Fashion Helps Haiti Fundraiser

Just in via WWD: that in an effort to raise money to help victims of Haiti, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has designed a tee shirt to go on sale on 12 Feb at retailers across the US.

The tee shirt "Hope, Help, Heal Haiti" was designed by Peter Arnell, who designed 2001's "Fashion for America" which raised $2 million after 9/11 for the Twin Towers Fund.

Photograph from http://www.cfda.com/

Before being struck with a natural disaster of this magnitude, Haiti was the poorest country in the western hemisphere. The devastation is more than they can bear -- frankly it would be difficult for a much wealthier country to overcome -- and I'm very pleased to see that the fashion industry is rallying to help Haiti in light of this tragedy.

The tee shirt will be sold nationwide as well as on http://www.cfda.com/. Please go to their website for further details on how to purchase both retail and wholesale.

Cheers!
Suzanne

Links à la Mode ****for week of January 21st, 2010****

Links à la Mode

****for week of January 21st, 2010****

The Heavyweights

Edited by Dramatis Personae

Fashion’s getting heavier– and I’m not just talking about the rise of supermodels like Crystal Renn. This week we’ve got meaty posts covering ethical topics like the sustainability of bamboo at Awakened Aesthetic while Bonne-Vie covers the the implications of buying items made in China. We’ve got not 1–not 2, but 3 AMAZING Interviews this week at Alice in Stilettos, kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS, and White Rabbit. Even Gala Darling’s post on her 2010 Style Direction could serve as a paperweight, it’s so chock full of inspiring images, details, and notations.

As usual, there’s a fabulous collection of links in the forums for your continued reading pleasure!

Links à la Mode: January 21st

• Alice in Stilettos: – Interviewed brilliant 18 year old designer, Nathan Gerard!


• Awakened Aesthetic: – How Green is Your Bamboo?


• Bonne Vie: – At Bonne Vie, we talked about the impact of conscious spending on your wardrobe (and one girl’s journey to not buy “Made In China”)


• Cafe Fashionista: – Style Secrets: Stormy Sophistication. A comprehensive guide for the girl who wants to remain fashionable even in the midst of a monsoon!


• DailyDivaDish: – Vintage Broaches: 8 Unique ways to wear these treasures & more — includes many pics of different broaches & a DIY idea for reusing those with broken clasps.


• dramatis personae: – Following Your Instincts…When Meeting New People, When Shopping, When at Work, and When in Love


• Fashion Pulse Daily: – Ponders the significance of the C. Finley Wallpapered Dumpster Project


• For Those About to Shop: – nternational runway sensation Stacey McKenzie inspires aspiring models to be themselves.


• Gala Darling: – 2010 Style Direction: Psychadelic Ladies Who Lunch


• girl friday : – DIY Ribbon Necklace & Bracelet. tutoirial on how to make your own ribbon necklace.


• hello beauty! – In my post on Hello Beauty, I wrote about the new Bobbi Brown campaign. She’s using friends – not models.


• Idee Fixe: – Fashion and the arts charities supporting Haitian Relief on Idee Fixe


• In Life & In Fashion: – Make a “Most Coveted List” to avoid silly impulse spending! Includes tip on how to create your own list and what is currently on mine!


• Independent Fashion Bloggers: – How to Create Your Media Kit


• kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS: – My exclusive interview with Inbar Spector, an Israeli London-based designer whose renowned avant garde Bjork-inspired designs have been worn by celebrities such as Rihanna.


• Model Max: – A special report on the history of male modeling – from the 1980s to the present time, with short profiles of selected male models who remain successful even after modeling.


• Oranges and Apples: – Top tips for organising your wardrobe


• Retro Chick – The 4 things I’ve always wanted but never owned


• THE COVETED – Marion Cotillard and Franz Ferdinand team up for Dior


• the fashionate traveller: – the rock/burlesque/voodoo vibe that is alternative Sydney label Baroque & Roll.


• White Rabbit: – Introducing Sorcha Gillet, the Irish born textile designer and blogger.

Haitian Relief

The reports have been vague but its estimated that over a hundred thousand people lost their lives due to the earthquake in Haiti. Haiti is one of the poorest countries (if not the poorest) in the world and doesn't have the resources to cope with a disaster of this multitude. I also know that too many people here in the US aren't in the position to give charitable donations due to the recession. I simply wanted to make you aware of a few lesser known organizations for donations should you be in a position to make one.

Since this blog focuses primarily on fashion and the arts, here are two charities related to those fields.

The Yele Haiti is an organization which was founded by musician Wyclef Jean, who is a Haitian native and goodwill ambassador. From their website: "Yele was coined by Wyclef in a song and means "a cry for freedom." The logo means STOP THE VIOLENCE with one hand, PEACE with the other... while the heart is LOVE". You can donate $5 by texting: YELE to 501501. See their site if you wish to donate a different amount: http://www.yele.org/

"Fashion Delivers" is a fashion industry charity that came about to see if the industry could come together and do something for the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. From their website: "The mission of Fashion Delivers Charitable Foundation, Inc. is to unify the men’s and women’s apparel and home industries to donate new product in order to aid victims of disasters and individuals in need throughout the year."(Yoo hoo, H&M did you hear that? Not to mention all the other companies caught doing the same this past week!) You can also donate money if you are not a retailer or manufacturer by going to their website: http://www.fashiondelivers.org/

"Artists for Peace and Justice", from their site: "If you are asking yourself what you can do, they desperately need emergency cash - any amount. Get it to us, and we will get a hundred percent of it into the hands of Father Rick and his team, to help dig people out of the collapsed hospital and schools, to buy emergency medicine, to supply badly needed water and food, to help fly in doctors for the wounded children, and so much more." Go to their website to donate: http://www.artistsforpeaceandjustice.com/

What follows are some other ways to find charities that are also working on Haitian relief.

Doctors Without Borders. Click on the graphic above to go to their website and donate.

"Google Crisis Response" page has many different charities listed: http://www.google.com/relief/haitiearthquake/

On CNN's "Impact Your World" page they've put the charities into categories listing what they are providing such as food, shelter, etc., also including links to each charity's site: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/

XXX
Suzanne

Links à la Mode ****for week of January 14th, 2010****

Links à la Mode

****for week of January 14th, 2010****

Edited by Fashion Pulse Daily

This week, some of us looked back at icons of the past, such as // Fade to #c5c5c5's Marchesa Luisa Casati, Fabulous Finds Gal 's Horst photography post, and Cafe Fashionista's take on Diana Vreeland's famous quotes, while others looked at how far we've come, such as The Curvy Fashionista's plus size fashion observations and A Dress & A Bike 's thoughts on what it means to be sexy. Each post brought a unique angle to the subject at hand, and raised important topics of self-expression, style, adaptation, trends, individuality, and acceptance. It's fascinating to examine our own fashion-related introspection, and think about how our inner selves, thoughts and feelings, are reflected through the clothing choices we make, the pairing of certain looks, and of course our writing and blogs.

As expected, there was a fabulous round-up of links in the forum as well, all worthy of your eyeballs!

Links à la Mode: January 14th

• // Fade to #c5c5c5 - Marchesa Luisa Casati inspire artists, designers and authors till this day, more than 50 years after her death


• A Dress & A Bike - Discussion of the trends of 'sexy'


• Alice in Stilettos - Runway Review: The Colors for Spring!


• Bonnie Vie - Discussing retail hell and how both customers and sales associates can contribute to better shopping experiences for everyone.


• Cafe Fashionista - Why Don't You...? In the spirit of Diana Vreeland; a post featuring luxurious things one can do to make themselves feel fabulous!


• 'cause I'd rather waste my life pretending - Bites sized interview with Stephanie J, Editor In Chief of N.E.E.T Magazine


• Cool Mama Style - Is there an ideal pair of panties?


• Dedicated- Gets downright nosey with Nadia Izruna of the gorgeous & girly indie label Nadinoo


• Denim Debutante - teaches you about discrepancies in denim sizing


• Dramatis Personae - How to Custom Order Goods from Your Indie Friends


• Fabulous Finds Gal - Horst photography is a study in elegance, style and rarefied glamour that spanned 60 years


• Fashion Pulse Daily - Finds the Habillees series on the Sundance Channel to be the perfect elixir for another hectic fashion week soon approaching!


• Fasshionaburu - Reviews an indie label from Australia she discovered called Evil Twin


• Independent Fashion Bloggers- How to cover fashion week....when you're not there.


• Le Quaintrelle - A collection of Hermes-inspired outfits from my own closet.


• M.I.S.S. - She's Crafty - Safety Pin Epaulets & Fringe Lapel Pin


• odetoawe - Love for the movie Cry-Baby, and how to get Traci Lords' rockabilly look


• Rags to Reverie - Fantastic plastic to slip on your fingers


• Skinny Buddha - Sending out some love to the artists creating handmade items


• Style Symmetry - Interview with Audi of Fashion For Nerds


• The Coveted - Snow boots? Winter comfort or style?


• The Curvy Fashionista - Plus size fashion has picked up major steam, inspiring both yeas and nays for the latest in V magazine- stating it just a trend- or is it?

Marianne Faithfull Live at Tarrytown Music Hall

I've always found attending an event in a proper old theater to be a glamorous side dish with a heaping main course of magic. Everything about the setting reminds me of days gone by when people dressed up to attend shows in these ornate venues. The lighting, sound, big stage, and location all add to the elegance, and the live show is always the magical part. Last night at the Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, NY, there was magic afoot when the stage was graced with the presence of Marianne Faithfull.

Marianne Faithfull's first US show of 2010 was one of those shows I would categorize as outstanding. We managed to snag second row "Orchestra Left" aisle seats so we had a perfect unhampered view of the stage. Important to me as someone so petite who inevitably has an "angry giant"* smack dab in front of them! Marianne came out on stage to much applause and launched into an hour and a half of a mixture of old favourites and cover songs. We got to hear the debut of two songs just added to her repertoire as well.


The set list contained many of the covers that are on her latest album titled "Easy Come, Easy Go" of songs by Dolly Parton, The Decemberists, Duke Ellington, and Morrissey. She also included old favourites such as "Broken English", "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan", "Why D'ya Do It?", as well as the classic "As Tears Go By"; the song that started it all for her 45 years ago and stands as great today as it was then! She rounded out the set with songs such as "Sister Morphine" (M. Faithfull/ M. Jagger), "Crazy Love" (M. Faithfull/ N. Cave), and "Sing Me Back Home" which is performed by her and Keith Richards on the album. The two new songs that she debuted were "Miss Otis Regrets" by Cole Porter, and "The Phoenix" by Judee Sill.

Her voice was in top form. Although she started her career as a folk singer and her voice sounded much different; today her distinctive voice is known for being dusky and deep, with a resonance that lets you know its her and no one else in the world. Don't let that great sexy, shadowy almost sinister sound fool you though, it can turn sweet and sentimental too. While she still has those same qualities, her voice has developed a deeper tone, with more range, which gives an ever-so-slight softness to the edges. What I've always loved about her is that when she does a cover song, she always makes it her own. There is never a spewing out of the same exact song as the original. Marianne's got a great talent for giving a song its own distinct stamp, be it the musical or vocal arrangement. You'll rarely think of the song in the same way again; John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" is a great example. Frankly it grew a pair of balls when Marianne got hold of it.


Her band was tight; so tight in fact that if they did make any screw-ups on the first show of the tour we couldn't tell. Always the mark of a great back up band -- hell, the mark of a great band period! Their sound was tremendous, and was a perfect compliment to Marianne's voice; yet on its own demanding your full attention as well. Unfortunately I was clapping too hard when she was introducing them to write all their names down, so if any of you know, please fill me in! Sorry guys, you deserve better!

Lastly, I'll leave you with a little bit of a fan-girl note to give you an idea of how Marianne interacts with her audience. Before singing "Broken English", she said she needed lipstick for that one and proceeded to put on a deep, highly pigmented red lipstick sans mirror. The acoustics must have been really good, or I was louder than I thought as I reverentially said "Wow, no mirror?" I'm always awe-struck when a woman can put on any colour other than lip balm without looking to make sure she doesn't come out looking like a clown like I do when presented with the situation! To which she looked at me and candidly said "You do it by touch, don't you? You just get used to it" and then finished up her application and added "You're all my mirror" with a big smile. If we were all indeed Marianne's mirror, then she has nothing to worry about as I looked around the crowds and found the faces to be smiling with admiration and love.


Thank you to Marianne and her band for a superb evening!


Marianne's tour continues tonight at Lincoln Center, The Allen Room. For further dates be sure to check her official website: http://www.mariannefaithfull.org.uk/ where you can also find a treasure trove of information on her and her wide-ranging career in music, film, TV, and video.

To see the calendar of events and read about the historic Tarrytown Music Hall built in 1885 by a chocolate manufacturer (Westchester County's Willy Wonka? ha!) go to their website: http://www.tarrytownmusichall.org/

Cheers!
Suzanne
*inside joke -- but this honestly happened, and might possibly be documented on film no less!

Links à la Mode ****for week of January 7th, 2010****

Links à la Mode

****for week of January 7th, 2010****

Bring It On

Edited by Dream Sequins

My job as editor this week was difficult as many bloggers decided to follow the fierce directive of that cult cheerleading movie, Bring It On. It’s a new decade, and the IFB community decided to “bring it” and then some. (Just to clarify, I’m talking about the original movie starring Kirsten Dunst, and not the subsequent, watered down sequels; because as fashion bloggers, we all have original stories to tell!) This week’s links explore topics such as winter trends, vintage fur care, biker chic style revelations and profiles of 70s and 80s style icons and are so good that they make me want to lead the group in a cheer.

Links à la Mode : January 7th

• 39th and Broadway – NYC Brings Opportunity to Emerging Designers


• A Typical Atypical – My style revolution takes me into the realm of the biker chick, and doesn’t look back!


• amanda lee dot org – Essential sewing skills for wardrobe maintenance


• Bobbins and Bombshells – Fashionable History – Airline Travel


• DailyDivaDish – Indie jewelry designer Debra Mitchell’s newest piece: Tibet. Part of the new SALVAGE line, this necklace is convertible and each contains a piece salvaged from Tibet.


• Darian Darling – The blonde fashion icon of every 80’s Hair Metal skank and rock star’s girlfriend!!


• denimaniac – Woolrich Woolen Mills S/S 2010 Lookbook


• Dream Sequins – A studio visit with designer Katie Gallagher


• Fashion Pulse Daily – We Love Colors will fulfill your legwear fantasy, as Fashion Pulse Daily quickly discovers!


• ferOHHHsh – Bryce d’Anice Aime S/S 2010 RTW … chic LBD’s, pops of red, and those spiked shoulders Rihanna made famous


• Gotham Hipster – Once you’ve indulged in Babycakes there’s no going back


• HiFashion – How to roller set your hair


• Idiosyncratic Style – The Personal Style of Costume Designer, Melissa Stewart


• Oranges and Apples – On the importance of critique in fashion blogging


• Retro Chick – 5 New Years Resolutions you can’t fail to keep


• sighsandwhispers – A history and analysis of the style of a notorious teenage groupie in the 70s, Lori Maddox


• Style on a String – An interview with Judy Kou, owner of the fabulous online dress shop – Sunday Brunch Dress


• Styletastic – We’re finding it hard to adjust to a new year at Styletastic, but here are some things we can all look forward to!


• The Bargain Hunter Extraordinaire – I already knew I was going to wear a black sequins belt and beret for NYE, but I wanted some fun shoes to add to the mix; I couldn’t find anything I liked though, so I decided “when in doubt, make your own”


• The door in my wardrobe – How to choose a vintage fur and take care of it – plus DIY repairing & maintenance for the brave of the heart


• wit & whimsy – The winter trends you should be wearing

Whoa, Marianne Faithfull Playing Locally!

So how crazy is that? I do a post featuring one of her songs, then literally the next day find out she's playing just a few towns away! Damn I am one crazy manifesting witch! (Okay so some would replace the "w" with a "b", but it still fits!)

She will be performing at the historic (and quite beautiful) Tarrytown Music Hall, in Tarrytown, NY on 12 Jan. I believe there are still tickets available, try here. We were able to snag second row seats, so excited!

Cheers!
Suzanne one very happy Punk Glam Queen!

New Year's "Yves"

Sorry for the terrible pun, how could I resist?

My YSL shoes arrived on the 3oth and wanted to be worn immediately, however the weather didn't comply. So I wore them on New Year's Eve instead. The dress was picked up on the 29th when my friend Barbara & her daughter, the PG Princess, PG Husband, and I ventured to Manic Panic HQ so the girls could have fun buying dye and makeup. There just happened to be a sample sale clear-out of another friend and well we all came away with some great goodies along with our Manic Panic stash which I'll do a post about later this week.

Yes, more leopard. I'll never get enough of it! The dress is great, has chains for straps that connect with wee handcuffs and teeny little studs around the hem, armholes and neckline! Still needs a bit of taking in, but it was good enough as is for a house party. You can almost make out my Wendy Brandes swear rings on my right hand. I wear them nearly every day!

Voila! They are a slightly darker, more brick colour. So comfy too!

Side view. The toe and platform are closer to the true colour.

From the back. (Don't mind my crooked seams... champagne was being imbibed!)

Slightly better photo showing my antique bat pin worn as a necklace. I also had piled my hair into a messy top knot which included a black Manic Panic hair strip. I pulled some strands out and had them hanging off to the side. (Oh dear, you can really notice the few glasses of champagne when looking at my eyes!)

They'll also be worn tomorrow night to a semi-formal function we are to attend. I'll try to get more shots... I just love them and my Clinics (thanks to Queen Michelle!) both so very comfy and have great style!

Cheers!
Suzanne

What a Waste!

I loathe reading stories of corporate waste like the one in yesterday's NY Times about H&M and a contractor for Wal-Mart that routinely destroy unsold clothing and add it to landfills rather than donate it to charities that help the poor. What about worry for the planet and recycling? I suppose neither company knows we have a recession going on with record unemployment? Not to mention NY has one of the coldest winter's in years with more homeless than ever? And to think that the HQ of New York Cares is just around the corner repels me even further. I don't shop Wal-Mart because of their policies on pretty much everything, but I will now be adding H&M to the list unless they rectify the situation stat. Read the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/nyregion/06about.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Thanks to WendyB for today's update: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/hm-says-it-will-stop-destroying-unworn-clothing/

Happy 2010! "My Frends Have"

Consider this my once-yearly sap-filled post. You've now been warned!

This time of year we see many bloggers as well as traditional media come out with their "best of" lists. We're also inundated with New Years Resolution lists. I have no problem with those types of lists; its a simple case of the fact that I'm not very good with them and they don't seem to do much to help me (especially organizationally) so generally I eschew them as useless for myself.

I've always skipped the resolution lists; my style has always been to fill various notebooks with lists of a different ilk. I enjoy writing down ideas, everything from travel dreams and personal goals; to ideas for fun things I'd like to do with the Punk Glam Princess; to planning a special night out with my husband; along with renovation and redecorating projects. You'd be amazed at how goals -- even silly ones -- manifest quickly after making lists like this. The PG Princess and I started an idea book filled with fashion, sewing, needlework, and DIY projects. When she gets the urge to do something creative, I try to have her flip through that first, then vintage fashion and craft books so she can get her creative juices flowing. (The PGP has become quite good at using the sewing machine solo and most recently figured out on her own h0w to use my serger!)

Instead of "best of" or resolution lists at this time of year I muse on my loved ones, and friends both old and new. I've been fortunate in '09 to make some extraordinary new friends and been lucky to keep up the my older important (to me) friendships. I've pondered the ways they've elevated my life, and how I want to spend more time with them. I hope I've brought as much joy and love to them as they've lavished on me. I also use this time to release the toxic people from my life that keep me from loved ones I very much want to see and spend more time with.

This song "My Friends Have" by Marianne Faithfull -- I believe written by PJ Harvey and produced by Nick Cave -- always reminded me of family and friends, both new and old and rather than make a list, I think those of you reading this will know that I mean you.




So here's to a brand new year filled with potential, and hope! May the world be a better place for all its inhabitants!

Cheers!
Suzanne