My NYFW Fall 2017

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I made my return to New York Fashion Week this season and I couldn't be happier. Gone are the long days at Lincoln Center and I'm very okay with that. Hello Manhattan! It was fabulous to hop around the city, with my partner Alex, from show to show. 

On the first day that we arrived to NYFW, timing got the better of us and we missed the Jill Stuart presentation. (So) we gratified our hunger and then hit the streets. Later in the day we attended some of the Art Hearts Fashion shows at the Angel Orensanz Foundation, followed by our support of a couple of Art Institute of Atlanta students who were showing at a smaller venue. By then end of the night, Alex and I were whipped from travel and runways and decided to turn in... of course, not before enjoying some NYC thin-slice pizza! (Don't worry, we walked nearly nine miles that day!)

The next day, Sunday the 12th, we started out at the Pier 59 Studios where we caught a glimpse of Fern Mallis and a couple of runway shows. (See runway finale videos above.) VERDAD, made its NYFW debut to a roaring crowd and Custo Barcelona shimmered with metallics and lames. These were both very exciting, chic and modern runways. 

Oh, I forgot to tell you, that on the first day, as we were "Lyfted" to our hotel - ROW NYC, very very noisy place, don't stay there! - I spotted a pair of designer pumps clacking down the sidewalk to a limo. As my eyes wandered upwards, it was la fabulosa Nina Garcia! The celebrity designer sightings continued with Alexander Wang walking out of Barney's as we were walking up and a priceless visual of Queen DVF herself holding court on a white leather club chair at her showroom. Across the street from DVF is Jeffrey, so of course, we stopped in. We met up with Jeffrey Kalinsky and chatted for a bit. He is celebrating 25 years of Jeffrey Fashion Cares in Atlanta this August - kudos!!!

Monday morning began with an appointment at the Frye Corporate offices. Their offices are on the 60th floor and there was a wind advisory in effect... Yikes! So what that the building was swaying...this was one of my fave stops on my NYFW tour! The Frye Company's Director of Marketing & PR is a super genuine, gorgeous and lovely person who carved out a very generous hour+ to meet with us and show us around. The rich leather scents throughout were fabulously intoxicating.

By late afternoon, our next runway was Sherri Hill at Gotham Hall. Famous for her prom and pageant-wear, the designer presented evening looks that sparkled with sequins, beadwork and glam. Real Housewife, Lisa Rinna and hubby Harry Hamlin walked past me after the show. I recognized the razor cut hair and signature LIPS. The front row for Sherri Hill looked the the cast of Pretty Little Liars and Mean Girls.

We ended our evening back at the Art Hearts Fashion shows. I stood next to the jewelry designer for Rich by Richie Rich and had a fun chat about him and his show which I had an invite to but I wasn't up there yet.

February 14th rolled in. It was Valentine's Day and our flight was at 4:45PM. We made a decision to skip fashion shows and enjoy a day to ourselves. After checking out of the hotel, we took a car to Little Italy where we feasted on authentic pasta dishes and red wine. Happy Valentine's Day to us! To walk it off some, we wandered into Crate & Barrel where I noticed a ridiculous line of teenagers waiting to get into a showroom - there was a huge freakin' line with bouncers and security as all this teen spirit eagerly awaited entry into Kylie Jenner's Pop Up Shop... whatevs. Alex and I went somewhere better and with no line - the Acne Studios showroom.

NYFW came to end for us - though it's lives on through my collection slideshows! I'm already dreaming of NYFW September...

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RUDY’S BARBERSHOP COMES TO ATLANTA’S PONCE CITY MARKET

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On March 1st, west coast brand Rudy’s Barbershop, known for its quality cuts and line of superior products, will open their first Georgia location at Atlanta’s nationally acclaimed, mixed-use community hub Ponce City Market.

Since 1993, Rudy’s has reignited the barber shop concept by offering unisex services in a creative, raw and vibrant environment. Step inside any Rudy’s location, and you will find a curated blend of art and music alongside high quality products and services. The brand creates a sense of community and place in each of their shops spread across Washington, Oregon, California, New York, Tennessee and now Georgia. 

“We’ve been looking at Atlanta for a while. It’s such an amazing city, especially the Old 4th Ward neighborhood with its rich history and creative energy. Once we heard about the Ponce City Market space, we knew it was a perfect fit for our brand. We think there’s a big opportunity for us to find a strong customer base in the Atlanta region” – Brendon Lynch, Rudy’s CEO. 

The 1,477 square-foot Atlanta shop will be led by an experienced stylist from Seattle and will feature seven barber chairs and a variety of grooming products for men and women, including Rudy’s own brand as well as top brands like BYRD, Baxter of California, Bumble and bumble, Reuzel and Malin+Goetz. 

Services include a buzz cut for $15, short cut for $32, long cut for $45, beard trim for $10, bang trim for $10, color starting at $90 and a blowout for $35. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are encouraged and can be booked on RudysBarbershop.com. 

In preparation of the opening of their brick-and-mortar location, Rudy’s will host a special pop-up shop within Citizen Supply, a curated artisan marketplace located on Ponce City Market’s second floor, from February 18th through February 25th. During this time, the brand will offer their same quality cuts and superior products to Citizen Supply’s consumers during regular store hours: 10AM-9PM Monday through Saturday and from 12PM-8PM on Sunday. 

Following their pop-up, Rudy’s will celebrate the official opening of their space with complimentary cuts all day on Wednesday, March 1st. In addition, there will be a grand opening party that evening with drinks, music and free food. The event is free and open to the public. Rudy’s Barbershop at Ponce City Market will be open 9AM-9PM daily. 

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How Fashion Design and Store Interiors Come Together to Make You Buy

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The world of fashion and design is in a constant state of flux. It moves at a lightening pace and it if you aren’t paying attention you could miss something amazing. There are tons of different ways that fashion inspires and ignites excitement and it is different for everyone.

One thing we can all agree on however is our love for luxury designers and the movers and shakers that turn vision and art into reality.

Fashion and Retail Interiors

You know how you feel when you step into your favorite designer’s flagship store location. Not only do you love the fashion but you probably love the way things are presented as well.

The CEOs and their respective design and marketing teams all know how important store layout and design is to overall brand aesthetic. They also know how it affects and drives retail sales and their bottom lines.

Most retailers spend hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars each year on teams of in-house visual merchandisers to ensure that their collections are being presented with the proper aesthetic, with attention to each new line or collection, and how to showcase the features and benefits of each garment to their customers and clients in a way that will maximize sales opportunities.

There are reasons why everything looks so beautifully presented when you enter your favorite retail establishments. Having amazing product is one piece of the puzzle, but having an irresistible presentation and store interior design is something else entirely.

Peter Marino is the world’s most sought after fashion architect and he has earned that name through flawless execution of store design for some of the toughest and talented designers and companies.

Everything that you see, feel, hear and experience when you walk into that luxury store location is purposeful and extremely planned. From the layout of the selling floor, to the lighting, interior design elements and how you are meant to move throughout the boutique, all play on your senses to make you fall in love even more.

Think about the emotional responses that you felt the last time you walked into your favorite store on Fifth Avenue. The entire experience is meant to be a sensory journey and in fashion design and architecture you need to nail it every single time.

Fashion Designers

Some of the world’s top fashion designers have developed their brands into all-encompassing lifestyle brands launching collections that include everything from ready to wear and accessories to home collection and interior design elements.

Designers are no longer creating only one classification of products to sell, but rather creating a full concept of lifestyle fashion that their faithful followers can display throughout all aspects of their lives.

Brands like Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, Versace, and Armani have all been successful with opening their design repertoires to include everything from fine china to bed linen, offering their client full immersion in their worlds and a direct route into their client’s homes and hearts.

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Lady Gaga's Super Bowl Halftime Show 2017

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Lady Gaga sparkled, glistened and shined, literally and figuratively, as she flew through the air during the Super Bowl halftime performance. Dressed in Atelier Versace, Lady Gaga belted out some of her classics like Poker Face and Bad Romance. She danced, lit up the stage and had two costume and make up changes. Her outfits were a tribute to the late great David Bowie and one other statement Lady Gaga made was in her choice to start the Super Bowl halftime show with God Bless America and This Land Is Your Land. Lady Gaga slayed with a truly epic, entertaining and exhilarating show.

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#BTS with Doggies on the Catwalk at Swoox

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The Doggies on the Catwalk photo shoot is always one of my favorite parts leading up to the event. It's fun and spontaneous, regardless of how much planning, because the pups often want to strike their own pose.

We scheduled the shoot for the ad, which will run in several of Modern Luxury's publications and in various media outlets, last week at Swoox. The curated consignment boutique, located in Buckhead, served as the ideal backdrop for the shoot. I wanted a casual look in a posh setting - Swoox was perfect - Jenn Balcos from Swoox, who is walking the 'catwalk' this year, made sure of that. Alex Page, also walking the 'walk' was there to oversee, manage, style, curate and most of all, support his boyfriend - Me!

This would be the third time photographer Tomas Espinoza shoots the Doggies on the Catwalk ad. He's got a keen photographic vision and the talent to back it up. The final image will most definitely be out-of-this-world! 

Last, but most certainly not least, Grace Murphy of Canine Assistants brought her army of handlers and furry friends - two Golden Retrievers and one Golden Doodle - all service dogs of course. When the doggies weren't modeling, they just laid on the Swoox floor and napped.

I styled the shoot to embrace an athleisure aesthetic by wearing a cashmere hoodie from Kit and Ace, slim cut trousers by Theory and for a pop of color and wow factor, tapestry-made kicks from Monck Mason. My jewelry was David Yurman. I reclined on the Swoox sofa while Tomas strategically placed the dogs around me. They loved the camera and posed like the rockstars that they are!

Doggies on the Catwalk is on May 6 at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. I'm very proud to announce that it is our tenth anniversary! Please support us and buy your tickets. HERE

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KATE UPTON wears LA PERLA for final LOVE advent video

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kate upton la perla fashionado

The final film from the magazine's calendar event features Kate Upton wearing the LA PERLA Lace Story Balconette Bra in Leavers Lace, which is available for purchase at www.laperla.com. The lightly underwired, petal pink balconette bra features fine, floral Leavers lace inserts to the cups, offering an element of ‘conceal and reveal’ which runs through the Lace Story collection. 

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Melànie D Design Luxury Diamond Collection Brings a Personal Touch and Story to Jewelry

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Melànie D. Design, a luxury diamond jewelry brand based in Atlanta, Georgia, will introduce its new collection on Saturday, January 14, 2017 at an exclusive location. The launch will give a sneak peek into the collection's unparalleled pieces, which are exquisitely crafted using the finest materials.

Melànie's artistic journey began with the loss of a diamond in a ring her mother gifted her after the untimely death of her father. Seeking to replace the unique stone, she located a jeweler in California to handle the repair. As Melànie conversed with the jeweler, he asked about the history of her ring—she shared the story of her father. The jeweler asked her to send him the ring and days later returned it to Melànie with the signature two teardrop diamonds once again in place.

The jeweler informed Melànie that there would be no charge for the repair, but instead he asked for one of her drawings in return. During the repair process, he noticed her incredible talent for design and asked for more jewelry sketches. "I started sketching and inspiration just took over," says Melànie.

Unique in concept, Melànie D. Designs are all custom made. From the beginning of the design process, clients share their personal stories and memories that evolve into one-of-a-kind, wearable works of art.

"Designing is a spiritual experience for me and every piece is a highly personal labor of love," says Melànie.

The Melànie D. Design debut collection includes necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings fit for any occasion. Distinct features include the exquisite details surrounding the mosaic pave design, and the Bird of Paradise Motif (Melànie's father's favorite flower) that she incorporates into several of her key pieces.

For more information about Melànie D. Design, please visit http://melanied.design/

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