Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The History of New York Fashion Week

There we were this morning, getting ready for another day of shows at New York Fashion Week, when a segment on how the whole shindig came about came on the radio. WNYC, an NPR station, provided the history of the twice-yearly event—and we thought it would be fun to pass on some of the cool things we learned:
1. NYFW actually started during World War II, as, for the first time, allies of the French were cut off from fashion news due to the occupation of Paris by the Nazis.2. Publicist and fashion-enthusiast Eleanor Lambert is the woman to thank for coming up with the idea of a press week that would showcase clothes in the New York market.
3. The first NYFW included a portion called "Borough Belles," with the styles of women from the five boroughs. "Brooklyn and Manhattan girls are opposite types," said Lambert at the time. (Guess some things never change!)Listen to the whole thing here! Posted By Daisy Shaw, Editorial Assistant


Friday, October 22, 2010

Americas Next Top Model Contestant Angelea Preston

Shauntee Thompson CEO of So Seductive Cosmetics with Angelea Preston a contestant from Americas Next Top Model at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week New York SS/2011. This 23-year-old Buffalo, New York native worked as an answering service operator prior to her appearance on America’s Next Top Model.

Viewers might remember Angelea for making the semi-finalists for Cycle 12; unfortunately, she did not make it into the house. When she auditioned for Cycle 12, she said on camera, “These girls are here trying to be like America’s Best Friend. I’m not here for you. I’m here because I want to model. I want to be Americas Next Top Model.”(Some may remember the argument she had with Sandra during the goddess shoot in episode 1.) She also had some issues with Sandra before they even stepped in front of the camera. Angelea talked tearfully about having a daughter who passed away prior to auditioning for Cycle 12. She also talked with the panel about sleeping in the Port Authority bathroom stall in order to make her call back for the show.

During initial panel interviews in episode 1 of Cycle 14, Angelea said that she was out of control during her audition for Cycle 12 because she was seeing a guy that had her feeling angry and combative. She revealed that following her failed attempt at being on Cycle 12, she saw a counselor to help her deal with her anger issues. She said she’s now a changed women, although she’s still “ghetto” in a good way.

So far in the competition, Angelea has really impressed the judges by looking soft in all her photos, even though she comes off tough during panel. She was first runner-up for best photo during the second panel judging and called seventh for the third elimination.
During episode three, Angelea was called second following the ‘dance’ photo shoot with Cade Martin. Her ‘moshing’ photo really impressed the judges, keeping her overall performance incredibly strong and proving herself to be a tough competitor for Top Model. All though Angelea did not win Americas Next Top model she still continues to win the hearts of Americans across the globe.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Bravo Project Runway: Tim Gunn

Tim Gunn with Shauntee Thompson CEO of So Sedcutive Cosmetics during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week New York SS/2011. Timothy M. "Tim" Gunn is an American fashion consultant and television personality. He was on the faculty of Parson The New School for Design from 1982 to 2007 and was chair of fashion design at the school from August 2000 to March 2007, after which he joined Liz Claiborne as its chief creative officer.

He is well-known as on-air mentor to designers on the reality television program Project Runway. Gunn's popularity on Project Runway led to his spin-off show, Bravo's Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, as well as his book A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style.Gunn started working at Parsons in 1982 and served as associate dean from 1989–2000, then became chair in August 2000. He was credited with "retooling and invigorating the curriculum for the 21st century.
Gunn began appearing on Project Runway during its first season in 2004, and is known for his catchphrases "Talk to me," "This worries me," "Make it work," "Carry on" and "Go, go go!" Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, a reality show in which Gunn gives advice to the fashion-challenged, debuted in September 2007 on the Bravo television network.

Gunn also played a version of himself as a reporter for the fictional Fashion TV in two episodes of ABC's Ugly Betty in February 2007 and later guest starred on Drop Dead Diva in August 2009 as himself. Gunn left Parsons in 2007 and joined Liz Claiborne as the company's chief creative officer in March of that year. In May 2009, Gunn served as commencement speaker at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, and received an honorary doctorate from the institution. He makes sporadic appearances on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson's "Dear Aquaman" segments, helping or standing in for Aquaman (Ferguson), answering letters and dispensing advice.

The City's Whitney Port


Whitney Port with Shauntee Thompson CEO of So Seductive Cosmetics during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week New York SS/2011. Whitney Eve Port is an American television personality clothing designer, model and occasional actress. She is widely known for her starring role on the former MTV reality series The Hills. She is the narrator and one of the main cast members of her spin-off, The City. Port is a former fashion contributor for Teen Vogue and used to work for Diane von Furstenberg. Before working at Teen Vogue, Port was an intern for the Women's Wear Daily magazine for two summers.

She also interned at W magazine for three summers. From 2005–2007, Port was an intern with Lauren Conrad. The final episode of season two showed Port interviewing at Vogue headquarters in New York for the position of "Fashion Contributor" at Teen Vogue. The episode dramatized the competition between Port and another young woman, Emily Weiss, who had previously appeared in season two as an intern visiting from New York. It was revealed in the season three premiere that Port was awarded the job, and was employed by Teen Vogue in Los Angeles.

Port left Teen Vogue in 2007 for People's Revolution, a PR firm heavily involved in the fashion world. Owned by Kelly Cutrone, People's Revolution has offices in New York,Los Angeles and Paris. Conrad was seen in season 3 episode 24 of The Hills assisting Port at Los Angeles Fashion Week, and at the end of the episode was offered, and accepted, a position at People's Revolution alongside Port. In 2008, Port was awarded an interview with fashion label Diane von Furstenberg for her efforts in People's Revolution. She was accepted for the job and has moved to New York. Her job with Diane von Furstenberg was featured extensively on her new reality show The City. It was announced on April 13, 2009 that Whitney had quit Diane von Furstenberg and returned to People's Revolution.While The City may have been cancelled, reality star Whitney Port is still keeping busy. The fashion designer is adding "host" to her resume, as she will be the frontwoman for the web series Genuine Ken: The Search for the Great American Boyfriend.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Elle Magazine Creative Director Joe Zee

Shauntee Thompson Founder of So Seductive Cosmetics with Creative Director of Elle Magazines Joe Zee during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York SS/2011. Since February 2007 when he was appointed to creative director at Elle, he has since brought his exceptional creativity, style and editorial expertise to the magazine. The move to Elle followed Joe’s many successful years as fashion director at W, and contributing fashion editor at Details and House & Garden. He was also editor-in-chief of both the men’s and women’s editions of Vitals.

Joe is the talent behind the TV and print advertising campaigns for a variety of prominent clients such as Lancôme, Banana Republic, Elie Tahari, Celine, Oscar de la Renta, DKNY, Perry Ellis, Kenneth Cole, Escada, Anne Klein, H&M, Jones New York, Estée Lauder, M.A.C. Cosmetics, Chanel, Coty and Tiffany & Co. He has also styled the most memorable celebrity advertising campaigns for the Gap including the “(PRODUCT) RED” campaign featuring Penelope Cruz, Jennifer Garner, Chris Rock, Don Cheadle and Dakota Fanning; The unforgettable pairing of Madonna and Missy Elliot in cord jeans, the 35th anniversary campaign with Sarah Jessica Parker, and the “Favorite Fit” jeans campaign with Alanis Morissette, Liz Phair, Keith Urban, John Legend, Joss Stone, Brandon Boyd of Incubus and Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child.


Styling TV commercials has allowed Joe the opportunity to collaborate with well known directors such as Mario Testino (Lancôme), Jake Nava (Heat by Beyonce), Jean-Paul Goude (Covet by Sarah Jessica Parker), Michael Thompson (Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker, a winner of the 2006 FiFi Award for Best National Advertising Campaign-Television), Paul Hunter (Gap) and Francis Lawrence (Gap).


Joe is regularly sought after by celebrity clients resulting in an impressive list of actresses, actors and musicians among them Justin Timberlake, Sarah Jessica Parker, Fergie, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rhianna, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Reese Witherspoon, Megan Fox, Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lindsay Lohan, Scarlett Johansson, Kiera Knightley, Cameron Diaz, Uma Thurman, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Cruise and Jude Law.


Mr.Zee is the one Elle is thrusting in front of the cameras for its next television show on the Sundance Channel, called All on the Line, in which the creative director will consult young designers "in crisis" to ready them for "make-or-break" meetings with buyers. Zee is in the process of casting the eight designers, who will each appear in one episode.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Russell Simmons One of the "Top 25 Most Influential People of the Past 25 Years"

Our Founder Shauntee Thompson with Rush Communications CEO Russell Simmons during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York SS/2011. Russell Simmons was named one of the “Top 25 Most Influential People of the Past 25 Years,” USA Today calling him a “hip-hop pioneer” for his groundbreaking vision that has influenced music, fashion, finance, television and film, as well as the face of modern philanthropy.

Russell Simmons has been instrumental in bringing the powerful influence of hip-hop culture to every facet of business and media since its inception in the late 1970s. From producing and/or managing such early hip-hop artists as Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, Whodini and the Beastie Boys to signing seminal luminaries like Jay Z, Foxy Brown and Ludacris, Simmons’ groundbreaking vision was crystallized with partner Rick Rubin in the creation of the seminal Def Jam Recordings in 1984, launching the cultural revolution known as hip-hop.

Russell Simmons has been the master architect of that phenomenon, envisioning and creating the trends in popular culture. His fashion empire Phat Farm, which begat Baby Phat and Run Athletics, put the definitive stake in the ground for hip-hop clothing and others followed. His film and television production company with partner Stan Lathan – Simmons Lathan Media – created the wildly successful HBO’s “The Def Comedy Jam,” “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry,” “The Nutty Professor,” the Tony Award-winning stage production “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam on Broadway” and the international hit on MTV, “Run’s House.”

In 2006, Simmons broke new ground yet again, becoming the first African American to launch a major jewelry company – Simmons Jewelry Co. (SJC) – with partner and SJC president, Scott Rauch. Major retail chains followed, carrying the company’s collections, now distributed to over 2000 stores. This past spring, Russell released a new book entitled “Do You! 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success,” which combines effective business practices with a spiritual foundation to be the best you can be.

The book was a top 4 New York Times Best Seller, and was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. And, with Accel Partners’ Jim Breyer, Russell co-funded the Simmons’ founded unique, personalized internet portal for the hip-hop community – GlobalGrind.com – with the purpose of connecting young people around the world, a generation that Simmons has strongly encouraged, nurtured and supported, and one that has proven to be more giving, loving and compassionate than the generation before them.

Simmons’ newest ventures include two timeless clothing collections – Argyleculture and American Classics. Russell Simmons has won major awards in the industries of film, television, theatre, fashion, music and jewelry, where he was recently honored with the most prestigious GEM Award for innovative design.