You might not think this concerns you--you're not a designer, you don't live in New York City, you don't work in the garment industry... But if you care at all about the clothes you put on your back, you'd want to rally, too. New York City's Garment District, blocks that span from 35th to 39th Streets between Ninth Avenue and Broadway, is in jeopardy. "The [district] is at serious risk of being consolidated and commercialized, if all goes according to NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plans," according to CocoPerez.com. "The Mayor intends to move all of the approximately 250 fashion manufacturer's factories into one building, which would be about 280,000 sq. ft." Without adequate space (not to mention proper zoning regulations to control production overseas), the Garment District will transition to the point of extinction. Cheap labor in other countries like China has threatened the "Made in the USA" label, and designers are fighting back.
This past Monday, a documentary premiered on HBO on the very subject called Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags, which shed some light on the 100-year-old design center. The Garment District once welcomed immigrants and gave them a place to work. Today in New York alone, $10 billion in wages are generated and 175,000 people are employed through fashion--25,000 of those people work in the Garment District--says the New York Daily News. Those numbers may fall if the Garment District isn't saved.
So how does this affect you? With the clothing factories right at their doorstep, designers like Nanette Lepore, Michael Kors and Zac Posen can pay closer attention to their production. "I can cut a sample in the morning, put it on my model in the afternoon, and then let the factory start sewing after I fitted it on her," says Lepore. "In China, you can't think that they're going to fit it properly because you're not watching. The nuances are small--an eighth of an inch here, a quarter of an inch there. We're able to control it because we're right here."
The quality of fashion in the USA will be compromised if we don't do something! So today, designers like Nanette Lepore, Zac Posen, Michael Kors, Anna Sui and Betsey Johnson are rallying in the name of the Garment District and the very clothes that you put on. If you're in the New York City area and want to join the fight to keep clothes "Made in the USA," fashion bigwigs and supporters alike are meeting at the button-and-needle statue on 39th Street and Seventh Avenue at noon. Hope to see you there!
--Ysolt
I went to see Where The Wild Things Are--possibly the most hyped movie this year--on opening night last weekend, and I was not disappointed. Not only was I amazed that they turned a 13-page storybook into practically two hours of movie goodness, it was a breathtakingly beautiful one where the Wild Things almost seemed real and I felt like a 6-year-old all over again.The story is charming, childish, happy, scary, real and surreal and my future kids will not only have the book but also the movie! (Lucky them.) But now, back to the point. Prior to seeing the movie, I had seen the resurgence of the book and all things related to it, especially in fashion. Both Urban Outfitters and Opening Ceremony created Where The Wild Things Are collections, which include everything from keychains to movie stills to the Max suit (pictured) for $610 at OpeningCeremony.us.
It's adorable, looks like the Max suit in the movie (kind of), and is probably the only furry costume that a grown man wouldn't be ashamed to wear this Halloween. Okay, so at $610, the costume is a little steep. I don't know about you, but I don't shell out that kind of money for anything--except maybe designer bags!
For less expensive Wild Things swag, shop UrbanOutfitters.com.
--Venus Tsang
According to the New Life Journal, facials regulate the immune system. And during the onslaught of weather changes and flu season, we need all the help we can get! The benefits of facials really do go hand-in-hand with your overall health. Getting one on a regular basis aids in detoxification (yes, get rid of yucky bacteria), reduces fluid build-up in the body and aids in stress relief.
In addition, facials that involve massages especially, aid in blood circulation, lymphatic drainage and relaxation of the facial muscles (which slows down the process of wrinkles). Skin cells are also renewed by doing so--no more sagging face and puffiness! Woo! It keeps you healthier (and younger-looking).
Although none of us look a day over 23 (the benefits of having Asian skin, I suppose), my sister Iris, cousin Gladys and I still needed to de-stress--we have been so crazed at work, it's been long overdue. We paid a visit to Simply Face & Body, a high-quality day spa--minus the high price tag--in Ramsey, NJ for much-needed facials and massages. After a couple of hours of pampering, we left the spa feeling ... like we were floating on clouds. Simply Face & Body's ambiance--from its lobby to its spa spaces--is just as soothing as the treatments offered. I have to say--I get a facial once a month at various spas--and the best one yet has been at Simply Face & Body. Seriously! Although customers aren't paying triple digits per facial or massage, it's as if you're getting the most lux service you can find.
First-time visitors pay only $49 for a facial or massage. You can't beat that for a treatment that is as lux as you'd find at a grand resort or spa. If you become a member, you pay $59 monthly, which entitles you to one free facial or massage every month (which rolls over to the next month if you don't use it). Membership also gives you lower prices for other treatments at Simply Face & Body (which includes waxing!!!) and 15 percent off retail products they sell at the location. Members can also use the spa space for free for private parties. Spa day, anyone?
If you're not in the area, fingers crossed they open one near you--it's simply divine! Have a day spa near you that you love? Tell us about it--comment away!
--Ysolt
I hate to toot our own horn, but the iVillage staff is full of style. Our hallways might as well be runways and the conference rooms, fashion exhibits. Day in and day out, I always find myself saying to coworkers, "I love your [fill in the blank]." So, I've decided to do routine posts about the fierce outfits that strut up and down the iVillage office.
After all, such fabulous finds should be shared!
My latest victim (two times over because she's just that fabulous) is Ali Gray, our Entertainment associate producer. What I love about this ensemble? That Ali is sporting three trends at once in perfect harmony.
She is rockin' a fun plaid shirt (which adds a nice pop of color) with a comfy boyfriend sweater-vest. And don't even get me started on the fab riding boots (every girl should have a pair in her closet for fall). They're perfect for casual-and-cozy sweater days.
Here's the breakdown on Ali's trendy fall ensemble:
- Plaid tunic (H&M)
- Sweater vest (Old Navy)
- Skinny jeans (Old Navy)
- Boots (J.Crew)
For more fashion advice, mull it over with the community on our "What Should I Wear" Message Board!
--Ysolt
Although I may no longer be sandal-bound, I'm still obsessed with my feet--as in, keeping them in an unyucky state during the cold weather months. Just because my toes are not exposed, doesn't mean I can let my feet go.
So I use the PedEgg--it's this white egg-shaped foot file that has stainless steel micro files that gently remove calluses and dead skin. My feet are so smooth as a result. My Uncle Edmond is a fan of the product, too! And the best part is it comes equipped with a storage compartment for the skin shavings. (Okay, talking about this is kind of gross--sorry, style mavens, I realize this is TMI!)
For October--since it's Breast Cancer Awareness month--the makers of the useful PedEgg came out with a pink version of the grooming gadget. TeleBrands will donate $30,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation this year to help the cause.
Want to contribute? Get your Pink PedEgg at Walgreens, Wal-Mart, CVS or Target for $9.99. For more info, surf PinkPedEgg.com.
--Ysolt
Celebrities are creating fragrant concoctions left and right. From Jennifer Hudson to Britney Spears, their perfumes are becoming hits among fans and women who just like to smell pretty (like me, for instance--I've been wearing Britney Spears' Fantasy for years and I always get compliments on the scent).
Country singer Faith Hill is following suit. Enter, Faith Hill Parfums. iVillage caught up with the star and asked her what inspired her to create this fragrance. She says she just went for what she loves, and made something she'd wear herself. And for a woman who has worn only two fragrances for the last six years, you know you're in good hads. "I'm pretty picky," she points out.
Her sparkling floral bouquet fragrance also has hints of crisp pear, refreshing neroli and lush pink peony. And if that's not enough to soothe your senses, you'll also get a whiff of jasmine, magnolia and gardenia--so girly, so elegant! "I usually prefer just a lotion or a soap something that can last throughout the day, so it was important that my perfume was not repelling. There's a few flowers that I really, really love, like the southern magnolia and peony. Southern magnolias--if you've never smelled one--they're the most intoxicating flower you will ever smell and I grew up around those," explains Hill. "They are so fragrant and beautiful. If you're in a yard running around and you run past one, it stops you in your tracks and you go, 'What is that smell?'"
Interested in smelling like Faith Hill? Visit your local CVS, JCPenney or Target (just to name a few) to get a bottle. They run $17-$31 (depending on size). For more info or to find more stores that sell the scent, surf FaithHillFragrances.com.
--Ysolt
For a split second, fashionistas thought we were Croc-safe. The makers of the popular plastic clogs were on the rocks with financial trouble months ago. Even though the company sold over 100 million pairs of shoes in a matter of seven years, the company had lost $185.1 million last year, slashed roughly 2,000 jobs and scrambled to find money to pay down debt. We thought the ugh-ly footwear was on the outs. We predicted that Crocs would disappear within a handful of years with the halt of production and the already-bought pairs inside unfashionable people's shoe closets being forgotten or eventually disintegrating into thin air...So close! Thanks to PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., Ysolt says sarcastically, the fashion-crime-of-a-shoe won't be as short-lived as some of us had hoped. A bail-out for the biggest fashion crime of the millenium? No, PNC, no!!!
Other style mavens are with me. Fashionista, Annie Lam, has some major beef with the unsightly footwear. Her rant: "I guess they're okay for downtime, but I'm not a huge fan whatsoever! It's like with Uggs--they are super-comfy, but they are LAZY shoes. Even my sister who is an RN at a teaching hospital wears Crocs--they're a hit there. I think they make one ugly, short, fat and lazy. And, they are EXPENSIVE! Dang pastel plastic--and give me a damn break on those Croc Candies (the accessory clips on the Croc holes). What a great marketing ploy! Moms and kids went crazy for them because 'they are cute.' Hello Kitty is cute. Not ugly plastic mules."
Where do you stand? Please tell me you're on our side?! You're not happy about the Crocs bail-out, are you?
--Ysolt
India Arie sang:
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations, no no
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am a soul that lives within
I love you, India, and while I agree with the skin and expectations parts of your song--I am the soul that lives within--I have to admit, I am my hair. I remember getting the infamous haircut of '06 (pictured right). I went to my trusted hair guru, Eddie (who coincidentally cuts hair like Edward Scissorhands) and asked for "Nelly Furtado bangs." It was the perfect idea... or so I thought.
What happened? When Eddie finished, I noticed my bangs were a half of an inch shorter than I had hoped. Fear! Half of an inch may not sound like a lot, but when one can see eyebrows and a quarter of an inch of forehead under bangs, one gets alarmed. (Oh yes, I freaked.) As a result of my hair mishap and my hairdresser wanting me to look like a Harajuku girl, I sported a headband for two months.
Luckily, my bangs grew out to the Nicole-Richie goodness that they are. And, while I am not my skin, I am not your expectations, and I am the soul that lives within, I am also very much my hair, thank you. I can't deny its significance--it's a part of me and it's important.
I'm not alone on this notion, I know. A survey conducted by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery found that--out of more money, more friends or more hair--59 percent of survey takers chose they'd prefer more hair. That's right--over half of the lot chose an aesthetic over finance and humans. Go figure.
So yeah, I am among the many women obsessed with my scalp and what's growing out of it. And, I can sooo relate to the ladies featured in this Chris Rock documentary, Good Hair:
Are you hair-obsessed, too?
--Ysolt
Each of us likely has at least one thing by Nicole Miller in our closets--her designs are so elegant, modern and chic. Now, one of us will have something of Nicole Miller's in our kitchen.
The world's sought-after espresso machine maker, De'Longhi Perfecta, recently released an Artista series of espresso machines with gorgeous laser-etched art by artists from round the globe, including Nicole Miller, for auction on eBay.com. Check 'em out before the auction ends October 18--they're absolutely breath taking! John Hardy (a jewelry designer), Michele Toffalori (an Italian illustrator) and Kristina Collantes (a pop artist) are among the other designers who have gotten involved in the worthwhile cause.
Bids start at $1,800, and proceeds benefit Oxfam America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the fight against poverty. The organization seeks to create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice in over 100 countries.
--Ysolt
I must confess: I am a huge fan of super-stylist/accessories queen Rachel Zoe. While I hope I'll never say, "I die" or "bananas" in quite the same way she does, I still fawn every time I see the shoe collection at her studio, and I swear my heart started palpitating when she showcased her enormous jewelry collection in the latest episode of The Rachel Zoe Project. That said, Zoe still departed from her never-ending stream of Halston gowns, vintage Chanel necklaces and Blackberry-mania long enough to create a collection of chic and affordable accessories for her QVC line, just so that the public (me) can get my hands on some RZ-worthy merchandise.
The collection, which launched in September, is (miraculously) not sold out yet, and this particular faux-python tote is currently at the top of my wishlist.
The celebrity stylist, who dresses A-listers Anne Hathaway, Eva Mendes and Demi Moore, knows the power of accessories in punching up an outfit. That's why the entire line is made of bags, scarves, wraps and faux-fur vests. So sassy!
To demonstrate how I really feel about the collection, I'll say it: I die...
If you haven't yet, don't forget to check out Rachel Zoe for QVC before everything is sold out!
--Venus Tsang
