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The Fashiontribes Week in Chic: Great Links to Check Out

 

A Few Goody GumDrops goes green with a Marni slouchy fabric tote and Nature Girl Green body lotion & eyelashes
Cheap JAP finds, yes, Crocs that are actually cute.
Clothes-Pin goes green for under $100 with Pursuit of Harmony.
Coquette is falling for the look of stylish headbands.
All the LV bags in the world or a glass of clean water...it's all about the priorities, decides Fashion, evolved.
Is the press ruining fashion? Fashiontribes investigates.
I'm Not Obsessed shows you how to get Nicole Richie's BoHo look for less.
Stylenotes sites the high contrast of black & white as a huge trend for spring, and shows you how to get the look.
The Coveted finds 23 Stores to Watch on eBay
The Fashionable Housewife shows how to get your feet ready for sandals in time for Summer!
The Organic Beauty Expert gives the lowdown on lube...the natural accessory no savvy woman should go without.
Wayfarer Ray-Bans are making a comeback says V-Style, thanks to celebs like Natalie Portman and Keira Knightley.
Omiru braves spring showers with a chic umbrella!

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Space Invaders Turns 30 & You Can Celebrate with a Limited Edition 55DSL Tee

Originally launched in 1978,  the game which ushered in a generation of video game addiction is baaaack as Space Invaders World War. To mark this momentous occasion, they've partnered up with the Italian streetwear label on an extremely limited run of fab tees available starting April 30th only at 55DSL's NYC flagship store at 281 Lafayette St.  The launch party will be from 7-9 pm, so RSVP now by emailing 55DSLRSVP_Events@55DSL.com. For more info, visit 55DSL.com and SpaceInvadersWW.com.

Save the Earth, One Chic PONO Accessory at a Time

After living in Hawaii in the 70s, native New Yorker Joan Goodman still finds herself inspired by the tropical vibe; Hawaiian for righeousness, PONO epitomizes the Aloha spirit. 

Handcrafted in family-owned factories in Northern Italy, her line (which enjoyed a star turn in The Devil Wears Prada) includes bracelets, necklaces, pendants, earrings, belts and brooches in materials like horn, shell and the natural wood bangles that are handsculpted into geometric shapes and lasered with the patterns of the season. Purchasing info at Pono4BobbiTrim.com.

- Lesley Scott

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Handy One-Handed Pro-To-Go Lipstick from Avon

You're driving or in a cab, chatting on your cell, caffeinating....all the while using a too-small mirror and attempting to keep your makeup application from turning clown-like. Keep this clever one-handed design on hand, which opens and closes the lipstick with the press of a single button. It's available in 15 shades and protects with SPF 15. Available at Avon.com.

- Lesley Scott

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Copenhagen Designer Diana Brinks Refreshing Graphic Chic

Immediately upon graduating from the Fashion Design Academy in Copenhagen in 2003, Diana Brinks established her eponymous label of casual yet sharp designs in her signature black. Raw, yet feminine, the draped silhouettes feature draped oversized folds that range from the straightforward to the experimental and asymmetrical. "The concept behind the brand is to make simple, unique and timeless clothing in stylish cuts and high-quality materials," she explains. "Garments are typically made from materials such as knitwear, silk, wool and leather...materials that last season after season."  Available at DianaBrinks.dk.

- Lesley Scott

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Fashiontribes to Appear on a Panel at the New Media Tastemakers Summit in San Francisco on Friday, May 2, 2008

Limited to only 300 spaces, this first-of-its-kind gathering sponsored by Taste TV will feature a day of thought-provoking panels with more than 20 high profile experts in Digital Media, Traditional Media, Online Video and Web 2.0 producers, platforms and startups in the fields of Fashion, Style, Design, & Lifestyle. "Powered by the techniques and technology of New Media, these categories are not only required daily reading and viewing by tens of millions of consumers and businesses, they also have the ability to begin or end major trends, make fortunes & careers, and thrill & delight advertisers."

I'll be participating in the "Core Topic" panel Influencing & Following Consumer Tastes in a Digital World: The New Players, The New Paradigms, The New Moguls. By attending, you'll find out what's working, what isn't, who's successful and why, and where things are headed. Interested? Register for The New Media Tastemakers Summit on New Media & Video 2.0 on Friday May 2, 2008 from 9am-7pm at NewMediaTastemakers.com

- Lesley Scott

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Hip Hemp from Viridis Luxe Will Keep it Green Even as the Colors change this Fall

Enviro-chic label Viridis Luxe recently unveiled the fall collection of luxe hemp/cashmere blends, bamboo & organic cotton and bamboo/cashmere/silk. Inspired by costume history, the Paris scene between the wars, the boldness of artist/designer Sonia Delaunay, German Expressionism, the punk rock movement of the 70's, and tribal textiles/kilims, and 20th century bias-goddess Vionnet, designer Hala Bahmet has created an eco-chic autumn palette in shades of paprika, fern, beet, black, pebble gray, aubergine, lapis, and espresso.

A Master and Slave Necklace is a Great Way to Accessorize Your Bond

In honor of New Museum's latest exhibition Double Album: Daniel Guzmán and Steven Shearer - artists who work in a variety of mediums exploring issues of male identity, extended adolescence, rock culture, death, and the seductive ambiguity of self-portraiture - this cheeky unisex Esclavo y Amo (translates as Master and Slave) necklace was designed by the Mexico City artist Guzmán and handcast in 22k gold plated silver by NYC's Bowery jewelry designer Gabriel Urist. Available as a limited edition in two lengths, 18 inches and 22 inches, at NewMuseumStore.org.

- Lesley Scott

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Sexy New Fragrances by Perfumer Diane Fisher

The new Vmagique collection consists of three vanilla-based scents: Kasia, a sexy/sweet blend of white musk, tonka bean and earthy wood; sultry tropical Noelani with coconut milk, Tahitian vanilla pod, white sugarcane and velvety amber; and spicy Zahana, replete with sugared almonds, white peony, Arabian sandalwood, white patchouli, balsamic clove, and black pepper. Available at Vmagique.com.

- Lesley Scott

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Is the Press Ruining Fashion?

The Academy of Art University in San Francisco recently hosted a fashion symposium with fashion designer Ralph Rucci (the only American invited to show his exquisite clothing under his own name at the Paris Haute Couture), retired designer James Galanos (who dressed former first lady Nancy Reagan and diva Diana Ross),  Michael Fink of Saks Fifth Avenue (VP Women's Fashion Director), and moderated by the fabulous Cameron Silver of Decades (the A-list vintage boutique).

The purpose of the panel was to discuss the state of fashion, which Rucci kicked off with a passionate rant against the press, accusing it (us!) of helping to "ruin" fashion by placing too much emphasis on unrealistic designs that make for eyecatching editorials but have nothing, apparently, to do with "real" women and "real" fashion.

Weekly Web Snob Roundup: The Best Posts of the Week from Some of Our Fave Fashion Blogs & Online Publishers

Stiletto Jungle names the best pedicure colors for spring.
All About the Pretty gets holistic with Tammy Fender's Epi-Peel
Bag Bliss discovers a handful of eco-friendly handbags
Bag Snob exclusive interview with Derek Lam of Tod's
Beauty Snob gets bedroom gorgeous hair with Ginalli Ceramic Iron
Coquette loves dressing up in cute blouses for Spring.
Fashion Indie evaluates Gossip Girl worth headbands.
Fashiontribes piles on the charming, non-cheesy craftsy jewelry.
Kristopher Dukes is wanting, wearing, and hating snakeskin bags and shoes.
Papierblog takes a look at the difficulty of walking in 6 inch heels
Second City Style tries GOing junior at Target
Shrimpton Couture shares her Vintage Diary entry.
Celebrate the return of Sex and the City with Cosabella lingerie - StyleBakery.com
Stylehive's Next Big Thing: Mexico's Fashion Phenom Paola Hernandez.
WE LOVE BEAUTY.com discusses the latest mani & pedi trends with celeb manicurist Melissa Bozant

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On FN Shoe Star, the Action Kicks up a Notch as Yet Another Budding Shoe Designer Gets the Boot

Modeled after Project Runway, the FN Shoe Star contest - sponsored by Footwear News (FN), Nine West, and NYC's Fashion Institute of Technology - is looking for fresh footwear design talent. Over the six months of the contest, seven finalists (six chicks and a lone fella) are being videotaped competing in six challenges which eliminate one contestant each round. The last (wo)man standing will be crowned the winner at the Fashion Footwear Association of New York tradeshow in June, given a job at Nine West to work on the Spring 2009 footwear, handbags and accessories collection, and a feature in Footwear News.

Calling Handbag Designers: Enter the Second Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards (IDHA) Contest

From now until midnight (NYC time) Friday, April 25, 2008, sign up at HandbagDesigner101.com to compete for one of six Awards for Handbag Design Excellence. At stake are a variety of coveted prizes: the opportunity to have your handbag go on a marketing press tour and garner international recognition, placement on Bag Borrow or Steal, a display and trunk show at Henri Bendel, and a booth at the influential WWD/MAGIC Accessories show in Las Vegas.

Finalists will be invited to present their bags at a high profile New York event on June 18, 2008 in NYC at the New York Historical Society attended by over 500 members of the fashion industry, including press and retailers. The legendary Lieber brand will be celebrating its 45th anniversary and will be honored with the IHDA Iconoclast Award for helping revolutionize the landscape of accessories design.

To participate in the  open IDHA call, upload a jpeg of your genius bag creation in one or more of the following categories:

Best Handbag in Overall Style & Design
Best Handmade Handbag
Most Socially Responsible Handbag    
Best Green Handbag
Best Student Made Handbag
Audience-Selected Handbag   

Some of the important deets to know:

A Big Reason for Big Hair: God Wants You To

The New York Post Fashion blog posted this photo of the lovely ladies of polygamy.  With these pouffy pompadours, they do the state of Texas proud where high hair is a residency requirement.  The mystery, of course, is how - if you shun evil cosmetics - do you create such big hair??? According to one of the comments, the secret apparently is sugar water (so much more eco chic than hairspray) - a much beloved trick employed by religious types in the days of yore who believed that the higher the hair, the closer to god. (Thanks to The Coveted for the heads up on this!)

- Lesley Scott

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Discarded to Divine Puts Fashion to Charitable Use

Of the 20 billion or so pounds of clothing Americans throw away each year, about 5% is torn, stained and generally unusable. The growing pile of discard clothing donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Society reminded their Help Desk director, Sally Rosen, of the hundreds of homeless and poor men and women who seek help from the St. Vincent de Paul Society every week, who are also overlooked by most, and considered useless or unnecessary.

Putting their mission to work on the seemingly unusable clothing donations - with help from aspiring and professional designers and a team of volunteers - Discarded to Divine was created in 2006 to transform the donated clothes into one-of-a-kind couture creations and auction them off to help the poor and homeless. In 2007, both attendance at the auction and monetary donations doubled, and there is still time to attend the 2008 auction on Saturday, April 26 at 7 pm at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Find more info and purchase tix at DiscardedToDivine.org.

- Lesley Scott

The Fashiontribes Week in Chic: Great Links to Check Out

Get ahead in red in the Louis Vuitton French Riviera patent leather pumps says A Few Goody Gumdrops
Coquette loves dressing up in cute blouses for Spring.
Fashiontribes piles on the charming, non-cheesy craftsy jewelry.
I'm Not Obsessed shows you how to get Famke Janssen's sunglasses for less.
Stylenotes features some eco-chic deals in honor of Earth Day.
The Coveted gets results with skincare superstars.
The Fashionable Housewife dishes on how to find hidden deals for just about anything. It's Haggling 101!
Headed for a Botox party? Let this little tidbit from The Organic Beauty Expert go to your head!
Lux Lotus has a new philosophy and a new red carpet to roll out.
Supermodel Agyness Deyn knows that long dresses are not just for formal occasions observes V-Style.
Cute flats for under $100! The Fashion Bomb scrimps stylishly.
Cheap Jap advises white not to wear..and which white is right.
A cute scissor graphic tee for your fave crafter or sewing nut - Fashion, evolved.
Fashion trend alert: flashy stripes for fab fashionistos - Omiru

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Don't Just Wear Eco-Friendly Hemp - Drink it & Feel Fab

Instead of raiding the vending machine or downing a calorie- and caffeine-laden double-frappe-creamy-choco-chino bevvy, beat the afternoon slump with a healthy Nutiva HempShake.

Containing certified-organic hemp protein powder, which is easier to digest than soy (and unlike most soy protein, is not processed with hexane solvents), this nourishing superfood drink mix contains blueberries, pomegranates, açai and goji berries, maca root, and ramon nuts, making it a rich source of protein, fiber, minerals, antioxidants, and healthful fatty acids.

Bid on a Celeb-Designed Tee to Help the Earth Day Network (EDN)

Actress Jaime Pressly just announced the online celebrity T-shirt auction which includes tees customized with earth-chic messages by  Glenn Close, Chevy Chase, Andre Agassi, Bette Midler, Billy Baldwin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Martha Stewart and Christie Brinkley. Auction proceeds help the EDN promote environmental education in schools - and you have until June 22 to bid at PurexSavesGreen.com.  Enter your own original tee slogan and design for a chance to win cash, a smart fortwo car by Mercedes Benz, and other eco-friendly fabulousness. The winning tee will be produced and sold at PurexSavesGreen.com, with all proceeds going to the EDN.

Keep the Fungus Among Us...and Other Jewelry Statements from Eco-Aware Cheeky Monkey Jewelry

Loss of habitat, overfishing, disease, hunted to near-extinction, and other delightful side-effects of the human race are given a cheeky bitchslap by jewelry designer Simon Cardwell, whose line is created stateside from fair-trade gems, and gold and silver that is 100% reclaimed from jewelers' fillings, sweeps, polishings, computer data boards, and old jewelry.

(Fun jewelry factoid: mining enough gold to make the average women's wedding band requires moving about 20 tons of earth...despite the fact that there is sufficient jewelry laying unused and dormant above ground - in safes, vaults, and jewelry boxes, etc. - to meet our collective jewelry needs for the next 50 years.)

Sign a Petition in Favor of Eco Chic

Being fashionable, beautiful and glamorous is fabulous...however, not at the cost of destroying the earth and its inhabitants. To add your voice to the growing chorus of fashionistas with compassion, sign the Fashion, evolved petition in favor of sustainable, responsible, and intelligent fashion for today & for future generations...& be sure to add the fabulously eco-snobby Fashion, evolved blog to your daily list of must-reads.

- Lesley Scott