $21.99 on newport-news.com; Tory Burch Women's Rattan Clutch $275.00 at Bloomingdale's; and Juicy Couture snappy wicker basket $225 on net-porter. Inner semi-circle: stripe straw oval tote bag (turquoise) £ 30.00 at topshop.com; Tory Burch's "Suzie" straw clutch (yellow) $395.00; vintage style fan straw bag £20.00 at asos.com; Straw clutch $14.50 at alloy.com; and Martha Stewart collection straw tote $39.99 at Macy's.

The straw bag may be the most versatile accessory this season. Take a woven straw bag from the office, to the beach, or out on the town. It's not your mother's straw bag--though my mom asked me for one for mother's day--these hip versions run the gamut from clutch to hobo to tote.

Mena Suvari wears an Alice + Olivia jumpsuit and oversized straw Valentino purse at SocialVibe.com's Green Launch Party at Les Deux in late March, 2008; Sienna Miller strolls along the beach in Ibiza, Spain in September 2007.

My Pick: Michael Kors' Santorini Shopper, above, and this Antik Batik Kylie tote; my mom likes Juicy Couture's version shown above.

Click on the link below for vintage StyleTrends posts!

SEX & THE CITY!

Yum! The Sex & The City movie is almost here...Be sure to hit the theatres on May 30th to catch up with Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon reprise their roles, plus Oscar award winner, Jennifer Hudson, appears as Carrie's assistant!

Are the wedding photos depicted above dream or reality? I was going to add a spoiler alert, but I'm sure you've all seen these already.

I can't wait to see what the characters are wearing. My personal style, or at least I'd like to think so, is a mix between Charlotte and Samantha. Which character best exemplies your style? Check out the trailer below.


Hint: If you're in New York City, specifically Manhattan, be sure to pre-order as tickets are selling out quickly!

$10,000 DESIGN CONTEST!

"The design challenge we're posing is a fashion transformation unlike any other, we're taking an iconic accessory—the birth control case—and asking aspiring designers to take a shot at redesigning it into a chic, more sophisticated carrying case that they could slip into their purses."- Nina Garcia

Are you a future style star in the making? Nina Garcia, of Elle magazine and Project Runway fame, is working in collaboration with Step Up Women's Network and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals to redesign the classic birth control case. They're enlisting emerging design talent to help! I would personally like to see a case that looks like a gold plated compact, but that might just be too expensive to mass produce...

Submit your designs by June 30, 2008 for a chance to win the $10,000 prize. The prize will be used for enrollment in design classes or for the purchase of special design materials and software. Winners will be announced around the time of Fashion Week in fall 2008. For more information, check out the contest page here or here. Good luck!

PUNCH DRUNK!

Stay on trend this spring and summer with makeup in vibrant shades! With names like "Just Bitten Berries" and "Sorbet"...you'll look like a technicolored dream in sherbert colored pigment. Joy Bryant, featured in this month's Essence Magazine, shows us why these bold and audacious colors work on lips...Rihanna is a source of constant inspiration with neon nail varnish. Check out below for bright colored beauty products galore and where to buy.

Left to right. Top: Nubar's hot pink, hot orange and hot yellow nail polish, $7.00 (free of harmful chemicals like toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate); Dior Addict in "Infra Rose", "Sparkling Violet" or "Uncontrollable Pink", $25.00 on Sephora.com; Couleurs Nature multi-reflects lipstick $5.50; Left to Right: Yves Saint Laurent baume d'Eté tinted lip balm in “Blackcurrent Sorbert” and “Love Apple” and Yves Saint Laurent rouge pur lipstick in "Fuchsia" and "Hibiscus", available at Bloomingdale’s for $23.00 and $29.00; Stockholm Blush-On in "Worship" and "Pearl" eyeshadow in No. 38, $19.00 and $18.00, respectively on facestockholm.com; and rouge powder in "Desert Rose", $26.00 at Dr. Smallflower. Middle: Terracotta "Gloss and Shine" by Guerlain $25.00 on Vivre; L'Oreal Paris colour juice lip gloss in "Cherry On Top" $8.00at drugstores; Nars Powder blush $25.oo at Sephora; and Murad energizing "Pomegranate" lip $16.00. Bottom: nail polish in "Pink Glove Service", "Bachelorette Bash", "California Coral", "Fruity Sangria" and "Pansy", $8.00 on essie.com (or $5.95 on enailsupply.com); Neon nail polish in "Mini Shorts", "Bermuda Shorts", "Short Shorts", and "Shorty Pants", $8.00 on essie.com and Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in "Cherries in the Snow", available at drugstores.

My Pick: Essie nail color in "Tribeca" with a coat of "Calypso" on top, if neither are available, try "Footloose". Yves Saint Laurent fard a levres Rouge Pur in "Pure Fuschia".

STYLEBITS

The ladies of Seasoned to Perfection vintage boutique brings you The Uptown Emerging Designers Market. May 17th and 18th; 11 a.m. -7 p.m., at the Hip Hop Culture Center, located at 2309 Frederick Douglas Blvd. Enjoy complimentary cocktails, tastemaker gift bags from the myriad corporate sponsors (including Carol's Daughter, Vitamin Water, and Guylian Belgian Chocalatiers), music and shopping of course! Check out the list of participating designers here. RSVP at rsvp@uptownedm.com and tell Michelle and Nene I sent ya!

Featured: Anu Rock and Metal Jewerly

Could this be the world's cheapest dress? Possibly! It's a product of Sarah Jessica Parker's foray into fashion design. This fantastic blue dress is from her line, Bitten, available in Steve and Barry's for $8.98. Steve and Barry's also carries "Dear" by Amanda Bynes and "Eleven" by Venus Williams. Guess what else? Everything in Steve and Barry's is less than $10.00! Who says you can't shop during a recession?

“For a lot of people — young women, middle-age women, regular women — there is this idea about wanting fashion in an affordable way. They are living in a less rarefied world.” - Sarah Jessica Parker


Wondering why everyone was at the Met Costume Institute Gala (see slideshow of notable, outfits, ahem, celebs in the post below)--besides looking at each others outfits? Why, viewing the “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” exhibit of course! Read more about the exhibit here. You too can see the exhibit through September 1. Call (212) 535-7710 or visit metmuseum.org for tickets.

"Designers liberate themselves from the banal just as superheroes do. They do remarkable things with materials and craft." - New York Times

L’Oréal Paris collaborated with the 2007 CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund finalists to create the new Infallible lipsticks in custom designed compacts. Get yours in L’Oréal Paris retail stores or call 888-270-7743 to order--I know that Apricot is available in select Target stores.

Erin Fetherston with Chanel Iman--who's wearing Erin's lipstick.

Apricot by Phillip Lim of 3.1 Phillip Lim; Azalea by Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders; Cerise by Erin Fetherston of Erin Fetherston; Geranium by Koi Suwannagate of Koi; Hibiscus by Michael Bastian of Michael Bastian; Mulberry by Philip Crangi of Phillip Crangi Jewelry; Persimmon by Rogan Gregory of Rogan; Pomegrante by Gabriel, Angela, and Adi of ThreeAsFour; Rosebud by Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai of Vena Cava; and Thistle by Victoria Bartlett of VPL.

From another lawyer who loves to shop! Check out this wonderful site from one of my law school peers. Go to salereporter.com which links you directly to sales on top designer apparel. Shop smarter, not harder!

WEEKLY STYLE REVIEW

Check out these celebs in their fabulous glory as they attend the Met Costume Institute Gala, the Kentucky Derby, go shopping and grace the red carpet, natch.