Do You La Mode?

On August 24Th, Tarah and I attended International Academy of Design & Technology's (IADT) fashion show in Renton. You may ask yourself, why Renton? For one it is a close locale for the school as they are located in Tukwila as well as the Spirit of Washington Event Center is a beautiful venue. We decided to pay the $50 for VIP access and it was well worth the money. We were seated in the first row at the end of the right side of the stage. We could see details very clearly. For pictures go to Tarah's site. The celebrity guest who also acted as the emcee's were Nick Verreos and Andrae Gonzalo from Season 2 of Project Runway. The two of them were entertaining as well as informative as they know what they are talking about when it comes to fashion. The theme of the show was "An International Evening of Fashion." The show started in Africa with Mshgnga Drummers which was a great way to set the mood. The fashion was day wear. My personal favorite was a little white dress with a red underling and little flowers around the waistline. The winner of this category (as selected by the celebrity guests) was Elizabeth Dean with her yellow shirt dress that has blood drops on the front and the back shows 1/2 a heart and 1/2 a bloody saw. The show continued on to Great Britain with some Irish Dancers. The fashion was jacket and costume designers. The detail on these items was incredible. My favorite jacket was a turquoise overcoat with a black and white print lining. The winner of this category was Ginger Bellus with her Marie Antoinette style costume. The show next moved to the Middle East. The entertainment was belly dancers and oh how I wish I could move like that. The fashion was cocktail designers. The dresses were gorgeous. Many were items I would be very happy to wear for an evening out. I had many favorites from this line however the one that really stood out to me was a dress done in peacock colors and had a train made out of peacock feathers. The dress was unique and still elegant enough to pull off at an event. The winner in this category was Jessica Keen. She called the dress "Hollly Hobbie" with bows and ribbons. The final area for the evening was Asia. The entertainment featured Sunshine Hmong Dancers. The fashion was Evening, Ballroom & Bridal Designers. I was a little disappointed that I was already married as the bridal designs were beautiful one of a kind dresses. The winner of this category was Ava Fernandes with a princess cut strapless champagne dress with grass off the bottom.
After the show, the VIP guest were invited to a cocktail hour with food and drinks and an opportunity to meet with the designers as well as the celebrity guests. We got about 30 seconds with Andrae in which we gave out our business card and grabbed a quick picture. There was also a silent auction. I would have liked to see some of the student designs up for auction. There were wedding dresses however I am a little beyond those now that I have been married 8 years. The evening was great fun and an opportunity to see what tomorrows designers are doing.

Down Under Spa - Tacoma

This is may not seem fashion related but I guess that depends on how you look at it. My esthetician recently opened her own limited services spa in Downtown Tacoma. The name of the place is Down Under. The space is cute and trendy and has a hair salon upstairs. She specializes in professional skin care and waxing. If you are looking for a quick yet clean wax, Crystal is the one to see. She can have a Brazilian done in around 1/2 hour. Her facials are very relaxing. She has been open a little over a week and is already looking at adding some additional services. You can book services with her via downunderspa.beautybyus.com or call 253.503.6631. The spa is located in the alley of S 24th St and Pacific Ave.

Kimberly Baker Jewelry in In Style Magazine

Kimberly Baker has a pair of earrings on page 286 of the September issue of In Style magazine under the section "Fab Finds for under $100." Always good to see a local designer receiving national recognition. My understanding is that once something shows up in In Style magazine it is sold out within a month. If you want a pair of the ultra cool sterling silver earrings, you better act fast. Kudos to Kimberly Baker.

Return of the Tailor

Fall '07 is bringing back the tailored look and it seems not too soon. We are seeing structured suits and high waisted wide leg pants. This is a dramatic change from the ultra low rise pants that drag on the floor. So you may be one of those people who no matter what the regular length pants are always too long. There are a couple of solutions to this problem. First, look for brands that carry pants in a variety of lengths for example The Gap and Banana Republic. Second, shop at locations that provide alterations such as Nordstrom or Macy's, and finally if all else fails take your pants to the local cleaners. They are usually more than happy to make alterations (for a fee of course). So instead of a pair of pants dragging on the ground and looking like you have been wearing them for over a year when in reality you only wore them once, raise the hem to have them line appropriately with the shoes you are wearing and your pants can look fresh for many wears to come.

Local Designer/Boutique Makes it Big

Last week the Seattle Times ran an article "What's worn beneath surfaces at Nordstrom." The article highlighted Zovo lingerie and the fact that it will be carried in the Seattle and Bellevue Nordstrom for a trial. The lingerie is currently sold at Zovo Lingerie in University Village as well as high end boutiques nationwide. It seems to me to be a big deal that she has now gotten her line into a national high end department store. Bravo for Victoria Roberts and Zovo Lingerie. To read the article go to http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=zovo16&date=20070816&query=zovo+

What Happens in Vegas, Need Not Always Stay in Vegas!

This past weekend I went to Las Vegas for a friends birthday and to see a concert. Most people's trip to Las Vegas consists of sitting at the pool or sleeping by day and partying or seeing a show by night, that is not my idea of Las Vegas. I love the shopping. If you haven't been before, let me say, the shopping is amazing. Each hotel on the strip has some form of shopping, the best in my opinion, is Bellagio, Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, and the Venetian. I have yet to make it to Wynn Hotel. Another great place is Fashion Show Mall.

I started the shopping at Fashion Show Mall. They have a Macy's, Nordstrom, Dillards, and Neiman Marcus as the anchor stores. The mall is like getting lost in a Casino. You will see everything from the Gap to Betsey Johnson. The better part of a day or if you are like me an entire day can be spent there. The only purchase I made was at Schechers for practical purposes, my feet hurt. Being pregnant in 100+ temperatures does not bode well for the feet. After a rest and some dinner I headed to the Forum Shops. My first stop was Jimmy Choo. I thought I would try on some shoes. I did and a cute pair of black suede falts became mine when I put them on and thought I had slippers on. I avoided clothing stores as they make me cry since nothing fits me at this point. You name, Forum shops pretty much has it. I stopped by Kate Spade. They had some great handbags as well as numerous sale items. Unfortunately I didn't come across anything I couldn't live without and as stated earlier I already bought a pair of Jimmy Choo's.

Based on the real purpose of the trip, those were the only places I go this trip. As a side note, Las Vegas is a great place to people watch and get fashion ideas. You will see all types of styles as well as many non styles. The nightlife really brings out some great items as well as some really short items.

How does one know what the "new black" is?

Have you ever wondered how colors other than black are the "new black"? Think about this practically. Black is classic and versatile, not all colors can say that. When I see "Red is the New Black" I think to myself really. If I wanted to wear black and green together but decide on red in place of black, one word goes through my head, Christmas. Brown, gray and white could claim to be the "new black" as they also show signs of being classic and versatile and can pretty much be substituted anytime you would want to wear black. So instead of everyone calling a color the "new black" how about calling it the hot color for the season.
Here comes another issues related to what is the "new black." What is the best source for determining the information. In the last month alone I have seen falls "new black" defined as three different colors. Nordstrom thinks it is gray, In Style magazine thinks that it is white, and Newport News thinks that it is red. Anyother time I would probably believe In Style magazine but I am not sure white makes a great fall color. For Fall '07, I am going with Nordstrom's opinion and choosing, gray as this seasons hot, versatile color. To see some great examples check out my article "Trends for Fall" at www.urbanfashionnetwork.com anytime after August 22nd.
Talking about Urban Fashion Network.com, the site is going live on August 22nd with a launch party at the W Hotel in Downtown Seattle. We have partnered with DIFFA and their kickoff of "Party at the Mansion" that will be in October. For more information go to www.urbanfashionnetwork.blogspot.com