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Justin Giunta of Subversive (who won the CFDA Swarovski Award for Accessories Design in 2009 and Ecco Domani”s first ever grand award for accessories design in 2008) has been in the news quite a bit lately as he was just appointed to be the design director of jewelry at Tory Burch. Great choice TB! Luckily Giunta will continue designing his own line and I imagine he”ll bring a welcome young edge to Burch”s accessories. A prime example of one of the designer”s designs is this Subversive Gold Tropical Treasure Necklace ($575). Yes there”s a lot going on and no not everyone could pull it off, but it”s original, distinctive and an eye-catching statement piece. I could see this looking great against a white tee, paired with black skinny pants and high, high heels!

By:  Ms. Jewel Snob                        Source

Oscar de la Renta instinctively understands the needs of the modern woman.  Feeling that fashion jewelry is very of the moment and that most women don”t always want to be wearing something precious….. he called upon his long time friend, Loulou de la Falaise to collaborate on a fashion jewelry line.  Of course, when two iconic fashion figures join forces, the result can be no less than spectacular.  Like all of Mr. de la Renta”s work, the pieces are inspired by the
places he calls home and the many global cultures he has long admired.  The Silk Coded Necklace (above) will be moving into my jewel box soon.  The Smoke, Ivory and Matte Espresso Beads lend a tribal chic vibe yet is sophisticated enough for a night out in the city, all I”ll need is the taffeta sleeveless dress from ODLR resort!  $790.00

This Corded necklace is based on Oscar”s embroideries done in India. With
the piece, Oscar wanted to bring his technique of twisting fabric to
the jewelry. So, the necklace is based on the idea of twisting metal. Then
the jewels were applied in much the same way that Oscar embroiders
fabric with crystals.  Silver Silk Corded Mixed Metal, Silver Lame, and Multi Bead Twisted Necklace.  $990.00 (jump for more!) 

Continue reading Oscar de la Renta by Loulou de la Falaise Jewels.

By:  Ms. Jewel Snob                        Source

The moment I saw this bag I thought two things: “This has Rihanna written all over it” and “I can”t responsibly recommend a Plexiglass clutch that costs as much as a Birkin in these economic times.” My compromise? To merge the two. So file this one under “Bags I Love from a Design Angle.” Silvia Venturini Fendi is without a doubt a thinker”s designer; she is, after all, the woman responsible for such one-name wonders as the Baguette, Ostrik, Spy and Peekaboo. Capitalizing on the huge trend of Lucite and Plexi accessories for spring, this Fendi clutch is clean in its design–two sheets of Swarovski crystals encase this lightweight and simply shaped piece of eye candy. But take a closer look and you”ll notice areas where crystals are missing. Injecting a twist of irony, this clutch is purposefully missing Swarovski crystals where your hand/thumb, on one side, and four fingers, on the other side, would hold the clutch. For evenings out, it comes with a detachable chain strap. Some may think it”s a bit kitschy, but I love it. It is a true conversation piece. But be forewarned: with its see-thru design, you may spend more time thinking about what goes in it than where you”re going!

$5790 available at Fendi New York 212.759.4646

By:  Bagsnob                        Source

Last night Chloe & I went to a bridal fashion show. After munching on miniature red velvet cupcakes & being saddled with excellent gift bags (which included every kind of shoe insole possible — I can totally use these — & Essie nailpolish, etc.), we decided to go somewhere & get a drink.

We stumbled out onto Madison Avenue, which smelt like burnt toast. I don’t know the area very well, but I remembered that the New York Palace was nearby. I stayed there in May 2008 & it was really the start of my New York love affair. Oh, how things have changed in less than two years!

After making our way along to the hotel, we took a couple of seats at Gilt & ate (me: grilled cheese sandwich with black truffles & french onion soup [aka The Gossip Grill], scotch + ginger ale; Chloe: dirty martini, oysters), before sneaking into the ballroom to take pictures…

It was big & fancy.

I wore…

Black wool hat from Visage (I told you I was wearing it every day! I love it because it dresses everything down, which you need sometimes)

Violet ruffle dress bought at a strange shop on Broadway (I have really “had my money’s worth” of wear from this thing)

Studded belt from Forever 21

Black angora cardigan by Kimchi Blue

Black sequinned knit open cardigan by Forever 21

Black ribbed stockings

BCBG Mendel booties (mmmmmmmmph)

Betsey Johnson watch

Hello pony foot! Just call me Mr Ed!

Laughing at Gilt. Look at all the men in SUITS! Mr Works-On-Wall-Street over there is totally thinking, ‘Who is this nut?’ Meanwhile, I am eating a bread-stick & oblivious.

P.S. Gilt comes hiiiiighly recommended. I had never been there before, & even though we were obviously not the usual clientele & were only eating from the lowly bar menu, they were still really rad to us. They plied us with free drinks, didn’t charge me for my meal because it came out late, & served us caramel popcorn in a little silver dish. Word. Plus, it is really beautiful inside. Look! So cool. Last night, that plastic thing was lit up turquoise.

This photo makes me think of girls who put posters of boys they like on the wall. “Oh he’s so DREAMY!“ Hahah!

All photos by Chloe, who I love. Expect many more collaborations from us in the near future!

By:  Gala                        Source

(images/info from www.nikkei.co.jp)

Kanebo Lunasol will release its spring 2010 makeup collection in Japan on January 15th. The purification theme continues, and the theme for spring 2010 is Scenic Purification. Each of the five Nature Color Eyes palettes portrays one of the five scenes of nature (sea, greenery, earth, sand, and flowers).

The full lineup includes:

- Nature Color Eyes (5 variations)
- Shining Water Eyes (5 shades, limited editions)
- Full Glamour Lips G (10 new shades)
- Full Glamour Gloss N (5 new shades)
- Contrasting W Lip Liner (3 new shades)
- Coloring Cheeks (3 new shades)

(Shining Water Eyes)

At the moment, I am warming to the two neutral-toned Shining Water Eyes shades. Since they are limited editions, I will have to make a relatively quick decision….

(Please have a look at this post for the link to the five Nature Color Eyes palettes and this post for the link to some swatches.)

By:  PJ                        Source

Like us you probably need a miracle potion to sort out all the damage inflicted on your hair from the cold, dry weather, not to mention all of the teasing, blowdrying and colouring you”ve put your hair through to keep your coiffe in style for the party season.

We recently tried the Anti-Frizz Spray Laminator Shine Mist from Citre Shine - which was as simple as spritzing post-styling - and were pleasantly surprised by the results. Hair came out with a nice glossy sheen and it helped to tame the frizz and annoying baby hairs that tend to pop up after drying. The only drawback is that the product doesn”t really mist too evenly, so if you don”t comb it through with your fingers, you could easily miss a few spots.

We liked it as an affordable option to those more expensive gloss treatments you can get at the salon, and it actually leaves your hair smelling quite nice too!

By:  Source

“Despite an intriguingly familiar title and a story that hinges on a journalist at a powerful newspaper who is jailed for refusing to name her source, Nothing But the Truth has nothing to do with you know what or who,” writes Manohla Dargis in, well, you know where. “To be honest, I was looking forward to watching a movie about Judith Miller, the former reporter from the New York Times who in 2005 was jailed for contempt of court after she refused to cooperate with a grand jury investigating the outing of Valerie Wilson (a k a Plame) as an operative for the Central Intelligence Agency….. I”m not really sure what [Rod] Lurie, whose previous films include The Contender, an exploration of female political power and its threat, believed he was saying in this new film. Nothing but the Truth has nothing much at all to do with the historical record, which wouldn”t be bad if it offered something persuasive and worthwhile in return, like a reckoning of journalism and its abuses.”

Updated through 12/20.

By:  dwhudson                        Source

I have a Blogger account. I've been busy, so I haven't published anything there for about two weeks now. I've skimmed through my terms of service in the past and nothing in it has every led me to believe that Google (who owns Blogger) would protect my identity if I did something that had legal implications. And I can't think of a circumstance in which a contract with someone would reasonably obligate them to hide impede justice on my behalf.

I'm talking about the Rosemary Port story, and the anonymous blog she ran called "Skanks in NYC." Port profiled Liskula Cohen (see Wikipedia). Mashable gives a taste of the post (which has now been taken down):One quote is enough to show the nature of the blog: "How old is this skank? 40 something? She's a psychotic, lying, whoring, still going to clubs at her age, skank."Long story short: Cohen asked Google to tell her who the blog belonged to. Google refused. Cohen went to court and got a Manhattan judge to order Google to reveal the blogger's identity. Google complied. And that's how we all know Rosemary Port's name….

A couple of thoughts:

Steven Hodson at the Inquisitr asks the question: "Since when is calling someone a skank considered defamatory?" He probably thinks the question is rhetorical. I've decided the term itself has a vague definition, and that the vagueness is useful for people who employ the term. I suppose the question of whether the term is defamatory or not may get settled in court. But defamation usually not about one word in isolation.

Privacy is not that clear a right in US law. The University of Missouri has this discussion of the issue: The U. S. Constitution contains no express right to privacy. The Bill of Rights, however, reflects the concern of James Madison and other framers for protecting specific aspects of privacy, such as the privacy of beliefs (1st Amendment), privacy of the home against demands that it be used to house soldiers (3rd Amendment), privacy of the person and possessions as against unreasonable searches (4th Amendment), and the 5th Amendment's privilege against self-incrimination, which provides protection for the privacy of personal information. But the idea that you can publish your opinions on something for the public to see and then claim that act to be somehow private in nature seems contradictory. People don't try to attract an audience because they want privacy.

Americans have come to believe that the First Amendment protects all speech. It doesn't. It protects certain types of speech that are in the public interest. You can't just say whatever you want and expect it to be covered by the First Amendment. Libel is not covered by the First Amendment.

We're not talking about a blogger revealing human rights abuses in some communist country, or even a corporate whistle blower revealing the unsafe behavior of some conglomerate. We're talking about whether some blonde model is a whoring skank who can't act her age. Not much public benefit in resolving that issue. And it won't make me feel any less safe in America if a.) Cohen sues Port and wins and b.)Port sues Google and loses.

Am I some radical right winger who doesn't understand the value of free speech and how anonymity on the web helps protect it? No. I'm an active Democratic Party member who holds a position on my local party committee. I'm a card-carrying member of the ACLU. And I'm a teacher, responsible for teaching Internet etiquitte and acceptable use to tomorrow's bloggers.

You can read more on the Liskula Cohen story at Wired: Threat Level, Mashable, and Search Engine Land.

By:  Paul                        Source

$375 at Neiman”s.

By:  Ms. Jewel Snob                        Source

Once our professor told us, success isn”t about working hard, but it”s about working smart. And these “Smart Concepts” help us to work better. There may be numerous smart concepts out there and this post can go on endlessly; what we have here are a few of those which got our attention.

Baggler: This unique device was created to help people manage and carry their bags with ease. It keeps the handles secured without getting entangled or items falling out of the bags, so no rolling groceries, and no uneven distribution of weight.

Coffee Carrier Bag : Who among us isn”t aware how difficult it is to carry two cups of coffee which are filled to the top, managing the car keys & all? Here”s a smart solution: the carry-bag for coffees!

Ping Pong Door: Designed by Tobias Franzel, it functions just like any ordinary door and when needed it turns into a ping-pong table.

(Image credit: yankodesign).
(Image credit: odioentrenar).
(Image credit: newlaunches).

Ironing Board Mirror: An interesting concept by designer Aïssa Logerot, this innovative mirror can be used as ironing board when it”s tilted and secured on horizontal position. According to the designer, “this object is a link between two consecutive actions: iron clothes and dress up.”

Space Saving Clothes Hanger: It”s multi-tiered, saves you space and allows you to organize your closet more efficiently. Which means less wrinkles and you can put up to five clothing items on one hanger.

Clever Alternate Uses Of Everyday Objects: A Swiss graphic design company “Atelier v” has come up with some really interesting & alternate uses of the everyday objects like the ones shown below. And here are many more such ideas.

Storage Staircase: An excellent option for storage; each step has its own drawer. They were made by an Australian company, Unicraft Joinery.

By:  Venus                        Source