Fashions Night Out

Beauty By Clinica Ivo Pitanguy Expands Line, Gets New Look

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

For over forty years, Brazil's Dr. Ivo Pitanguy has been responsible for movie stars, royalty and politicians' new looks. Now his expanded skin care line get a face-lift of its own, just in time for New York's Fashion's Night Out.

Developed by Pitanguy at his Rio clinic and produced in Switzerland, Beauty by Clinica Ivo Pitanguy comprises a line of serums, creams and treatments meant to replicate the procedures performed at his South American headquarters. Products like the moisture imparting PreVious Rebalancing Formula and cleansing Dermomask employ natural extracts, were tested under rigid dermatologic and ophthalmologic controls, and contain no coloring or artificial scents. Starting this Friday, during the second Fashion's Night Out event, Beauty by Clinica Ivo Pitanguy will launch a new "Specifics" line, beginning with their Ultimate Eye Cream. Available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman (and later at select Neiman Marcus stores), the cream boasts an innovative ceramide-peptide combination and white lupine extract to ameliorate the appearance of fine lines and sagging skin. As for the packaging, the Specifics line will be differentiated by its luxury inspired gold wrapping.

If you can't make it to Rio, or Pitanguy's private island, the new line will provide all of the good doctor's fabled benefits along with his most cherished product: discretion.

Tags: beauty, Bergdorf Goodman, brazil, clinica, fashions night out, ivo pitanguy, neiman marcus, new york, skin care

The World's Rarest Barbie by Stefano Canturi

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

This Friday night for Fashion's Night Out, Canturi Jewels will unveil the "World's Rarest Barbie."

This Barbie was meticulously designed, from her hair and makeup to her frame, dress and shoes, by Stefano Canturi himself. She wears tiny, fabulously expensive jewelry reminiscent of Canturi's beloved Cubism collection of lace worked carre and baguette cut diamond jewelry. Her pieces include over three carats of white diamonds, a signature Canturi necklace with a glittering, one carat, emerald cut pink diamond -- a stone almost as rare as this one-of-a-kind Barbie -- and an iconic right-hand diamond ring.

"I wanted the jewelry design to pay homage to Barbie's modern yet timeless style, this is why I applied my Cubism design concept to her look; it is perfect for her," says Canturi of his collaboration with Mattel.

Barbie by Stefano Canturi will be auctioned at Christie's prestigious "Magnificent Jewels" sale in New York on October 20th, with 100 percent of the profits donated by Stefano Canturi to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Prior to that, she'll be touring the world, with showings in London, Geneva, Shanghai and Las Vegas.

From the dress to the bling and the shoes, not to mention the travel plans, we have never wanted to be Barbie so badly. Below, have a look at Stefano's actual inspiration collage -- a rare peek into the the creative process of this brilliant jewelry designer!
Stefano Canturi Barbie Inspiration Collage

Stefano Canturi Barbie Inspiration Collage

Tags: Barbie, Canturi, Christies, Fashions Night Out, FNO, Mattel, Stefano Canturi

Fashion's Night Out - A Smorgasbord of Events in NYC and Beyond

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Celebrity Shopping, Charity

Fashion's Night Out is coming right up -- it's this Friday, September 10. After its overwhelming success last year, this worldwide fashion fete is even bigger and brighter, and taking place in over 100 cities in America alone. This event does so much more than celebrate fashion. It helped to ease the stress the industry felt during the economic crisis and also benefits the New York City AIDS Fund with the sale of t-shirts and other FNO swag. Models, celebrities, industry-greats and die-hard fashionistas will all be coming together this Friday night to sip free champagne and cocktails, shop till late and dance their cares away -- all in the name of fashion.

For a full list of the events taking place around the world (and perhaps in your town?), visit fashionsnightout.com. As for us, we've had a host of enticing invitations cross our desk. Here is a roundup of some of the most extraordinary, open-to-the-public events you won't want to miss this Friday night:

Swarovski Style Event with Laura Lightbody
Madison Avenue and 58th Street
6:00 to 11:00 PM
RSVP: n/a

Head on up to Swarovski's Madison Avenue and 58th Street boutique where celebrity stylist Laura Lightbody will be on deck to reveal her super styling tips and share the inside scoop on this fall's most anticipated fashion trends. Shoppers will have a chance to sip champagne and enjoy decadent Vosges Haut-chocolat while the DJ keeps the party going, plus win Swarovski jewelry, snap up a free crystallized tattoo created exclusively for Fashion's Night Out and receive a crystallized lipstick case with any $100 purchase.

Piperlime Pop-Up Shop with Rachel Zoe and Project Runway
93 Mercer Street
6:00 to 11:00 PM
RSVP: n/a

Tags: Danny Roberts, diane von furstenberg, DVF, Elisa Sednaoui, EventStyle, Fashion, fashions night out, FNO 2010, francesco fino, Kai-aakmann, laura lightbody, manhattan real estate, New York, new york city real estate, piperlime, Project Runway, Rachel Zoe, roundup, scenterprises, ShipleyHalmos, swarovski

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Fall Beauty Buy: Marchesa for Le Metier de Beaute

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping, Cosmetics and Fragrance, Celebrity Design

There's little we don't love about cult-fave makeup line Le Métier de Beauté, but their latest collaboration, inspired by Marchesa's Fall 2010 RTW line, takes the cake. Packaged in a sleek credit card-esque case, the gem of the collection is a compact perfect for a night on the town - pressed powder, concealer, lip gloss in a cherry shine (La Cerise Noir), a cream blush in a peachy pink (La Peche) and a blue-black shadow (Le Minuit). The design of the compact - a sleek mercurial silver hue - was even inspired by Sandra Bullock's Marchesa dress for the 82nd Academy Awards. The collection also features highlighting and concealing pens, double-ended lip gloss and another mini compact.

"Each season," explained Georgina Chapman, co-founder and designer of Marchesa, "Keren and I introduce a new collection, but with the classic and consistent signature that is Marchesa – we transport our customers back to a time when luxury fashion meant the best in tailoring, design, fabric, etc. When it came to launching a cosmetics collection, we wanted to do the same and we found immediately that Le Métier de Beauté shared these same core values."

"The Collection takes the unparalleled textures and formulas Le Métier de Beauté is known for and transfixes them with the essence of Marchesa," says Joanna Vorachek Austin, President of Le Métier de Beauté. "From the sleek packaging and the innovative formulas to the flawless application, the Marchesa for Le Métier de Beauté collaboration brings the best of both brands to the forefront of luxury."

The line will be available exclusively at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman stores beginning on Fashion's Night Out, September 10th.

Tags: Bergdorf Goodman, fashions night out, le metier de beaute, marchesa, marchesa fall 2010, NeimanMarcus

The Fashion Statement: Fashion's Night Out

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: The Fashion Statement

The fashion world is buzzing about September 10. That's when people like Vogue chief Anna Wintour, Donna Karan, New York City Mayor Bloomberg and members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America will hang out with mere mortals like you and me at stores and boutiques in NYC.

The point? Shopping. And it's a boost to retailers, fashion designers and ultimately the whole fashion industry that has been pummeled of late.

This year's extravaganza is apparently bigger than last year's. On a geographical scale, it certainly is, with events planned for stores in Los Angeles, Paris, Milan and London. Okay, you expect those cities. But Fashion's Night Out is also popping up in unexpected destinations around the globe. Jamaica? China? India? Apparently so.

Aside from shopping, or at least window shopping, Fashion's Night Out is chance for non-fashion industry people to get a glimpse of what a real invitation-only fashion industry party is like. Doesn't hurt that September 10 is the start of New York fashion week, so everybody will be in town. And, this year, there will be cameras around filming for a CBS Special.

Last year, Bergdorf Goodman was a madhouse. Victoria Beckham and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were there, along with designers Georgina Chapman, Mark Badgley and James Mischka and Zac Posen. Charlize Theron showed up at Dior, Kate Hudson at Stella McCartney.

Tags: alexander mcqueen, barneys new york, Bergdorf Goodman, calpso st. barth, Dior, Donna Karan, Fashions night out, NYC Mayor Bloomberg, Stella McCartney, stuart weitzman, Vogue

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Rodeo Drive is Getting a Ferris Wheel!

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events

As the excitement about Fashion's Night Out 2010 continues to build, Rodeo Drive has thrown their diamond-studded tiara into the ring.

Official rendering

After the overwhelming success of the event last year, this year's FNO will be on a Friday (last year was a Thursday) and even more markets are expected to participate. This includes Los Angeles' most elite shopping street: Rodeo Drive. Not only will the exclusive boutiques band together to host a cocktail fueled, high-fashion block party, but the 200 block of the street will feature the Drive's first-ever ferris wheel! Rides for two will be complimentary when you flash your receipts from your FNO Rodeo Drive purchases.

Finding a good splurge-worthy item won't be difficult. In-store events will be taking place at top-drawer shops including Chanel, Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo and Valentino and more than 40 other Rodeo Drive stores will be participating with extended hours and other perks.

"We hope to produce a fantastic block party atmosphere on the street," says Rodeo Drive Committee President Tom Blumenthal. "Just as Rodeo Drive is know for offering an unparalleled shopping experience on a daily basis, Fashion's Night Out is an exciting opportunity to create a memorable, one-of-a-kind event for our clients."

Tags: beverly hills, fashions night out, FNO, los angeles, rodeo drive

The Shops at The Plaza

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Handbags, Jewelry, Services, Spas, Cosmetics and Fragrance, Men's Style, Wealth

Like my colleagues Annie and Alison, I braved Fashion Week, in particular, Fashion's Night Out on September 10. But I was fortunate to be in one serene place, The Shops at The Plaza. Entering at One East 58th Street, right near Central Park, The Shops at The Plaza immediately gives you a feeling of luxury shopping, but in a much more open environment than a small boutique because The Shops is 160,000 square feet on six levels.

The Shops features a unique gathering of one-of-a-kind jewelry designers and coveted boutique brands, many of which have chosen to open their first U.S. outpost exclusively here. Examples of the stores you'll find are Krigler, a fifth-generation fragrance house with Russian roots and French savoir-faire; Anna Hu, a Christie's New York and Van Cleef & Arpels veteran who specializes in creating stunning, one-of-a-kind pieces; Qiviuk, which offers unusual, high-quality clothing for men and women made of the cashmere-like Qiviuk fiber; and a new store to The Shops, the flagship location of New York fashion designer Douglas Hannant. I had the chance to chat with representatives from each of these stores, so watch Luxist for more on these brands.

Other stores at The Shops are MCM, Ghurka, Vertu, Morgenthal Frederics, Seize Sur Vingt, LTJ Arthur, GOODFORTUNE TENTHOUSANDTHINGS, Kenneth Jay Lane, Iradj Moini, Maurice Fine Jewelry, Helen Yarmak, Peter Lik Fine Photography, and Francesco Fino. Plus, now reopened is The Plaza Boutique, the hotel's own store, which offers high-end leather goods, porcelain glasses, fashionable men's shirts, and luxurious gift items.

As for beauty, The Shops has that area covered as well. The Plaza Beauty by Warren-Tricomi is a beauty destination and contemporary boutique divided by category, offering a brow bar, men's bar, fragrance bar, and skincare. (See photo.) Drawing from the worlds of hair care, skincare, and fragrance, The Plaza Beauty provides a sampling of the most luxurious, internationally-renowned brands, as well as rare, emerging lines, all hand-picked by Joel Warren and Edward Tricomi.

All that shopping and beautification may make you in need of a respite, or at least a snack. Stop by the Demel café, Parisian bookseller Assouline, the Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa, Warren-Tricomi Salon, or the Fitness Center by Radu Physical Culture to refuel and recharge.

The Plaza has undergone a $400 million, three-year, lobby-to-roof renovation and restoration, and it's amazing. Designated a New York City Landmark in 1969, it is also the only New York City hotel to be designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Tags: Fashions Night Out, FashionsNightOut, hotel, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, shopping, The Plaza, ThePlaza

Fashion's Night Out - And Fashion's Morning After

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Charity

Fashion's Night Out, the largest shopping event in NYC history (brainchild of none other that Anna Wintour herself), took place on Thursday, September 10, and for those of us in the media (who try to be everywhere), it was a wild ride!

Over 700 shops participated in Fashion's Night Out; some selling Fashion's Night Out t-shirts to benefit the September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center, some collecting clothing for the NYC AIDS Fund, some with special sales, deals, and live music, and most with free-flowing champagne.

Armed with an extra pair of stilettos for alternating, this Luxist writer managed to get to David Yurman, Prada (above, this DJ played until The Rapture went on), D&G, Tahari, Pucci, and Lord & Taylor, just to name a few. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the night of shopping, celebrity sightings, drinking, and celebrating. If they ever do it again, I suggest you all head for the Upper East Side where the parties were a little calmer and lots of fun -- Soho was a madhouse; in parts you couldn't even walk down the street, and it was unusually rampant with underage drinkers (capitalizing on the free alcohol). I saw them carding at D&G ... but that was the only place I saw. I'd imagine there were a lot of tearful explanations in the wee hours in homes across the tri-state area, and Fashion's Morning After was probably pretty rough for some. But that's not what the night was about. The night was about charity, celebrating fashion, and helping kickstart the economy. I think on the whole, New York City had a lot of fun!

If you weren't able to get to NYC, check out the gallery below for some photos of the festivities!

Gallery: Fashion's Night Out

Tags: fashions night out, FashionsNightOut, NYC, shopping

The Fashion Statement: A Subdued Fashion Week?

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: The Fashion Statement

Day two at New York fashion week and, already, the trends we'll be wearing next spring are starting to emerge. But the recession continues to cast a bigger cloud over Bryant Park than the pouring rain outside.

There are fewer shows-about 10 fewer than in February-because designers have moved to less expensive venues or have chosen not to show at all. Other designers pooled their funds (and models) and showed together on one runway.

"It's not as wild as I thought it was going to be," said Damon Webster, a commercial producer who was at the shows for the first time. "It's fairly tame."

Elizabeth Fisch, an intern at Vogue, said the decor of the lobby looks like it's been toned down and there is less intense promotion by sponsors.

Most surprisingly, though, some attendees insist they've seen fewer celebrities. Russell Simmons, Monet Mazur and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have all been spotted as well as an endless supply of TV reality show stars. But without a parade of A-listers, fashion week is not the media circus it's been in the past.

"There was a big line to get a glimpse of Kid Cudi last night," said Webster. Who's Kid Cudi? "Exactly!" Kid Cudi is a well-known hip-hop artist, but you get the point-not exactly a household name.

Then again celeb gawkers would have been very pleased with Fashion's Night Out (a shopping event) on Thursday night, where bumping into big names (Charlize Theron, Hate Hudson, Gwen Stefani, Victoria Beckham) was about as common as running into freaky dressers at the tents.

Tags: Bryant Park, BryantPark, Charlize Theron, CharlizeTheron, Fashions Night Out, FashionsNightOut, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Mercedes-benzFashionWeek, Monet Mazur, MonetMazur

Mackage Opens First Retail Store, Chooses NYC

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Mackage Opens First Retail Store, Chooses NYC

Known for its leather-trimmed, fitted outerwear, Canadian coat designer Mackage on September 1 opened its first stand-alone store, and chose NYC's hip Meatpacking District. I stopped by the store to check it out. The full Fall/Winter 2009 lines for men and women were on display in the small but classy store. Mirrors here and there make it easy (and tempting) to slip on a leather coat, puffy jacket, trench, or packable anorak. I commented to the rep helping me that the line looked familiar -- she said that certain styles were in Bloomingdale's and other high-end stores, but never the whole line, which is why Mackage decided to open its own store.

The coats are beautiful -- from wools to leathers to styles with fur trim, all are designed to be warm and fashionable, a rare combo. Even the packable anoraks are upscale. Rather than try to describe all here, check out the gallery for a few representative styles.

The store is a pop-up boutique, aka a limited-run, just for September, so Mackage can gauge interest and see if it wants to continue in this retail venue. So don't hesitate if you want to see the new line. There even will be special promotions this month with the chance to win a free coat or a free blow-out. Or ...

To see Mackage's Fall 2009 line, stop by the store (829 Washington St, NYC, 212-255-3807) on Thursday, September 10, as part of Fashion's Night Out, a worldwide event that coincides with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Fashion authority Phillip Bloch will be on hand offering free tips and consultations from 7 - 9 p.m., Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon will be doing blowouts from 6 - 9 pm, and model Irina Lazareanu will DJ from 9 - 11 pm.

Gallery: Mackage Coats, Fall/Winter 2009

Tags: Canada, Canadian, coats, entertainment-awards, Fashion Week, Fashions Night Out, FashionsNightOut, FashionWeek, Mackage, NYC, outerwear

Pre- David Yurman Buckle for Raffle, Luxist Exclusive

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Men's Style

David Yurman is celebrating Fashion's Night Out with a theme you might not expect -- Western. Turns out Yurman, known for his signature rope-like twisted cable work, is a cowboy at heart and an accomplished rider. He and his wife Sybil will be hosting an exclusive party at their Madison Avenue Boutique on September 10 complete with cocktails, BBQ-style hors d'oeuvres, country music and a raffle of the spectacular buckle above.

This stunning buckle is sterling silver and bronze with elegant, graceful wings and a picture jasper stone -- what a perfect, beautiful stone. The back is engraved with "1975" and "Putnam Art Works." For the uninitiated, Putman Art Works is the name of a duo which used to exhibit paintings and sculpture art at craft fairs back in the 70s ... that duo was none other than Sybil and David.

The buckle, which a rep for the company has declared "priceless," is a one-of-a-kind must-have for a true David Yurman enthusiast, and is sure to be a huge hit with anyone who appreciates craftsmanship. It serves as proof that true masters create masterpieces long before they're famous.

A portion of sales from the official FNO T-shirts, as well as a percentage from the raffle, will benefit the National September 11th Memorial & Museum.

Tags: david yurman, DavidYurman, fashions night out, putnam art works, PutnamArtWorks