It's rare that you meet a Glamazon who is brilliant, talented and beautiful all in one. Chrisette Michele and Carol's Daughter owner, Lisa Price, are all that and more. I had the privilege of meeting and interviewing them both at an in-store event at the Carol's Daughter event in Harlem. Days like that are why I love this city!
Even though I was beyond exhausted from a whirlwind holiday schedule, I took the train from my job on Wall Street uptown to one of my favorite places: 125th street in Harlem. The legendary street which is always bustling with people of all ages also houses the first Carol's Daughter boutique. On this particular Monday, the block was lined with Chrisette Michele fans eager to meet their favorite soul singer.
They weren't alone. I was just as excited to sit down with Chrisette as she prepared for the release of her latest album, Let Freedom Reign.We had met once before at Fashion Rocks around the time I started this blog and a lot has changed since then.
For one, she ditched the long weave for a gorgeous short natural cut, and her musical content has taken a new direction as well. She tells me all about it in the video below. Check it out!
I was lucky enough to chat with the woman behind those glamazing products Chrisette speaks of: Lisa Price.
A beauty expert and entrepreneur, Price gave me all the secrets behind her upcoming Carol's Daughter products...and dished on why she loves Chrisette Michele and Harlem.
Don't you just adore them both? Shop some Carol's Daughter finds below including Chrisette Michele's faves:
Zac is the new black. That was the phrase du jour at last night's party to celebrate the launch of Zac Posen for Target (the collection will be in stores on April 25th).
The famed New York Hotel on 34th Street was transformed into a swanky oasis with a red carpet, chandeliers, white and red roses and fashion darling, Zac's name in red lights.
The ambiance felt like a dream setting for fashion addicts---and the night truly could have been a dream. By the end of the party, I'd hung out with some of my favorite stylists, June Ambrose and Memsor Kamarake, rubbed shoulders with Zac Posen, model Alek Wek, Selma Blair, Claire Daines, Mena Suvari, Ginnifer Goodwin, Michelle Trachtenberg, Kelly Bensimon, Joe Zee and Olivia Palermo. and chatted on camera with one of my favorite models, Sessilee Lopez. But okay, back to the beginning.
As soon as I walked in, a gentleman in a tux offers to take my picture on the red carpet in front of a lifesize picture of gorg models in Zac for Target dresses. Really? This, Glamazons, was true glamour brought to the everyday girl.
After taking my red carpet photo and enjoying the free champagne, it was finally time to shop! And---one of the reasons why I love these events---I didn't have to come to blows with some aggressive Target shopper to get a dress in my size. (Well, I did have to accost an unsuspecting worker and pull a skirt in my size out of his hands before anyone else got there...but that's as physical as it got!).
Ferocia, Elaine Welteroth from Ebony Magazine and I were like vultures finally getting our hands on the clothes we'd been salivating over for months. I thought the dresses would give me life anew, but I quickly learned the fit wasn't so great on me (read: if you've got curves, you'll have to go up a size). But some pieces, like that amazing trumpet dress fit like a charm.
Check out our pics below (Disclaimer: I'm horrible at taking photos in the mirror a la Myspace. Forgive me!)
I loved the Trumpet dress on! Though I definitely had to go up a size and shimmy in the zipper...
The black cocktail dress was adorable on Elaine, even June Ambrose thought so!
Ferocia wasn't crazy about the dress, but has her eye on the white Zac Posen tank with Zac written in red lipstick...and we know how much she loves the lipsticks...
I walked away with the zebra print dress Nicky Hilton and Sessilee Lopez wore, and that's probably the only thing we all share in our wardrobe. Plus I scored that ruched black pencil skirt with the amazing fit! And the total money I spent, Glams? Drumroll...$75. Yes, I must've been dreaming.
And now for the party. Some of New York's most fashionable and beautiful people mingled and mixed to the tunes of DJ Kid America and enjoyed performances by The Like. It was hilarical seeing everyone try to avoid getting delicious cupcake icing and champagne on their armful of Zac for Target clothes!
In VIP, the man of the hour, Zac Posen, chopped it up with friends, Alek Wek, Claire Daines, Mena Suvari and Sessilee Lopez to name a few.
Teen Vogue tweeted this pic of Alek Wek chilling in VIP
Here's a blurry pic of Zac Posen chopping it up with Sessilee Lopez
Lopez, a Glamazon favorite,looked stunning in her Zac Posen for Target zebra print dress. I'm a huge fan of hers (she killed the runway at the Arise show among others) so imagine my delight when her amazing PR people granted me an impromptu interview! Fun! On our GlamCam, she dished about why she loves Zac Posen and how much fun she had letting loose on the set for Laquan Smith'sFall 2010 lookbook shoot. Check it out:
I just love models that are smart, fun and not afraid to be themselves! Speaking of fun, we ran into stylist extraordinaire June Ambrose shopping downstairs in all her glamorous, sequined glory!
She chatted with Ferocia on the GlamCam about Zac Posen bringing "haute couture to the masses" and included a wardrobe style tip for Glamazon readers!
Love that June promised she's not a label whore! (I, on the other hand, definitely am. Only for Zac Posen and Christian Louboutin though...and Rachel Roy...and Chanel...okay, I'm a label slore).
We spent the rest of the night catching up with great friends like Christian Law of the popular style blog, Fresher than Chris, Ally of the amazing women's empowerment blog, She Blogs, Simone from The New York Times, Diesel's publicist, Nicole Newsum and Ebony Editor (and Kebero by Kellia Kebero model) Elaine Welteroth.
A blurry pic of me, Simone from The New York Times and Ally from She Blogs
All in all, a fab night with even more fabulous clothes! Comment and tell us what you plan to pick up when Zac Posen for Target hits stores April 25th.
There's no hiding the love I have for Estelle and Rachel Roy's jewelry line (and by the way, they love the Glamazons back!). So as you can imagine, I was first in line to attend their in-store Macy's event to check out the new Rachel Rachel Roy pieces and meet the lovely ladies behind the collection.
Little did I know, Estelle was going to give an intimate performance of her hottest records and I'd be right in front of the stage! Estelle sang her hit songs, Freak and American Boy for the crowd in a fashionable pair of green heels and a gorgeous necklace from the Rachel Rachel Roy and Estelle jewelry collection. Check out video of her performance below!
The only thing that gets me more excited than live music? Fabulous, affordable clothes. Rachel Rachel Roy's newest collection includes bright hues, safari-style jackets, tye-dye denim, painterly prints, studded blazers, leopard print dresses, jeweled sandals, buckled booties and more.
Marc Bouwer is more than a designer; he's a visionary. The talent behind red-carpet gowns for Beyonce', Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey and Rihanna, Bouwer is the first designer to ever host a virtual runway show. Now, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Alexander Wang and Isaac Mizrahi are all following suit. (Sidenote: I got an invite to Isaac Mizrahi's show this season! Super excited!).
Marc Bouwer is also a pioneer in his passionate campaign against animal cruelty. In 2002, he was the first designer to present a collection completely devoid of animal products. The groundbreaking collection was sponsored by PETA, who later honored Bouwer with the PETA Humanitarian award.
I was honored to land an exclusive invite to the taping of Marc Bouwer's Fall 2010 virtual runway show. Famous for his eye for detail and sophisticated draping techniques, Bouwer has been one of my favorite glamorous, red-carpet designers. And let's face it, he has amazing hair.
Between dressing Victoria's Secret Angel, Candice Swanepoel, and chatting with the director, Carl Byrd, Marc took a moment to speak with me about the inspiration behind his Fall 2010 collection (chocolate!), his affinity for faux fur and the young, sexy starlet he'd love to dress.
Check out our behind-the-scenes video and read the full interview below. Don't forget to visit www.marcbouwer.com on February 18th at 9AM EST for a front-row seat to the debut of Bouwer's stunning collection.
Coutura: What was your inspiration for the new collection?
Marc Bouwer: I envisioned a beautiful woman wearing these avante garde clothes walking through a celestial universe and thinking about a past lover. The colors were inspired by a velvet box with a burgundy ribbon that you open up and inside are chocolates in metallic wrappers, hence the jewel tones, the turquoises, purples, burgundies, golds and silvers. Then you unwrap them and there’s this gorgeous, dark chocolate. It's a rich, sensual experience.
Coutura: Chocolate and lovers? Sounds perfect. I see metallic is a strong theme in this collection, which is different than what you’ve shown before. In what other ways is Fall 2010 different than your previous collections?
MB: A little more avante garde and futuristic. Fashion is moving in that direction but it’s not just about padded shoulders. It's all about extending the sleeve---a tight silhouette with explosions in the neck, the sleeves, the hip or the back, in architectural angles. And now that I have three different lines [his eponymous line, the moderately-priced Marc Bouwer GlamIt! and M by Marc Bouwer, a line on QVC], I can afford to be more experimental and spend a little more money with my Marc Bouwer Collection line.
Coutura: You’re adept at changing with the times and the virtual runway show is an example of that. Why did you choose to host a virtual show instead of a traditional show?
MB: We were the first to have a virtual show because I wanted to give the whole world a front row seat: school kids, mothers, editors and celebrities. [Traditional shows have] become a celebrity circus and I'm not so concerned about getting celebrities to my show---they wear my clothes. I want everyone to see it. The disadvantage to putting on a live show during Fashion Week is that it's very expensive, costing $300,000 and more; and editors and journalists can’t always make it.
Coutura: You’re also a pioneer when it comes to anti-fur activism and I’m really proud of what you’ve accomplished, including your PETA humanitarian award. Fur is a huge trend on the runway this season. How are you combating that and offering an alternative in your collection?
MB: People need to become aware of the process: when animals are killed to make fur, their skin is ripped off of them while they’re still alive and they’re thrown in corners to die. If you want that look, technology has given us a way to recreate it. I have a faux fox jacket in my latest collection. To spread awareness, I always speak out at interviews and to celebrities.
Coutura: Speaking of celebrities, Beyonce looked gorgeous in your dress at the launch party for ‘Heat.’
MB: Thank you. She’s beautiful. She also wore one of my dresses in Paris.
Coutura: You’ve dressed so many beautiful ladies, Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Sarah Jessica Parker. What celebrity would you like to dress that you haven’t yet?
MB: I've worked with so many. Even the young girls like Taylor Swift and Rihanna. I’d say Megan Fox. And I always wanted to dress Nicole Kidman and finally, we did.
Coutura: Congratulations! I love Nicole. Well, I’m sure celebrities and editors will fall in love with this new collection. Thank you for speaking with us.
MB: My pleasure, thank you for coming.
Don't miss the show: Marc Bouwer Fall 2010 airing February 18th at 9AM EST on www.marcbouwer.com.
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