STUD MUFFIN

 Lulu's "Did I Stud-her" Black Leggings, only $35!

I'm clearly well overdue for a Fashion Week post or three, but you know how it is . . . I was most inspired to post as I came across these tights again tonight. I own a pair and someone recently asked where they were from. Let me tell you, these are as much fun to wear as they look. I had the perfect opportunity to do so at Jay-Z's Made in America Festival in Philly this past Labor Day weekend. I felt like a rock star and you will too. Check out Beyonce rocking a House of Dereon pair here. This studded look was all over the Doo Ri and Emanuel Ungaro Fall 2009 runway, but the trend is still going strong. The best feature of the tights featured above is the price: only $35 at Lulu's! If you're willing to splurge, check out alternatives below. Enjoy!

KEIJA MINOR: CONDE NAST'S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF!

Many, many years ago, when I was fresh out of college and working as a legal assistant at a prestigious international law firm with offices at 4 Times Square—that beautiful behemoth designed by Fox & Fowle—I would enter the building and head to the left but, even then, I had aspirations to enter and turn right. I wanted to join the legion of well-appointed women (and men) who were taking the elevators up to Conde Nast, the named tenant of that building. Now, one sista’ who has ridden the corporate elevator up, beyond that mythical glass ceiling and right past that proverbial color barrier, gets to turn right every work day as she heads to her post as editor-in-chief of Conde Nast’s Brides magazine! Congratulations are in order for Keija Minor, the first African American Editor-in-Chief of a Conde Nast magazine, first ever in the publishing giant's 103-year history, and . . . she's a lawyer! Trained at the University of Massachusets Amherst and the historically black Howard University School of Law, Ms. Minor started making major moves after giving up her career as a corporate lawyer, to work for magazines Travel Savvy, Los Angeles Confidential, Gotham and Uptown. I'm looking forward to the impact Keija Minor will no doubt make at Brides magazine. Excellent success and the best of wishes, Keija!

INDEPENDENT FASHION BLOGGERS CONFERENCE FALL 2012

Where's Naki? If you look really close, you'll see me immediately to Iman's left, wearing white Madonna for H&M jeans, Sachin & Babi peplum top and Camilla Skovgaard's peeptoe heels. 

I've recently joined the Independent Fashion Bloggers network, IFB for short, and attended the organization's biyearly conference during the days leading up to New York's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week for the Spring 2013 collections. The conference was such a great use of my time! In addition to gaining insight into the business behind blogging, foresight into the future of digital fashion and being challenged to bring bravery back to blogging, I was inspired by wisdom shared by the new entrepreneurs panelists and picked up additional tips on how to make friends and win readers.

And, there was more! From breakout sessions focusing on: how to get a book deal, optimizing blogs with SEO, video blogging 101, creating media kits and getting a job in social media, among others, to panels on journalism v. blogging and a Q&A session with Pinterest's community manager, Enid Hwang, I was beyond moved to blog, and network, and blog some more while struggling to maintain my composure amongst the many Valentinos, Louboutins (and fab sneaks from Bakers!), peplum and leather trends and otherwise impeccably dressed women (and a few men).

Click on the "read more" link below for more about my experience and to see additional photos. . .

ANNA DELLO RUSSO + H&M

“There is something feisty and over the top in this collection” - Margareta van den Bosch, creative adviser for H&M.

For the first time in its history of design collaborations, H&M partnered with an influencer (and not a designer) Anna Dello Russo, the editor-at-large and creative consultant at Vogue Japan. What better person to team up with for an accessories collection? The fashion enthusiast knows that "accessorization is essential: it is the personal touch to any outfit." Together with H&M, Anna designed and carefully curated a collection of 50 pieces with prices ranging from $299 for thigh-high leather boots to $24.95 for antique inspired earrings. You too can adorn yourself in blinged out shades, bold turquoise jewelry and diamante encrusted heels!

“Accessories are like vitamins to fashion — as such, you should use them liberally” - Anna Dello Russo. Anna shows off pieces from the H&M Dello Russo collaboration in the picture above. 

The collection, entitled "Fashion Shower" also includes a gilded turquoise suitcase, gold and turquoise clutches, a feather hat and alligator necklace. The designs recall the highly stylized ornamentation characteristic of the Baroque period--which is ironic because Dello Russo is celebrated for discernment and refinement in all matters of fashion and style. But, the collection is not entirely discordant. After all, Anna Dello Russo is not known for subtlety! I don't think she could have more effectively projected her exuberance for fashion in anything other than what she and H&M will be offering come October 4th. The fantastic pieces reflect the reality of an icon immersed in the alternate space that only fashion can inspire. That's why I'm looking forward to scooping up as much of her jewelery as is available!

Click "read more" below to see the entire collection and "Fashion Shower" music video directed by Alex Turvey.  Producer/DJ Emiliano Pepe turns out what's sure to become a club banger, in certain circles. View vintage Style Collaborations posts by clicking the label below!

MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK: SPRING 2013 COLLECTIONS - SCHEDULE & LIVE VIDEO STREAM

 

 

Stills from Jason Wu's Spring 2013 show

New York's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is upon us! The Spring 2013 collections were kicked off on Wednesday, September 5th, capped off by the fourth anniversary of Fashion's Night Out the following day and will continue through September 13th. Click on this link to view a live stream of the shows and check back often for highlights. What shows are you excited to see? What trends are you anticipating? I'm particularly interested in seeing how designers will interpret black and leather--trends that are having a strong moment right now (check out Jason Wu's take here). Click "read more" below to see the full Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Schedule.

GIVEAWAY: STEELITE CRYSTAL STEMWARE

 Crystal stemware from Rona, pairs well with Phillippe Starck's "Ghost Chair". A lucky reader will win six wineglasses!

Hey, hey, hey! It's been a while, I know. But, I'm back and I come bearing gifts. I've been busy  working, traveling, getting my head together . . . and trying to build up a social media presence. My Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram accounts are all live and, in the case of Myspace, still kicking. These sites* serve as a complement to my blog so please follow for frequent postings and timely content.  In any event, while in London recently, a chance encounter with another diner at 1707 Wine Bar, within Fortnum & Mason, yielded a box full of goodies for me and I'd love to share my windfall with one lucky reader. Turns out, the generous diner is the President of Steelite International America and I think we won him over with our love of food and wine (I'm sure having the blog doesn't hurt either)! Steelite is the world leader among manufacturers and suppliers of tableware and the company works exclusively in the hospitality and catering industry. I'd like to keep all of the glasses myself, but will pay it forward instead. I'm giving away 6 crystal wineglasses, from Rona -- a century old manufacturer of non-lead crystal stemware. Winning is easy! Simply log on to Facebook and like my page. A winner will be announced in a few weeks. Stay tuned!

* Twitter: @stylechile, Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/stylechile, Facebook: www.facebook.com/stylechile, Instagram: style_chile and Myspace: www.myspace.com/stylechile

STATEMENT NECKLACES

t

I can't get enough of big, bold, sparkly, statement necklaces. Adding one of these gem encrusted pieces is by far the easiest way to elevate an ordinary ensemble into the extraordinary. No need for a lot of makeup and bells and whistles when wearing a necklace like the one above. Simple, monochromatic pieces work best to showcase these beauties! Interested in trying this style? See below for where to buy.

1. Tom Binns Dumont Crystal necklace - $2,670 on net-a-porter; 2. Doloris Petunia one-of-a-kind Statement necklaces starting at  $400 on Etsy; 3.Badgley Mischka's Madame X necklace, available at Charm and Chain for $495; 4. Ben-Amun's five-strand pearl and dangling pendant necklace, $695 on Charm and Chain; and  5. Suzzana Dai's ivory windsor necklace, $470 on Charm and Chain.

BOSSY

Here it is, fresh from the pages of one of the more conservative business newspapers, a primer on power dressing for the fashion conscious career woman. According to the Wall Street Journal, today's corporate fashionista is no shrinking violet. She chooses outfits that are infused with color, unapologetically feminine, bold and understated and, of course, decidedly sexy. How does one achieve this look? Don't shy away from mixing textures, embrace accents like pleats and bows, reconsider embroidery and lace, incorporate the new neutrals, and, really, does your suit have to match?

"Borrow a little from the boys, and a lot from the girls"

But, seriously, even with powerful women like Michelle Obama, Queen Rania and Olivia Pope leading the charge, can we mere mortals get away with being fashion forward in conservative corporate culture? Obvi, the lawyer in me is screaming "it depends". That's because it does! The old refrain: "dress for the job you want" is still applicable here. If powerful women in your organization openly embrace fashion, then it's much easier to tread in the path that they've already blazed, easier still if you work in an industry in which looking fab is part of the job description, but if you work with the good 'ol boys, the risk averse lawyer in me is cautioning you not to start bucking any trends. See below for elements of a stylish and boardroom appropriate ensemble.

 Earrings: Lizzie Fortunato Left Bank earrings from Moda Operandi, $270; Purse: Alexander Wang Rocco Duffel, $875; Peplum Jacket: Alexander Mqueen, $2, 815; Shoes: Sergio Rossi black suede sandals with gold frill, $447; Baroque freshwater cultured pearls, $180.

There are ways to strike a balance, and I'd like to think that I do so. Even though the words from an ex still haunt me: "You look great, but that's too much for a law firm", and this from my main gay: "I'm worried that your outfits are too fashion-y for work". So, in truth, I save fab outfits for the weekends or after work, but I do get it in where I can during the work week: bright nail polish (and long-ish nails), great shoes (in brown, black or gray), bold bags (even in bold colors) and feminine shells (always silk or satin, sometimes with lace and bows) buried under a navy, gray or black suit and topped off with double strand pearls. That usually does the trick, or so I hope . . .

Click the label below for vintage Style Trends posts!

MANOLO BLAHNIK SAMPLE SALE

Warwick Hotel

65 West 54th Street

Thursday 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Friday 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

It's that time of year again! NYC's biannual Manolo Blahnik sample sale kicks off this Thursday, May 3rd through Friday, May 4th at the storied Warwick Hotel. Rumor has it that André Leon Talley will be on hand to dole out advice. As a veteran of this sale, I can say that it's well worth the wait. Rows upon rows of Manolos starting at $100. Who cares if they're last season's wares? Good taste never goes out of style! I will not be able to make this year's sale, but please let me know how it is!