Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle – DC Expo

This past weekend, my friends and I attended the Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle, expo in Washington DC, hosted by DC50. It was a fun event, which showcased products by Stella & Dot, Bebe, Salon Virage (along with many others), and even included a meet and greet with Nigel Barker. Unfortunately, we missed out on the meet and greet, but we did get the chance to browse through designers, watch a “What Not to Wear” type  of event on stage with stylist Monica Bartlett, and watch the fashion show (my favorite event there).

Heels.

LOOK at those heels!

My favorite dress at the event.

Fashion Show

Monica Bartlett, Stylist tips.

One question that an audience member asked stylist Monica Bartlett was, “Is it okay to wear white after Labor Day?” Her answer was that yes, white is in style after Labor Day, but there are 3 rules.

1) Don’t wear white from head to toe.

2) Mix it up (for ex: wear a white top with dark pants).

3) Try to keep white above the waist.

Of course, there were exceptions to these rules such as, if someone lives on the West Coast where the weather is significantly warmer.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Trend Alert

August is always an exciting time for the fashion world, as preparations are busily being made for fashion week and fall and winter 2011/2012 color trends are being decided. Surprisingly, color trends for the upcoming colder months (my favorite kind of weather) are anything but typical. Darker colors are out and brighter colors are in.

Colors for Women’s Wear:

Purple, Orange, Red, Maroon, Caramel, Camel, Gold, Teal

Colors for Men’s Wear:

Blue, Camel, Orange, Yellow, Teal, Chocolate

The key to the upcoming seasons is not one specific color, but instead a mixture of different hues – mix and match!

Here’s a dress I found online, that mixes two different colors very well. I couldn’t stop looking at it! I am trying to refrain from buying it…even though the price is amazing.

Spiegel, Colorblock Jersey Dress, $34

David Beckham Underwear Line at H&M

David Beckham is teaming up with H&M and launching an underwear and t-shirt line. The DAVID BECKHAM Bodywear line will launch February 2012. As the face of Emperio Armani underwear, Beckham realized there is a great market for men’s bodywear. With Beckham modeling Armani underwear, the fashion line turned over practically double in profits (I wonder why 😉 ). So many great collaborations to look forward to – Missoni + Target, and now Beckham + H&M!

DAVID BECKHAM Bodywear Line

David Beckham for Emperio Armani

Source: refinery29.com

Mademoiselle Chi Chi – Clothing Made From Milk!

28-year old German scientist and fashion designer Anke Domaske is a genius (at least in my eyes). She creates organic, ecologically friendly clothing, out of…milk! Who would have ever thought that clothing can be made out of milk, and her designs are absolutely beautiful, with simple lines, and a classy feel. I would wear every one of her pieces.

What I so admire about Domaske is her ability to balance science and fashion. She attended university for science, but never gave up her interest in fashion, and eventually combined her two interests, creating Mademoiselle Chi Chi, a clothing line made from milk.

If you are interested in learning more about Anke Domaske and Mademoiselle Chi Chi, here is a link to a video at her latest fashion shoot.

Mademoiselle Chi Chi Red Dress

Source: Gizmodo.com

Alexander McQueen at the Met

After reading all the hype about the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met in NYC, I was finally able to go last week! I found the exhibit to be interesting yet…strange, and actually a bit creepy. I know that McQueen has always been known for his controversial and shocking designs, but after seeing a number of them placed side by side at the Met, I was more or so…what’s the word…frightened? I felt like the exhibit really highlighted McQueen’s inner disturbances, which perhaps was part of his popularity. I have realized that while I call myself a “fashionista” I don’t necessarily like the “show” that goes along with fashion. This may be why I love LOFT so much, because the clothing is simple yet chic and available for every-day wear. It is much more practical.

What I was impressed with, was the way McQueen created pieces out of different textures and materials. For example, a beautiful dress out of real feathers or real flowers.

Here are a few photos of some of the designs included in the exhibit…taken before the security guard yelled at me “No photos allowed!” 😉

Feather head-wear.

Red feather dress.

Sea shell dress.

Black jacket and dress.

Asian influenced dress.

Funny Style Quote of the Day

I came across this Oscar Wilde quote today and it really made me laugh. Somebody doesn’t like fashion “trends!”

 

“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.”

-Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde

Examiner.com

Hello Friends! I have just been accepted as a Philadelphia Fashion Budget Examiner, on examiner.com. I am so excited about this new opportunity and wanted to share it with all of you. Here’s a link to my Examiner page. If anyone has an interest in writing for the Examiner, do feel free to ask me questions. Hope you are all enjoying the summer and staying cool in this heat. You know it’s hot when my little pup doesn’t even bury himself under the covers at night (that is among his favorite things to do).

Russ Trying To Keep Cool

Style Quote of the Day

“Oh, never mind the fashion. When one has a style of one’s own, it is always twenty times better.” – Margaret Oliphant

Margaret Oliphant, Scottish Writer

Look at that style! It is not easy to ride a bicycle in a dress. Margaret Oliphant was a Scottish writer from the mid-to-late 1800’s, who frequently used the name “Mrs. Oliphant” when writing.