Stylescape: Phillip Lim x Target Launch Party

Last week, Jeff and I had were lucky to be amongst the attendees at the Target x Phillip Lim launch party. The attendees were many and although we arrived 30 minutes ahead of doors opening, by the time we made it inside, shelves were being wiped clean. If the ferocious appetites of the fashion set for this collection is any indication, Target hit it out of the ball park with this collaboration.

I quickly made my way through the crowd grabbing what I could find forgoing drinks and temporarily overlooking the interactive screen that featured style setters from many cities including our own DJ Lani Love for Chicago. After I found the mini trapeze bag that resembled the Pashli in yellow, the leopard print flounce skirt, the floral print shirt dress and the boom scarf and sweater dress I took a moment to take in the scene. Fashionistas had struck and while I did better than most, I missed out on the leopard print sweater and the innerwear/ sleep wear that looked ever so adorable draped in the arms of others in line.

Apparently celebs like Solange Knowles and Jessica Alba were in attendance as well as Phillip Lim himself. I never saw much of any of them since the shopping event soon broke out in frenzy and I overheard some of the fashion set complain that Alba wasn't on the list but not likely to be turned away.

What I was most impressed with was the relative quality of so many of the pieces for a collaboration. Most of the pieces look impressively good and not like a Target collaboration but more like Lim's signature line itself.

The mini version of the Pashli bag has a dull pebbled leather appearance that doesn't look too plastic-y. It is a little stiff but nothing that affects it's performance. The front closure on the pocket looks like it locks closed but is actually a magnet. Some of the hardware had minor scratches which I am guessing were made long before the pieces hit shelves. The hardware was a nice brushed brass finish that doesn't look cheap. In some of the larger styles of bags I noticed the pockets got a bit skewed during application and didn't look great.

The Boom Scarf I picked up is printed poly chiffon. It is pretty smooth and even doesn't have a shiny quality to it. Probably as nice as poly can get but at the end of the day still poly.

The leopard print skirt has a nice vibrant tone and shiny satin elastic waistband. The fabric is a poly twill has good body and a nice matte appearance. There is just the right amount of flounce without being skimpy.

The printed shirtdress was one of the winners I picked up. The colors were beautiful and the fabric a nice stretch cotton/nylon. The fabric has a bit of a lustrous quality to it that I am hoping will last with washing.. The fit was very flattering on my boyish figure as well since the skirt doesn't cling too much.

There was a tuxedo shift that I didn't pick up that looked pretty awesome with it's matte black crepe and white satin lapels that were nice and clean looking. It was beautiful and looked pretty luxe but it wasn't quite my style.

Finally the Boom sweater dress. This one doesn't come off as quite as nice as the other pieces. Up close the sweater does not feel amazing and I didn't love the poly  flounce on the skirt. I may remove this because unless I was about 7-8" taller the proportions felt wrong on my 5'3" frame. 

However this piece is quite eye catching and a lot of fun. I may exchange it for the sweat shirt version that I was hoping to get my hands on.

I can't wait for the rest of the collection to hit stores this September 15th (which happens to be my birthday), can you?

Maison Kitsuné Anniversary Party

I stopped by the Maison Kitsuné anniversary party last week celebrating the store's one year mark in New York City. The 1000 square foot store is located at the NoMad Hotel on Broadway and 28th Street and has brought it's signature chic and preppy heritage of the French and American cultures that inspire the brand. The store itself was envisioned as an engaging experience in fashion, music, design and lifestyle. It is modelled after a Parisian apartment and has a inviting, clean feel.

As for the party itself, it coincided with the brands release of the Kitsuné AMERICA 2 compilation. Party goers were treated to some of the tunes from the CD that you can listen to below:

HP x Project Runway Party

Last week I went to the Style Coalition lounge for an HP x Project Runway viewing party. The party theme was color-blocking. Being a lover of color, this was a fun challenge and I found some blue pieces in my closet and made them pop with yellow tights and necklace.  I have to admit it was fun to see color again, and the perfect start to my Easter weekend.

The reason for the theme was based on a Project Runway challenge, where contestants created a look inspired by mid-century art at The Guggenheim.


We got to actually compete against other attendees to create the best design as well with this premise by draping fabric on a dress form. The winning design by Jenny from I-Spy-DIY won the latest HP ENVY X2! It's a PC that transforms into a Tablet for life on-the-go. To be perfectly honest, maybe I now have a little bit of envy. The convertible factor has me a bit awed plus it's the same PC that contestants use on the show.

Project Runway contestant Carol Hannah attended the party to watch this season's competitors send their designs down the runway. You can see all the designs here.


After our competition we sat down to watch the show while snacking on some delicious treats and Pomegranate / St. Germain cocktails. As bloggers always do, there was plenty of witty commentary throughout the show as we tweeted the night away. Thanks to Style Coalition and HP for a colorful lift to my week.

Lucky Magazine x ESQ Movado Party

Lucky Magazine and ESQ Movado teamed up to kick off fashion week with an arm party. Bloggers and editors from the glossy gathered downtown at Super Linda for Caipirinha drinks, Mexican soda and light bites while checking out the new ESQ Origin styles of watches. These boyfriend style watches are borrowed from him but designed for her in a tone on tone oversized design that comes in n brushed/polished solid, yellow gold-toned or rose gold-toned stainless steel. I was invited to pick one out to keep (full disclosure: I was gifted a watch and some bracelets) and I couldn't resist the allure of rose gold and the clean lines. There was as bow tie adorned gentleman on hand who was resizing watches with a tiny hammer right at the party.

The fun wasn't over because as soon as I had my new watch on my wrist I got to run through the build-your-own arm candy bracelet bar, curated by Lucky Magazine's Accessories Editor Melissa Lum. I had a hard time deciding which bracelets would best compliment my new watch but narrowed down my choices to a rose bead bracelet, a rhinestone and rose gold swirling bracelet, gold and rhinestone bracelet and rose gold multi-strand bracelet. It was amazing fun sorting through the baubles and I had a hard time resisting the neon friendship bracelets but I wanted to create a tonal and classy look.

Thorny Rose Wines Launch at Hotel Chantelle

Last week I had the fortune of being invited to the Thorny Rose launch party where we got to sip and celebrate the new varietals - Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Blend from Washington's Columbia Valley, and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.  It was the perfect night to head to the amazing rooftop at Hotel Chantelle in the Lower East Side.

DJ Mia Moretti was spinning the soundtrack for the evening but Caitlin Moe also rocked her violin.  Later on in the evening we got treated to a mini concert thanks to Caroline Polachek and Patrick Wimberly of Brooklyn-based syntho-pop duo Chairlift.  I also spotted a few other bloggers in the house including Kelly Framel of The Glamorai and Sara Zucker of Farpitz.

Guest had the chance to play Jenga, make custom charm bracelets, print Instagrams, custom screen print tees while noshing on sirloin and caramelized onion empanadas, lamb meatball sliders and custom bacon wrapped figs all while sipping Thorny Rose Wines.  If there wasn't enough awesome events taking place on their rooftop, there was a live artist on stilts creating a colorful chalk mural as the night progressed in the background.

While I'm not a wine connoisseur of any means I made sure I tasted each of the four varietals and here are my thoughts:

Chardonnay Columbia Valley (2010) - a well balanced fruity white that is not too sweet.  Hints of apple, pear and citrus keep it light.

Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley (2009) - A very smooth wine that goes down easy, my preferred of the 2 reds.  Notes of blackberry, chocolate and cherry.

Red Blend Columbia Valley (2009) - A very warm tasting wine with full flavor - black cherry, raspberry and blackberry meet subtle notes of vanilla and surprising finish of graham cracker.

Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand (2011) - My new summer favorite.  It is a very bright, crisp and refreshing combination of passionfruit and citrus.


The wines are moderately priced at $10.99 for a 750 mL screw top bottle and will be available at local wine and food stores nationwide beginning September 2012.  In NYC they will be carried at Dawn Liquors, Madison Avenue Wines, Wine Heaven, Tenth Avenue Wine & Liquors.

Fashion Star Celebration at H&M

Have you been watching NBC Fashion Star? I have to admit that when I first heard about the show I thought it might be a Project Runway copycat but I was pleasantly surprised and have been watching ever since.  It seems to be the closest to the actual design process that most professional designers face allowing competitors to focus on design and not on construction and patternmaking.  It also is great because it gives the designer a chance to get valuable face-to-face advice from retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and H&M.

A couple weeks ago I had the chance to shop and sip signature cocktails while rubbing shoulders with the shows mentors Nicole Richie and John Varvatos. The event was also attended by the show’s buyers, including H&M’s Nicole Christie as well as select designers from the competition. It was fun to see all the garments that H&M purchased throughout the season on display.  Unfortunately only the designs from the most recent episode were available for purchase.   I had my eye on the sleek little sheath dresses Sarah Parrott had designed a few episodes back.

DJ Mia Morretti was in the house providing the sound track for the evening while celebs/models like Natalie Leeds Leventhal, Jessica Hart, Amy Sacco, Julie Henderson and Andrej Pejic trickled in to join the event.

The party was in full swing and the entire lower level of the store was full of party-goers when Nicole Richie made her appearance looking adorable and very petite in a tiger print dress and high bun.  While John Varvatos and contestant Luciana Scarabello were occupied by press I had the opportunity to slip into the change room to try on Luciana’s structured dress.  While the print was beautiful and the cut was modern the dress was unfortunately too long-waisted for my body.  It would probably look best on someone who is taller than my 5’3” stature.  Too bad because for the $29.95 or so it was retailing for – it is quite the stunner.

While I didn’t pick up a Fashion Star piece for myself I didn’t leave empty handed as I snagged some great basic tank dresses, great tights and a chiffon sleeveless shirt that I am very excited about.  As the weeks progress I can’t wait to see who will emerge as the new Fashion Star.

VuQo Vodka New York Launch Party

I actually wasn’t planning on attending the VuQo vodka launch in the midst of NYFW as I usually favor my bed to any parties to prevent fashion week flu. But since it was a Saturday night and since my friends invited me the day before, I headed over to the rooftop of Ink 48. The roof had a stunning view of the city and the moon was shining as party-goers socialized and drank delicious cocktails under the stars on a windy but warm night.
For the past couple years I have been hooked on coconut water in just about any form and flavor – before that I was buying and cracking open young coconuts 3 at a time.  It’s so refreshing and somehow makes my insides feel fresh and clean.  The prospect of vodka made from coconut had me intrigued. Would the smooth refreshing taste translate over to Vodka?
VuQo Premium Vodka is the only vodka distilled from coconut nectar before being distilled multiple times and passed through carbon filters.  It’s apparently based on a centuries old tradition in the Philippines enjoyed long before Spanish conquistadors ever set foot on the island.  It is also the same methods that would eventually lead to the creation of Tequila in Mexico.
I started off trying each of the delicious cocktails - my personal favorite was the Kiss New York a combination of VuQo, Chambord, Lime Juice, Club Soda and Prosecco.

Later on in the night I was even convinced to try a shot poured down the chute of an ice sculpture.  And while I was a bit fearful of the scratchy burn feel at the back of my throat that I have come to associate with vodka, I was I was pleasantly surprised how easy and smooth it went down. In fact, the dreaded scratchiness was entirely absent.  While I am no Vodka connoisseur one thing I know is VuQo Vodka could be dangerous because it goes down almost too easily!  VuQo Vodka is now available at Adriatic Wines in Hell’s Kitchen – 714 10th Ave, New York, NY.

For the event I was wearing my organza pants that I had gotten from the Cushnie et Ochs sale.  For a while I had been contemplating how to wear them as they are completely sheer and could come off looking a bit too Jasmine from Aladdin if not done right.  I decided to take a cue from Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s sheer skirt moment and choose to wear boy shorts with a drapey top.  I kept things simple wearing mostly black as I figured the pants already have a lot going on.  Later on in the evening my friend Janet Chung gave me a super fabulous head piece that she had created for a photo shoot and I proudly wore it for the rest of the evening. Top – Preen, actually a dress that I scrunched up like a tunic Leather Zippered Satchel – Botkier Tao Convertible Satchel Boy Shorts - No Name Organza Pants – Cushnie et Ochs Rhinestone and Mesh Bib Necklace – Courtesy of Sorrelli Chain Strap Heels – Camilla Skovgaard Head Piece – Custom Piece by Janet Chung