GenArt's Fresh Faces program has brought notables like Zac Posen, Cloak, Philip Lim (Development) and Duckie Brown to the runway during New York Fashion Week when they were mere upstarts.

This year, the 14th annual show, features JF & Sons, Ideeen, Sariah, Lialia, Richard Ruiz and Chree in women's wear; Hyden Yoo and Philip Sparks in men's wear; and Antoinette Les Designs, Deka Ray, Heutchy and TNC Studios in accessories.

Plus, for the first time, online retailer Yoox will offer select looks from one lucky designer. JF & Sons (shown at right) was selected by Yoox, GenArt and former NY Times Style Editor, Holly Brubach. (We still haven't been asked to sit on any selection committees for GenArt. Humph.)

The day after Sept 4th's runway show, 15 different garments from JF & Sons, in a full size range will hit Yoox. JF & Son is co-designed by Jesse Finkelstein and Katheryn King. Finkelstein's bio reads: "A Brown University graduate and homeland security and terrorist financing expert." Presumably, that could make make her a candidate to become a secret, undercover agent.

And keep an eye on Hyden Yoo, the Fear Factor winner who used his prize money to start a line. We imagine the runway is lot less intimating to someone who has milked a goat with his mouth on TV. Yoo built strong word of mouth with his slim fit, cropped button downs, then moved onto a full collection.

In October, Fresh Faces moves onto Chicago (Oct. 1), then Los Angeles (Oct. 10). Another notable GenArt fact: the organization works closely with Bravo on Project Runway casting.

These ultra-cool peep-toe wedges by UK designer Angeline Tournier launched her shoe label and are literally works of art - a pair is displayed in London's Cartoon Museum. That's quite a pedigree! We love the fun retro vibe and the cherry-red leather uppers. Tie a scarf on your ponytail, pull on your pedal pushers and you're ready to go!

Unfortunately there's only one pair left. If you're a UK size 37 - you're in luck! The rest of us will just have to ogle them from afar.

$258 at angelinetournier.co.uk

While browsing Endless.com the other day--which, by the way, has an excellent clearance section right now--we came across this truly astonishing pair of platform heels. Pleaser, the company that manufactures them, specializes in shoes that only an on-duty stripper can get away with wearing. But this pair, dubbed "Adore," really goes above and beyond their typical offerings of thigh-high pleather boots and faux-maribou slides.

Not only does this pair feature clear heels (which, like clear bra straps, should generally be avoided), but inside the 2 1/2 inch platforms are tiny little roses. And they can be yours for just $32.97!

If you are yearning to stand seven inches taller without the assistance of stilts, these may be the shoes for you. If you are upset that you were born post-disco era and never had the chance to wear platforms boots with goldfish in them, these may be the shoes for you. If you spend a lot of time strolling Santa Monica Boulevard at two in the morning, these may be the shoes for you. And, if you are none of these things, we hope you were as amused as we were by the fact that this pair of shoes actually exists.

We see it is literally true that everyone loves Tina Fey. And what's not to love? She's funny, clever and has that whole sexy/naughty librarian thing going for her. We agree with John McCain that she would make an exceptional Vice President, and along with him mourn that she refused his invitation to join the Republican ticket.

It looks like John bounced back well enough, instead selecting a different naughty librarian, Alaskan Sarah Palin, as his running mate. While we suspect she's not half as funny as Tina -- how could she be? -- the resemblance at times is uncanny.

Do you suppose McCain auditioned Sarah by having her do the fake news with his wife Cindy playing the Amy Poehler role?

Behold the lame!

The accented 'e' is not on our keyboards...it's so wrong but so right.

The outrageous item above is for sale from Cozettescloset--now there's a production of Les Miserables we'd like to see!

Continue reading “eBay WTF of the Day: Lame!”

All of us have days on which we stare into our closet in the same way we stare into our refrigerator, clinging to the hope that, if we just stare long and hard enough, a Snickers bar and a bottle of good champagne will magically appear. And while that trick has yet to work for the candy and booze, there are some nearly magical ways to feel like you have a whole new wardrobe without spending a fortune.

Plus, while you're out picking up these items, you can grab yourself a Snickers. It's a win/win, people.

Sarah James of The Working Closet came up with seven items you can snag for (mostly) under $40 that are sure to spruce up your wardrobe. And, what's great about her choices is that many of them can be worn with both office attire and casual wear, so you're not only getting a great deal, but also a great deal of use out of what you bought. Now that's what we call a bargain!

We're watching: The Democratic National Convention
We're wearing: Pantsuits (as part of the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits")
We're eating: Home made apple pie
We're drinking: The Kool Aid
We're thinking: Seriously, Hillary...orange?
Not over it: David Duchovny has been having more sex than a dirty politician

The importance of good lighting is often overlooked, but as all good fashionistas, like Cher in Clueless, it's vital that one not stumble into some bad lighting, if it can be helped. And when you have home field advantage, there's no reason whatsoever to have a bad lighting concept. With just a bit of planning, you can get your room to glow.

Domino has five great tips for lighting your home beautifully, and we're including our suggestions on how to best make it happen in the gallery. We'll make sure your lighting concept is hip, flattering, and completely useful!

Celebrity spokesmodels have long been used to help stores and brands gain recognition and fans. Normally, the celebrities are people we want to emulate, like Kate Moss or Angelina Jolie. However, British department store Harvey Nichols is trying a slightly different type of model -- specifically, the claymation duo Wallace and Gromit.

Continue reading “Wallace and Gromit - Britain's newest spokesmodels”