Ashley Greene
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dawn@belladawn.com
Stylist ~ www.dawndelrusso.com
Blog ~ www.myintimateaffairwithfashion.com
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To learn more about Manchester Public Relations feel to email me at nadiamurdock@manchesterpublicrelations.com
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My Lovely PR Assistant Brette:(**Brette’s favorite designers are Diane von Furstenberg, Coco Chanel and Monique Lhuillier.)
This summer I have been lucky enough to land one the best PR Assistant’s. Brette Kreyer has been working with me for a little over two months. She is a recent graduate from St. Bonaventure University with a master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. Brette is currently working and living in the Buffalo metropolitan area and is looking to shift her sights to New York City as she moves forward in her career. Since joining Manchester Public Relations Brette hopes to be able to apply her marketing experience and education to grow in the public relations field as it relates to the fashion industry.
Brette has been inseparable from her iPhone and has not been able to put it down. She has discovered some great applications and wanted to share the fun fashion one’s!
Scoring a front row seat at a high fashion runway show in Milan and Paris takes celebrity status or knowing the right people…until now. Phone applications now put the latest trends and styles at your fingertips.
Brands like Diane von Furstenberg and Chanel have begun creating applications that can be downloaded to iPhones and Blackberries so you can maintain your fashionista lifestyle from any location. These applications give viewers access to videos and photos from the world’s hottest fashion shows, blogs from designers and editors of today’s most popular magazines and online stores that allow you to purchase your favorite items from your palm.
These applications can be downloaded for free or for as much as $8.99 each. Here are the top 11 fashion applications downloads to iPhones, according to NBC New York. (Descriptions taken from iPhone applications.)
1.) Gilt on the Go – Free
Finally, fashion that goes wherever you go.
Break free from your desk with the Gilt on the Go app. Shop for today’s most coveted fashion and luxury labels at prices up to 70% off retail, no matter where you are. Be the first to enter sales and score the styles you want.
2.) Style.com – Free
Style.com’s iPhone application allows you to see the latest runway shows, right in the palm of your hand. Download now for the newest ready-to-wear and couture shows, exclusive party photos, and the Style File blog. Your device will be automatically updated to always display the most current coverage. In addition to perusing every look from New York, London, Milan and Paris, you can also stream and watch Style.com’s entire library of runway videos.
3.) Stylebook – $3.99
With Stylebook, you photograph your clothing – which the program (rather magically!) automatically silhouettes – and then use the pieces to build new outfits. Brilliance!” – Lucky Magazine
4.) Feather Report – Free
If you’ve ever checked the forecast and wished the weatherman would just tell you what to wear, Feather Report is your place. Each day, Feather Report breaks down the weather forecast into style inspiration that actually makes sense. Fashion + Weather = Feather Report.
5.) Glamour Ask a Stylist – Free
Got a fashion question? Get an instant answer from our style experts — before you go out. Just take a picture and ask your question to receive an answer from our real stylists, in minutes. So whether you need advice getting dressed in the morning or deciding what to buy at the mall, Ask A Stylist, your handheld personal stylist, has you covered.
6.) Lustr Fashion Finder – Free Currently for New York City and Hamptons, only.
With Lustr, you’re officially a fashion insider. You’ll always be the first to know about special promos, sample sales, events and real-time offers from the stores and designers that you love. Plus, the power to create a shopping experience is all yours. There’s never been a more effective tool for style seekers who want access to fast changing shopping terrains.
7.) Tiffany & Co Engagement Ring Finder – Free
Find your perfect engagement ring with Tiffany & Co.’s Engagement Ring Finder. Browse styles, view actual carat weights, determine your ring size and learn why a Tiffany engagement ring is the best there is.
8.) Lucky at your Service – Free
Brought to you by Lucky magazine, LUCKY AT YOUR SERVICE is the first-ever digital shopping concierge. Shop Lucky’s favorite products from your iPhone, and we’ll track them down at a store near you, check availability, and even put them on hold for same-day pickup!
9.) Gap Stylemixer – Free
Swipe your way to perfect style with this fun social shopping app. Mix and mach clothes, share outfits for feedback, and by favorite pieces straight from your phone.
10.) Etsy Addict – $0.99
Discover the handcrafted goodness on sale at Etsy.com with this handy tool! Etsy Addict gives you a quick and efficient way to access Etsy.
11.) eBay Fashion – Free
With eBay Fashion, you can browse and buy from the world’s largest selection of new, designer, branded, and vintage merchandise, with millions of listings for clothing, shoes and accessories. The app’s Fashion Vault offers exclusive, limited time sales on clothing and accessories from today’s leading designers. The CLoset gives you a place to save all your favorite items that you find in the app. Then you can create outfits and looks by mixing and matching your items with the outfit builder. Use it with your phone’s camera to “try on” anything you find! eBay Fashion is your destination for clothing, shoes and accessories.
With these fashion-worthy phone applications, everyone can look and feel their best everyday. Download one and try it out!
Got questions about this post? Contact Brette at brett.kreyer@gmail.com
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at nadiamurdock@manchesterpublicrelations.com
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With the new season of Project Runway airing this Thursday on Lifetime July 29 at 9/8 ET/PT, I thought it would be interesting to highlight some of our favorite past contestants. We all remember Nick Verreos, take a look at the interview below that my business partner Beth Anderson of Chic Galleria did.
Since competing on season two of Project Runway, Nick Verreos’s career has flourished into something he had never dreamed of. A lover of fashion since the age of four, Verreos never thought that in addition to having his own successful clothing line Nikolaki with his partner David Paul, he would one day be fashion expert and red carpet personality for E! Entertainment, a prominent stylist and a designer for celebrities the likes of Heidi Klum and Kathy Griffin. His vivacious personality has made him a stand out amongst the fashion world and with many exciting new projects already underway, it seems this designer’s star can only get brighter.
CG: What has been the most rewarding part about all of the opportunities that have come your way since being on Project Runway?
NV: The most rewarding part of being on the show is this “side career” that I never expected to have, of being called upon as a “Fashion Guru”/Fashion Expert and Red Carpet Personality. As a designer and as a Fashion Instructor, of course, I feel I am capable but I never expected that it would have been a result of being on Project Runway. I did the show in hopes of winning and getting the money to show my collection and back my clothing line. But all this that has happened since [Project Runway] has been incredible and very unexpected.
CG: Your label Nikolaki experienced a great amount of success. Can we expect to see another collection soon?
NV: Yes. In fact, I will be debuting my next Spring 2011 Collection at the Second Annual Orange County Style Week at the Irvine Spectrum on October 1st. I hosted a Fashion Competition last year for OC Style Week called “The Needle & Thread” Contest and I was very impressed on how the entire production and event was organized. It was very New York Fashion Week! This year they have invited me and sponsored me to show my next collection so I will be the “Star Designer” for the entire event. I am so excited. So mark your calendars: Oct 1st!
CG: Where do you get your inspiration for the Nikolaki collections?
NV: I’m inspired by my travels (last year I went to the Amalfi Coast in Italy and I am going back again in one month) and my upbringing in Venezuela. I also love visiting museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the DeYoung Fine Arts Museum in San Francisco and the Queen Sofia Museum in Madrid. I am inspired by art, sculpture, the Mediterranean, South Amercia and the Spanish Royalty that’s always featured in Hola Magazine Go figure!
CG: You have worked with many celebrities such as Heidi Klum, Eva Longoria and Kathy Griffin. If you could choose, what celebrity would you most like to dress?
NV: Of course I love dressing Heidi Klum, but if I had my choice, I would love to dress Penelope Cruz, Charleze Theron or Queen Rania of Jordan. But designers hardly ever have a choice unless you are a multi-million dollar brand like Christian Dior or Yves Saint Laurent.
CG: Which do you prefer: designing or styling?
NV: Designing hands down! I love the whole process. From sketch to drape to pattern to muslin fitting to cutting – I love every thing. You just don’t get that process with styling. Styling is about spending 14 hours in four different stores and shopping. It’s cute when you’re shopping for yourself. Not cute when you’re doing it for someone else, unless the client is paying you a lot!
CG: In addition to being a designer, a stylist and making appearances on television programs and at events you are also an instructor at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise in Los Angeles. How do you balance it all?
NV: I have a fabulous team behind me: My partner in life and Nikolaki design partner, David Paul, as well as a great manager and agents who, somehow, make it all work. I don’t get a lot of sleep and, yes, I have a permanent bottle of Pepto Bismol next to me. But if having stomach pains and a lack of sleep are the only problems I have while making women smile and look fabulous and hoping to inspire at least one student into being the best they can be, then bring on all the Pepto Bismol bottles darling!
CG: Did you always know that you wanted to work in fashion?
NV: Yes! Since the age of four, I was always drawing. And I would draw women in fashion! My first muses were flight attendants. My dad was a diplomat and we always traveled. But yes, I wanted to be a Fashion Illustrator in the beginning but a high school counselor told me there was “no money in that.” So then I figured I would learn the craft of being the “complete fashion designer.” I could draw better than anyone else in high school and college, but then I went to school at FIDM to learn how to sew, make patterns, drape and try to learn a little bit of the business.
CG: Can you tell our readers about some of your upcoming projects?
NV: I am so excited to have just made a gown for Miss Universe 2009, Stefania Fernandez, that is inspired by the new fabulous Orbit Gum wrappers and now they are flying me to Miami in the second week of July to create another dress for the Latina Orbit Gum Girl. I will also be walking the red carpet of the Latino “Teen Choice Awards” (Premios Juventud) on July 15th and will debut the dress on national television.
I have also being invited back to lecture for Miami University of Ohio’s Europe Summer Program and will be in Florence, Italy to speak there. I am working on my new Spring 2011 Collection, a possible line for QVC and I have filmed three television pilots. So hopefully you will be seeing a lot more “Nick” in the near future.
To keep up with all things Nick Verreos follow his blog Nick Verreos: Where Style Happens.
Interview by: Chic Galleria magazine
If you have any questions or wish to contact me please email me at nadiamurdock@manchesterpublicrelations.com
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SONYA VAJIFDAR is now stocking at 11 high-end stores in India, including some of her top collections. Currently working with client’s form the UK and Canada SONYA VAJIFDAR is expanding the visibility of her line in order to reach women everywhere. To learn more about Sonya and her innovative designs continue reading!
What is your background in fashion design?
I have studied in Milano ,Italy for three years in a school called Instituto Europeo Di Design and did a course in fashion and textile design . I secured 82% in my finals and then went on to work with a French company–Estrele. On returning to India I worked with a well known Indian designer. Soon after that SONYA VAJIFDAR was launched.
When was your fashion line created?
SONYA VAJIFDAR was launched in May 2009.
What are some of the popular fashion trends where you live?
Like all over the world fashion trends are continuously changing in India as well. The only difference as I see it is there is a bigger market for resort wear, brighter colours and more embellishments.
Your rainwear is very unique, how has the public responded to these fun creations?
I am the only designer in India to have launched a designer rainwear collection, which was desperately needed, especially in my city-Mumbai. We have three months of monsoons. The public has responded very positively, two stores have actually launched the collection and we have had a press meet as well. My rainwear designs have been featured on 3 TV shows.
For more information on the company as well as the designer please visit www.sonyavajifdar.com.
Below is a clip of Sonya on Star TV in India. She also makes raincoats for the man in your life and man’s best friend, check it out!
For all wholesale purchases please contact me at nadiamurdock@manchesterpublicrelations.com
To grab some of the looks featured in this video make sure to visit Dawn’s store Bella Dawn!
Dawn Del Russo
Fashion & Lifestyle Stylist & Founder
Bella Dawn Boutique
dawn@belladawn.com
Shopping ~www.belladawn.com
Stylist ~ www.dawndelrusso.com
Blog ~ www.myintimateaffairwithfashion.com
www.twitter.com/dawndelrusso
‘I’m never content with what I do. I live in a sort of permanent dissatisfaction. I think that’s the secret to doing things well’ ~ Karl Lagerfeld
To add some versatility to my blog I thought it was important to get the perspective of a fashion forward individual from somewhere other than LA or NYC. Continue to reading to learn more about Trasi Kromer and her column “Inspiration in Profusion”.
Trasi Kromer is the author and photographer of an inspirational fashion + lifestyle blog called, Midwest Couture, launched in July 2009. With an eternal love for high-end fashion, she wanted to share her personal style and inspirations of the moment. Serving as a powerful creative outlet, Midwest Couture allowed Trasi to rediscover her passion for writing complimented by a newfound talent behind the lens. She is a Columbus, OH transplant recently returned from an adventure in NYC, living out loud…aspiring to become a writer and professional photographer.
Hailing from the Midwest with a wardrobe belonging in NYC, it was an opportunity of a lifetime to have briefly called myself a resident, truly experiencing fashion in the big city firsthand. A trip to the Brooklyn flea market introduced me to the controversial ‘hipster’ style, while a walk down Prince St. in SoHo showed off the best of sophisticated city chic. Midtown Manhattan is a combination of trendsetters…not to mention the occasionally spotted fashion maven dripping in head-to-toe couture I could only dream of owning someday. That Parisian look of perfect layering and raw edges…a seamless combination of texture in neutral tones…standout, effortless, and incredibly sexy.
New York posed a challenge to further experiment with my personal style, offering such an overwhelming access to fashion…amazing samples sales, vintage shops, street fair finds and an impressive array of specialty boutiques – apart from the Fifth Avenue and Madison scene. One moment I went from sticking out in the Midwest – with an extensive Jimmy Choo collection and affinity for Rick Owens, to blending in while living within Manhattan.
Immersed in fashion overload, I observed quite a few prevalent accessories in the city…oversized scarves, statement bags, wellies and classic fedoras. Important staples to any fashionista’s wardrobe, scarves are tragically regarded as simply cold weather wear in the Midwest. I practically live in a lightweight, fringed cashmere Faliero Sarti…the perfect compliment to everything from tailored dresses to a white t-shirt, skinny jeans and stilettos.
New York women invest wisely in big, high-end designer handbags. Below the sea of buildings, the city streets flow in Balenciaga, CHANEL, McQueen, Hermes and Miu Miu…a diverse palette of fashion eye candy rather than signature Coach and Louis Vuitton. A statement bag is just that – timeless.
NYC moves quickly…trends are born one day and die the next. I spent every fleeting moment walking the streets…taking in the city, completely fascinated by the different personal styles. My favorite was catching a glimpse of ‘old New York’ from the window of a speeding cab. A woman dressed in vintage 30’s style suiting, a white fedora hat, red lipstick and cigarette in hand.
Inspiration in profusion. I love New York…
~T
Have questions for Trasi you can contact her at TrasiK@midwestcouture.com
Denise Curtis and Andrea Niemiec are both hard working mothers with unstoppable entrepreneurial spirits. “We love, love, love the idea that we are a female owned business, catering to other women with a product line that enhances how women view their bodies.”
Like many young, mid-life, and older women seeking to retain a youthful appearance, Denise Curtis, owner of a Los Angeles area salon decided to try a $500 Botox treatment. Instead of removing forehead lines, the surgical procedure paralyzed her muscles and left her with a drooping eyebrow for over three months.
Curtis, 42, at the time and desperate for a solution to her drooping eyebrow problem, had tried everything on the market but to no avail. A friend and client, Andrea Niemiec sourced a transparent, nearly invisible tape for her to try. Denise came up with a unique way to use this magical tape. It worked. Her eyebrow droop disappeared. She also looked much younger when she wore the lifts, which she christened “Bring It Up”.
“My botched botox experience gave birth to Bring It Up and now I am thrilled to be able to provide a product line that helps so many woman all over the world! It’s very satisfying and wonderful knowing so many have benefited from something I created to solve my own problem.”
Denise Curtis
Together they started taping other parts of their face and body that had sagging skin. Niemiec, 38, at the time had recently stopped breast feeding her first baby and like many women following weight loss, pregnancy or aging, breast sagging is a common problem that was instantly and easily corrected with these lifts. Because the breast lifts appealed to so many other women with similar problems who wanted to avoid costly and painful surgical procedures, the focus of their business soon became “all about the girls!”
“Who wants droopy boobs! We’ve designed “Bring It Up Instant Breast Lifts” to give the RESULTS of surgery without any of the downsides. It’s nice that people have an alternative to surgery and an option when other alternatives are so costly.”
Andrea Niemiec
Denise has been a professional cosmetologist and aesthetician for more than 30 years. Her exclusive Los Angeles area salon has become a Mecca for women who want to look and feel their best, no matter what their age. From Hollywood to Malibu, they seek out Denise for her innovative approach to anti-aging and beauty.
Denise has spent her entire career helping women look and feel their best. So many women have told her how depressed they feel when their hair and make-up are perfect, yet they still feel that they look old and tired.
She has listened to the women in her salon complain about their own sagging eyes, necks and breasts for years, but now when they complained she is able to share the lifts she had created with them.
Curtis and Niemiec have stayed focused on the future, and have built the business into a multi-national brand. They’ve had to contend with several knock-offs of their patented product both inside and outside of the US, while continuing to grow and support their business. “Integrity is essential to us, we knew our hard work and innovation would pay off. The day we received our patent was a real turning point for our business.” They now license and create products under private label for many well known bra manufacturers and other bra accessory companies.
“These are very exciting times for us, we are now introducing yet another innovative beauty essential to help women…The Breast Shaper™, the latest in breast lift technology!”
Andrea Niemiec
Our “New” BREAST SHAPERS in size A/B and C/D are reusable, cover the nipple and lift from the top using our patented method. They are a must have bra alternative for strapless or backless dresses and the Breast Shapers are perfect for clingy clothing that requires a more discrete look. The Bring It Up products affordable, easy to apply and no one will know you are wearing them. These products are available on our website www.bringitup.com or from specialty boutiques nationwide.
For additional information: Tel: 800/670-6201.
With bold accessories becoming more popular and a must have item I asked Dawn Del Russo to share her tips on how to wear a bold crystal necklace. To learn more about Dawn and her services visit her at www.belladawn.com.
I attended the Ann Taylor Loft Holiday Press Preview Party on July 13th with Dawn Del Russo on behalf of Chic Galleria Magazine. The event was filled with fashionable individuals eager to check out what they had in store for the upcoming season. To learn more about this fabulous event visit www.chicgalleria.com.
Dawn Del Russo is a celebrity and high profile fashion stylist to savvy young trendsetters. She targets the fast paced generations with services like Web Cam Fashionista and celebrity styled “What’s Hot” looks. Del Russo scours the internet for trends and of the moment tips through social media like Twitter, and Facebook.
Check out Dawn’s tips on how to wear a Fedora Hat similar to some well known celebs.
Need styling advice contact Dawn at info@belladawn.com
Shopping ~www.belladawn.com
Stylist ~ www.dawndelrusso.com
Blog ~ www.myintimateaffairwithfashion.com
www.twitter.com/dawndelrusso