We don’t usually make a habit of reporting on every boutique opening, but we continue to be intrigued by the Asian luxury market and its effect on the overall fashion industry. The chic, shimmering city of Beijing is now home to China’s first Alexander McQueen boutique and by the looks of these just-released images, it is drop-dead gorgeous.
Balenciaga Buckled Leather Boot, $1,163, brownsfashion.com
Every winter you see them- women in a killer stiletto boot or a sky-high wedge boot precariously navigating their way across snow and ice on the sidewalk. Sure, they look amazing, but we know that there is nothing stylish about taking a header off the curb and into the street because you slipped on your 5 inch heel. We propose grounding your look with a solid (and cool) flat boot. Here are some of our top picks of the best ones on the market.
Pedro Garcia Gwen Glitter-Finish Leather Ankle Boot, $395, net-a-porter.com
Jil Sander Igor Riding Boot, $1,105, selfridges.com
Chloe Flat Leather Knee Boot, $995, shopzoe.com
Loeffler Randall Riley Over-the-Knee Back Zip Boot, $825, couture.zappos.com
ANTM, Dream Come True, http://www.target.com
America’s Next Top Model is one of the most successful and long-running reality shows. The creator and head judge Tyra Banks created the show in order to highlight the world of modeling and showcase the many obstacles and challenges that face young models as they fight their way to the top. As the show continues on into its 17th cycle, the Tyra and the producers of the show decided to brand ANTM and create the show’s first signature fragrance. “Dream Come True” is a fruity fragrance with top notes of; red currant, honeydew and pink freesia; middle notes are Amazonian lily, plum blossom and empress peony; and the bottom notes are blondewood, Tahitian vanilla, pink sugar and sparkling musk.
What’s really cool about this fragrance is that the winner of the current cycle of ANTM will be the face of the fragrance. You can expect to see this new perfume hitting stores in January. It will be sold exclusively at Target and online at Target.com
EvolutionMAN, Nail Varnish Collection - http://www.evolution-man.com
We are not sure if this trend will catch on with most men but its certainly got a core audience that is surely ready to make a major statement. Nail polish for men has mostly been limited to rockstars and radicals who like the idea of bucking the system and use makeup and beauty products to do so. With the launch of EvolutionMAN’s Nail Varnish this old school way of viewing nail polish and men is about to turned on its ear. The purpose of this new line of nail polishes is to elevate men from looking at manicures and pedicures as solely a woman’s activity. Men are beginning to realize the overall grooming is equally important for men just as it is for women and nails are a part of the grooming regimen. There are three colors within the collection and two topcoats:
Do you think most men will rock nail polish made specifically for them or is this trend a little too outside the box?
We spend a lot of real estate at The Black Market talking about and crushing on books. And just like a girl can never have too many shoes or bags, we also believe that there is just no such thing as too many books. It’s Halloween season, which means that in a few more days, you can officially start drafting your holiday wish list, and we think that this will be at the top. We adore Assouline Publishing for their endless inventory of beautiful books about fashion, culture and art, and this collection might have topped anything they have ever done. Called the Assouline Vintage Crate Collection, a wooden box that is meant to resemble a wine crate houses 20 titles from Assouline’s Fashion Memoire collection. Books on Jean Paul Gautier, Balenciaga, The Kennedys and Marie-Antoinette are included. The collection is $500, so make sure to request this from someone that you have not been the least bit naughty to this year. We are kind of freaking out about this. For more info, visit http://www.assouline.com.
Fresh fig is one of the most exotic luxurious scents on the planet and Laura Mercier has found a beautiful way to create an exquisite bath and body collection featuring this amazing scent. The bath and body collection includes a super-whipped Souffle Body Crème, exfoliating Scrub, and soothing Honey Bath. This is the perfect gift for the holidays for friends, family or even just for yourself. We love the idea of pampering ourselves with the best bath and body products available and this amazing collection is on the top of our list for some serious at DIY TLC.
A look from Elke Walter Adan Evening Collection
Hamburg-based designer Elke Walter has intrigued us for many seasons now because of the way that her collections consistently walk the line between art and fashion. All of Walter’s looks begin as a rectangular piece of fabric that she manipulates on a mannequin using her signature folding technique. The results are dresses that dramatically extend into space and contract back onto the body like wearable sculpture. Walter’s atelier in Hamburg must be quite a sight to behold and we would love to tag along and watch one of her dresses being constructed. In what might be the best validation, Walter’s pieces have been worn by architect and design visionary Zaha Hadid. Walter’s collections are stocked in boutiques all over the globe and we strongly recommend seeing one of her pieces in person. Visit http://www.elkewalter.com for more information.
Elke Walter SS12
Elke Walter SS12
Elke Walter TOKYO Basics
Elke Walter TOKYO Basics
Elke Walter TOKYO Basics
Elke Walter TOKYO Basics
Jeeyun Ha Nyawela 14-K Gold Feather Earring, $260, net-a-porter.com
We had all but written off the feather trend as one for 14 year-old girls who are fond of attaching neon feathers to their hair, but we knew that there had to be a grown-up way to wear them. After searching around for a bit, we found what might be THE perfect feather earring. Made by Brooklyn-based artist and designer Jeeyun Ha, this Nyawela earring is not only a step up in the materials category with its 14K gold hardware, it is also the epitome of boho chic. These put those hot pink feather hair things to shame.
Bath and Body Works, Gentle Foaming Hand Wash in Caramel Apple, $5.50, http://www.bathandbodyworks.com
Clean hands doesn’t have to equal basic boring soap. Fortunately, we have found a way to jazz up our daily handwashing routine all while keeping in the spirit of fall and Halloween! Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Wash in Caramel Apple makes us happy that the leaves are turning and that Halloween is literally days away. The rich, sweet scent reminds of us our favorite autumn sweet treat – candy apples while the gentle formula rids our hands of dirt and grime while leaving them smooth and soft. There’s almost no need for lotion after a quick wash with this foaming cleanser. Love it! You will too!
