It Bag: Viktor & Rolf Bombette Bag

I'm currently obsessed with Viktor & Rolf's Bombette Bag ($1,995) which is a huge contender for "It" bag of the year. Everyone from Cate Blanchett to Gwen Stefani has been seen carrying it around. While I'm not usually one for the most on-trend accessories (such as the celebrity obsession with Proenza Schouler's PS1 bag or the Chloe Paddington), Viktor & Rolf is different because they're interested not in selling to mainstream luxury buyers but the few who get their boundary pushing aesthetic. This bag perfectly matches their minimalist architectural design ideas with mainstream luxury.

 The supple leather, understated sophistication, functionality, structural clasp - it is a masterpiece in modern luxury! It's described as the perfect balance: roomy but not cumbersome, simple yet eye-catching. It is perfect for storing just about anything and goes well with most outfits.

I can't seem to find this at most of the regular retailers but I'm told there is inventory at select Neiman Marcus so call to find out!

CR Fashion Book

What a feat for Kim Kardashian, who (surely with some pull from boyfriend Kanye West) secured an editorial and the cover of ousted Vogue Paris Editor, Carine Roitfeld's magazine CR Fashion Book. A party was held in Paris to celebrate this issue. The shoots was styled by the Kaiser Karl Lagerfeld himself. Not bad for a girl who first got press for being Paris Hilton's buddy then for the sleeper of a sex tape.

Mr.Porter Expands into Men's Grooming!

What an exciting time it is for men! Mr.Porter will officially launch it's grooming department online this October. Current selections include Aesop, Perricone MD, Malin+Goetz, and Le Labo. I love the focus already on current, niche brands including some of my favorites: Aesop and Le Labo. I'm really hoping they can go for newer niche brands like they do with their clothing selection as the current line-up resembles that of Barneys. Here's to hoping to seeing lots of great things happen!

A Fetch Moment: Reed Krakoff

Every season, I am glued to New York Fashion Week coverage, it's like the stock market only with fashion designers. Last seasons darlings can take a stumble (Rodarte) while others triumph and feed their brand even more. Reed Krakoff is one such designer who I used to lump into the startup pile with Simon Spurr and Rag & Bone due to their new brand appeal but with Simon Spurr falling apart, there doesn't seem to be a real heir to this throne left by the Proenza boys that bridges the ideas of modern, high end, and commercial.  

 

Between his gigs at Coach and his acclaim in handbags, Reed Krakoff has a tough balancing act, be approachable enough for the masses, show off the bags that he's gain recognition for, but also highlight the ready to wear element and create a direction for the clothing.


While the clothes weren't 'show stoppers', they impressed me for their fluidity and soft feminimity that drew comparison to Chloe, Celine, and even Jil in it's minimalism. I'm real excited for the future of Reed Krakoff, and he seems to be smart enough to not make the mistakes that have been the end for other emerging labels.

Green Beauty takes over New York Fashion Week

Although not a purist green beauty consumer, I do love my high-end green brands. This year they've come together for the event A Night for Green Beauty on September 4th at the James Corbett Studio in New York. Participating brands are listed above, but in addition to beauty, participants are also treated to refreshments provided by Pressed Juicery and consultations by make-up artist to the stars, Katey Denno. Although this LA college boy cannot attend, I know this is going to be the biggest news in the green beauty bloggersphere which many avid bloggers flying in just for this evening.

Victoria, co-founder of La Bella Figura Beauty

This event is hosted by La Bella Figura Beauty who see this as an opportunity for brand owners to interact directly with their customers in the very niche green beauty world. They're based out of Chicago and is run by Victoria Fantauzzi and Karen King. They're teaming up with their friends, the green brands that extend from other skincare companies to make-up companies, including a few of the founders below:

By Row: Vered Back, May Lindstrom, Katherine L Heureux of Kahina Giving Beauty, Dr.Alkaitis,
Suzanne LeRoux of One Love Organics, Sasha Plavsic of Ilia Beauty, Anne De Mamiel, Adina Grigore of S.W. Basics

Phew quite a few lines right? It is sure to be a huge gathering with bloggers and reporters from No More Dirty Looks, The Chalkboard Magazine, and Well+Good! I'm so amazed by the supportive community that the green beauty movement has behind it and I urge everyone in New York to go check it out! For many in fashion, this is the night before New York Fashion Week starts, so you can attend without missing other events!

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Update: As a few of you pointed out to me over social media, not all green brands are participating in this event including Marie Veronique Organics, Intelligent Nutrients, Rahua, Tata Harper, and YULI. Obviously this type of event isn't going to have 100% of the brands due to all the logistics involved (the sheer fact that there are about 15 different brands participating is SOMETHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT)  and the fact that some brands could be working on other projects. I'm all but certain that Tata Harper and YULI will indeed be preparing for their own Fashion Week events based on snooping around their social media.

Tata Harper

Tata Harper has in the past worked with Zac Posen, Catherine Malandrino, and Peter Som and I fully expect similar fashion week endeavors for this season. The model at the bottom is using Tata Harper's oils from the Catherine Malandrino presentation, and to the left is a Tata Harper staffer giving facials at Peter Som. Given the launch of her superserums, I'm expecting even more of a kick for this fashion week. Tata prefers to give facials and relaxing treatments, and prefers to work with brands who are known for their elegance and classical sensibility.   

                                    

Here's a staffer applying the aromatic stress treatment backstage, much needed for the hustle and bustle of a fashion show!

Here's a picture posted on Tata Harper's facebook that Zac Posen instagrammed of her eye cream so there is definitely a lot of love from both sides. I'm predicting rebooking from these three labels and maybe more? Regardless, it's clear that Tata Harper who recently launched at Sephora and has been taking shelves at Neiman Marcus has made clear her intention of departing from the rest of the green beauty field and is setting her sights on the mainstream big boys. 

YULI

YULI is quite an enigma: a quiet stealth brand that doesn't do PR, yet is crushing it when it comes to niche luxury, with a dedicated cult following and making fans of the next wave of cool kids from the fashion industry. They're firmly establishing themselves in this space and based on their social media, it's all but certain that they'll be working with Bergdorf Goodman's newest menswear designer Marlon Gobel formerly of Michael Bastian and Thom Browne who is speculated by many American menswear journalists as the 'next big thing':

They also run tight with editor-in-chief Sarah Hay (in collage above with Chanel muse Irina Lazareanu) from Milk Studios and iD magazine, who last season tweeted a picture and a solid recommendation of their line while chilling at her office at Milk Studios in between video interviews with ASAP Rocky and live streams of fashion shows from emerging designers such as Suno and Cushnie et Ochs. And similar to the Zac Posen-Tata Harper relationship, they seem to have a great rapport with Barneys and Saks newest pick up, wonder-kid designer Alexander Lewis, who similarly posted this pic to his instagram from his trip to Bahia:

I'm predicting a great season for this under-the-radar brand that has captured the heart of the new guard of fashion's zeitgeist attaining the coveted adoration of the difficult to impress crowd while simultaneously attracting a dedicated growing cult following of performance seeking green beauty customers (the most selective if you ask me) all without press coverage! One thing is for certain, their path is one that is all their own, and this makes them one of the most exciting brands to watch.

SK-II Facial Treatment Mask

For the Patrick Bateman in all of us is this iconic SK-II Facial Treatment Mask available at Sephora for $125 for 10 sheets. These are the standard for which all sheet masks are compared.

I must admit, this summer for my various travels I relied on these delicate liquid masks to keep my skin moisturized and radiant. I used it all the time on flights and yes you will get some stares but your skin will thank you and the stares you get later from people wondering how your skin looks so gorgeous from all that travel is more than worth it if you ask me.

Pitera, SK-II's signature ingredient from sake ferment is especially concentrated in this mask. Pitera is especially plentiful in Vitamin B and organic acids that rejuvenate skin.

What more can I say? Go pick up a 6 pack or a 10 pack, and indulge your inner vain investment banking sociopathic self (Patrick Bateman reference).

The Only Red is Ellis Faas Red

Beyond fetch ad campaign from one of the coolest makeup brands, Ellis Faas. Her cosmetics have a very grotesque-chic quality about them, with colors inspired by universal bodily colors like blood. Prior to starting her self-titled line, Ellis Faas was a makeup artist who specialized in special effects, thus the inspiration for a line inspired by colors that exist in every body. Besides the cool influence and brand, the packaging is one of the best I have ever seen, so go to her website to learn more about her products and where you can purchase them.

http://www.ellisfaas.com/