Royal Pains – Where’s the Heir and the Spare?

Text, Vivian Kelly

Last night, I did something embarrassing, After the Gym, I dropped into Stop & Shop to buy egg whites [still following those Dukan Diet menus] and left with the Globe. I ate the $3.79 price for the Fleet Street style rag because the cover moved me.

“William’s Wife Snaps! Kate: ‘Now I know how Diana felt’

For the Globe, the article was surprisingly thorough.

The spread [p. 34-5] did a nice job comparing and contrasting the two Royal Brides’ respective experiences in the Royal pressure cooker.

In 1995, years after her glittering 1981 wedding, Diana famously ripped the façade off about her “perfect life” and told all to BBC’s Martin Bashir on the Nov. 20 edition of its critically acclaimed news show Panorama. The interview shocked the world. In it, Diana talked about her struggles and unhappiness, including: depression, bulimia, and multiple suicide attempts, and her affair.

The interview marked her emancipation from the Royal Family, but she only got to enjoy her freedom for two years. After a night of clubbing, she and her boyfriend, Dodi Al Fayed were killed in the collision in a tunnel under the Place de l’Alma in Paris. According to an article in BBC.com, ”The princess’ Mercedes car was apparently being pursued at high speed by photographers on motorbikes when it hit a pillar and smashed into a wall.”

Back to the present. In a way, Kate’s got it worse, as she’s nearly 30 and that old biological clock has started ticking away. The Globe piece makes mention of “her staggering weight loss that has sparked fears she is anorexic. She down to a shocking 98 lbs.”

Time to add a few carbs to the Dukan diet, Kate.

The obsession with producing a boy child was one of the central topics in the wildly successful ‘The Tudors’ Showtime TV series. King Henry went as far as acknowledging one of his mistresses’ sons, giving him the title of Duke and installing him in a gorgeous country castle. It was hard not to be moved by his pain when the adorable boy died of the plague at age five. Henry even had the love of his life, Ann Boleyn executed because she couldn’t deliver a boy. Even Kings don’t get everything they want and Henry finally settled on Elizabeth as his heir, treating her better than anyone else, and rather like a boy.

Maybe some of you can’t bring yourselves to empathize, but consider this, “the heir and a spare” syndrome is one many women who are not Royals also face. In fact, not producing them can be a deal breaker in a marriage. Some women [myself] produced the heir and spare, but they were girls. Many non-Royals consider their families dynasties of sorts and openly admit to “trying until I get the boy’, some even resorting to years of agonizing fertility treatments.

Unfortunately, The Globe isn’t yet giving it away, hence no Internet link I can share with you, but here’s a pic of the cover.

I hope next time I read about Kate she’ll have put on a few pounds, and that the Royal Handlers will let her live a little. Shame on them for not letting her a little fun on her recent trip to Hollywood!

Better still, they should allow Kate and sissi Pippa go on a weeklong good will tour of the USA, hitting the major Cities: NY, LA, Chicago, D.C. Now THAT would be a real crowd-pleaser and do great things for the Royal Image.

Carolee’s Lux Sandstorm Summer Collection and White Glove Customer Service – Dan Bracciale, of MAC Cosmetics all at Bloomingdales’

Text, Vivian Kelly

I don’t like department stores. That sounds un-American, but my dislike of warehouse sized shopping extends to include Home Depot, Macy’s Herald Square, and until last week, Bloomingdales’ on East 59th Street.

Nevertheless, I ventured in with my Jr. Editor and Daniel Ortega, a professional soccer player, who was in town and who felt like shopping for watches and sunglasses.

Before inspecting the sunglass selections, we dropped into the Carolee/Dior Beaute in store event, because:

1.It was intimate – it was held in a small curtained-off back room, and not open to the G.P.

2. Paul Wilmot’s team has never put on an event I did not enjoy and blog about.

We were late, but got a one on one with Carolee’s Director of Marketing and PR, Nancy Risdon, who couldn’t have been nicer and who graciously gave us a mini preview of the Lux Sunset Stones Collection designed by Carolee jewelry designer Seung Hye Choi.

The summer jewelry is pretty and the subdued jewel tones and antiqued gold treatment are a great finishing touch to the white and cream clothes we’re wearing this summer. Better still, it’s divided into 4 categories to fit the look you’re going for. My favorite for summer were the carnelian and pumpkin beaded pieces that are just the right thing to wear with this summer’s long dresses. Worn on their own, the dresses can look TOO boho and a bit downmarket. If you add a necklace and bracelet from the Sand Storm grouping however, the look is transformed to hippie chic. Think Talitha Getty, Allegra Hicks.

Before leaving, we stopped to sample some Dior Beaute and to chat with Tanya Pack, who was demoing and explaining Dior’s latest skincare and summer color palette.

I loved the anti aging trifecta from Dior’s Capture Totale Skincare line Tanya demoed on me and the fact that a bottle lasts for nearly a year! You only need 2 [yes, TWO] drops of the “One Essential” toxin remover and “Super Serum” which you apply on top of it. Once Tanya was done, my skin felt as if she’d just performed a 45 minute hydrating facial on it.

[see Video in an upcoming post, which shows Tanya demoing the specific application process. Also visit her beauty site, Fancy Face Artistry, in which she gives all sorts of helpful makeup advice. I'm now a subscriber!]

I’ve saved the best part of our Bloomies’ adventure for last. Here goes.

Our Jr. Editor, Juliette, didn’t fare so well, and had a mild allergic reaction to Dior’s hot “Color in a Flash” product. After a panicked visit to the Ladies’ upstairs, to wash it off, we spotted a mini MAC Cosmetics counter, mercifully far away from the bedlam at the main downstairs beauty jungle.

We asked MAC Makeup artist, DAN BRACCIALE, if he could cleanse her face, after explaining what had happened.

He was friendly and empathetic. “I know, if it’s free, I’m the first one to try it. Why not, right?” He was also generous with his time. Dan cleansed and spritzed away, using the sensitive skincare products on the line, describing them as “meat and potatoes skincare”. The result? Calmed-down kin with a gorgeous dewy glow.

During the process, we got to know him a bit and discovered that he is a performance artist, painter, and more, in addition to being a slam dunk makeup artist.

He’s also honest. I picked-up the mauve I’d been eyeing in the capsule Surf collection as he worked on J. “No, not unless you wear some eye shadow.” We started in on the topic of the latest collection’s packaging. None of us liked it. The photos on the signage – great, but the graphics on the tubes were we agreed, “kind of Old Navy-like, not MAC.” All of us were crazy for past capsule collections such as Barbie love MAC , Tartan Plaid, and Wonder Woman.

Dan approved the Viva Glam VI I pulled out of my pink Prada bag. “Perfect, this color is great for everyday, nothing else needed.”

Approval! Music to my ears.

He invited J. to come back when she had a special event to get her makeup done. This is an invitation we’re actually going to follow-up on. Gems such as Dan are a store’s most valuable currency. Good, really good, customer service is hard to find. When MAC’s next Limited Edition drops, we’ll pop into Bloomingdales’ and go upstairs to visit to compare notes and buy another lipstick and some skincare products.

The HUNT – Deja Vu – Pucci, Chloe and More

Text, Vivian Kelly

You already know that I’m a fan and frequent shopper at Déjà Vu’s Portchester, NY location for many reasons.

THE GOODS

Designer junkies, everything there is designer – no Talbott’s or Ann Taylor or Banana Republic, thank you. Instead it’s Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Burberry, Chloe etc etc.

THE PRICE

Price matters. I’m one for finding a diamond in the rough and bestowing it with some TLC [repairs]. If I wanted something that was in mint condition, I’d buy it at full retail. That however goes against my Yankee thrifty streak and my checkbook just can’t afford it anyhow. Sometimes, though, the item is mint – like the Chloe bag in the Video below.

THE SALES STAFF, ie: Inga and Regina

Inga is a gem. She’s someone who could “sell ice to Eskimos” and she knows how to layer a sale like the sharpest sales associates at Bergdorf. The mark of a great sales person is that they do not allow you to spend your money on something that doesn’t suit you. THAT is called building a long term relationship.

The owner, Regina, knows her fashion and helped me identify a phoney Chanel bag I bought at a vintage fair with the understanding that it was the real deal. It took Regina 5 seconds to determine that it was not. With her verdict, came 4 things that were “wrong” with the bag.

Although I was heart-broken, I recovered after she showed me a puffy navy nylon Chanel – a Lily Allen cocoon bag. She reduced the price a bit and a few weeks later, I owned a REAL Chanel. It’s currently my favorite bag.

Most recently, I dropped in to see if there were any long flowy dresses on the floor or an amazing bag. Paydirt, on both scores.

In the Video below, Inga shows-off a mint Chloe bag with whipstitch detail and a vintage Pucci dress that’s ideal for my upcoming Miami trip.

Father’s Day – Celeb Stylist Robert Verdi Picks 10 Top Gifts

Text, Vivian Kelly

Are you a Jonny come lately when it comes to gifting? I am.

I’m suffering from gift-giving exhaustion. It seems we’re gifting year-round. With summer comes: Graduation gifts, Wedding gifts, summer Birthdays, a few baby showers, and probably a few I’ve forgotten to metion.

Next up is Father’s Day. It’s not as if my inbox isn’t bombed with suggestions from the likes of Radio Shack, Lands’ End, and even Williams & Sonoma and innumerable smaller companies making suggestions. Scanning through, nothing “spoke” to me.

Do my Father and my hubby really want a grill set or a tie?

No, they do not.

But really, there’s got to be something out there that my guys would find amusing, want to own and wouldn’t max out my Gold Amex.
My annual conundrum was solved when Ashley of Robert Verdi’s office sent over Robert’s picks via a funny video full of great gift possibilities.

True, Robert is a celebrity stylist but maybe your Dad would like the same thing as the heavy hitters on his gifting suggestion list.
WHO’S ON ROBERT’S CELEBRITY DAD LIST
Barack Obama

Tom Cruise

David Beckham

Matthew McConaughey

Seal

Johnny Depp

Hugh Jackman

Charlie Sheen! [This one was a surprise, I had to read it twice to be sure I read it right]

WHAT TO GET, AS PER ROBERT

Click HERE to Watch the video and find out. THEN, decide which guy most closely resembles your Dad and go get it. Time is running out!

As for me, those blue tinted Carrera sunglasses are a win-win. Dad can wear them, and so can you!

**Send TheFashionE and comment about what YOU picked-up for your Dad this year.

Hot Summer Nails – Chanel, OPI, and Essie too

Text, Vivian Kelly

Suffice it to say that nails are an area in which even the least adventurous of you can have fun, especially when it comes to toe polish. For summer, Chanel came-out on top but there are some cheaper alternatives at OPI from their “Pirates of the Caribbean” collection that work.

I decided on a more muted color for my hands - OPI’s Dulce de Leche as a Sixties’ type ladylike nude that style icon Gloria Guinness may have liked.

After surveying my white and beige summer wardrobe though, I decided that I really NEEDED Chanel’s Morning Rose or Mimosa for my feet. My legs are still too pale for the Essie Tart Deco I put on yesterday. The latter is a color that’s meant for well-tanned skin. What tipped the scale for me re the Chanel, was a blog entry from fashion polish which showed the bottle and how it looked on someone’s hand…surprisingly, great! It was worth my $26 and change investment.

The next day, I sped over to Lord & Taylor and pre-bought “Mimosa” [a Seventies' smiley face yellow] but sadly, it was “a fail” on my nails. As a pedicure color however, it gets a big thumbs up, especially if you’re sticking to this summer’s nude and white clothing palette. Mimosa makes for a great color shot. Let a great polish be one of your key accessories this summer.

Polish is just the beginning of some affordable accessories for summer.

What else? Coming soon: Tignanello offers equestrian bags in a variety of stylish silhouettes including the crossbody, satchel and backpack shapes seen below. My favorite is their utility flap satchel with a pretty inner lining that looks a bit like Etro. For $89, it’s a great option for the money. All of the Tignanello bags in this grouping retail for under $100 at Macy’s.

Next, consider picking up some costume jewelry. I’ll be checking out the latest from Carolee as well as some Dior makeup tonight after the Carolee/Dior event at Bloomingdales’ NYC, and be reporting back to you. I’ve got my eye on the Seventies’ inspired cabachon drop earrings in turquoise, but will also have my eye on some pretty classics for every day.

All Aboard with Douglas Hannant on the USS Intrepid: Resort 2012

Text, Vivian Kelly

As you can probably surmise, I’m all aboard with Douglas’s latest collection, which I guest blogged for my friends a The Fashion List.

The 6:00p.m. show was feel-good and over the top in the best way possible. It was great to see a bit of Eighties’ style excess back on deck. Maybe it was the “look at me!” orange-red lip or the models’ “modely” exaggerated walk or the champagne pre-show, or a combination of all of the above.

Runway Image, shot by Fan Wu, The Fashion List

In any case, Douglas’s statement post show. “I don’t think that I can ever do another resort collection for the rest of my life. After this!” makes perfect sense. Partner Frederick Anderson’s acquiring the 3rd floor flight deck location for the show made DH Resort 2011 a winner before I even saw any of the clothes. The stainless steel dogleg in the invite was also another nice touch. I miss interesting invites such as these!

Watch the video below, to hear Douglas’s thoughts post-show.

Pretty for Summer: Beach Babes at Shiseido, MAC and Chanel

Text, Vivian Kelly

This summer think of your cosmetics color palette as SURF + TURF. This does not mean cosmetics companies want you to look like a lobster or like you’re trying to recreate the colors of a tequila sunrise on your eyelids. The eyes have it though. Your lipstick should be bare and shimmery.

To explain: The surf part is the beautiful navy blues on tap such as Shiseido‘s liquid eyeliner. It’s surprisingly easy to apply and even if you muff it as I did today, you can smear the mistake away. Better still, it stays on nicely even if you’re exercising. It survived a workout of 30 minutes on the VersaClimber and 30 minutes of free weights. The only other things you need to complete the eye look are some gorgeous eye shadow shades and some bullet proof mascara. Shiseido is again the source for that. They make it easy – there’s only one palette [yes, one] to choose from, but it’s got the right terra-cotta and navy colors in it . You are good to go with “Night Sky” eyeliner and “Pink Sands” shadow palette.

The mascara’s that has the right stuff is Dolce & Gabanna’s waterproof version. It’s a minor luxury but getting to hold the rectangular gold wand makes it worth the price. Saks Fifth Avenue has an amazing selection and if you can get to the Fifth Ave. flagship, do. It’s worth it for the decor and the experience.

For lips we had to venture out to the Dept. stores and to le Mall. MAC’s selections were more daring whereas Chanel’s were softer and less dramatic. Both are beautiful and completely wearable.

SO, what to wear with all this gorgeous new makeup? Watch the vid below, for some suggestions.

Don’t forget the nails! Hot summer nails are the subject of a post later this week.

Mrs. Brown Makes her Debut – Duckie Brown for Women

Text, Vivian Kelly

I’ve always loved Duckie Brown. First, it was about the clothes, after experiencing my first Duckie Brown collection thanks to Tim Blanks and Beth Blake urging me to watch that long ago show. It was extraordinary, even back then, because Steven Cox and Daniel Silver dared to propose that men should be adventurous in their daily dress, have fun getting dressed. It worked because the clothes were wearable and beautifully tailored, something that is indispensable to the well-dressed man. Sure, there were a few styles that only the most evolved males would “get” – thus the strong Japanese following. Every season, I fell in love with at least one item that hit the runway: a sweeping apple green coat, a gorgeous white cashmere coat, drop crotch pants I’d trade in for women’s harem pants – any day.

Then, after a few years I got to meet the designers and was honored to get an inside look at the 2 brains that are collectively, “Duckie Brown”. Back during the Holiday Season, they told me there would be a Mrs. Brown, and I ran a piece about it here, on The Fashion Examiner.

LINK:

Mrs. Brown was however, not ready to come-out officially, so we’ve had to wait.

TODAY, is the day. It is official. Front-page official, on WWD.com. Mrs. Brown has made her debut.

The first line of Vanessa Lau’s article best describes the Duckies’ unique aesthetic – “Duckie Brown’s Steven Cox and Daniel Silver have always been fearless with their men’s wear designs, openly flirting with what some might dub more feminine overtures…”

I had much the same experience during my pre-show interview back in February, minutes before their men’s fall2011 show. What Marc Indelicato said about why he liked Duckie [enough variety to appeal to his many sartorial moods] struck me. His male/female look kept me sneaking glances at him while I waited to talk to Daniel and Steven. There was something there. Androgyny perhaps? I decided to explore the question of androgyny with the duo.

I wasn’t happy with the term “Androgyny”, as it seems dated and brings to mind my poster of the priceless Grace Jones, in “Nightclubbing” which hangs in my house. Grace did it well back then making men and women both want to wear those sharp-shouldered pant suits.

The current Duckie silhouette though, is softer and I could easily see myself in those slouchy pants – a refreshing alternative to skinny jeans. No?

Watch the video below to see what the Duckies have to say about this topic.

Viva la Duckie!