Lanvin-Lavish-LOVELY Spring 2010

Asymmetric

Dramatic

Glamorous

As many of the other designers did , Lanvin's spring show also

represented the strong beauty of women.

Spring 2010 Chado Ralph Rucci

Keep your eye on CRR

Many people are not familiar with Chado Ralph Rucci, although his work is widely respected-his prices are quite high and style is a bit more mature than other designers. I am intrigued by his ability to take a simple form, add sheer and cut outs to create art. Rucci's program notes said he was inspired by Pina Bausch, the choreographer who died in June. I am inspired by his fresh eye and execution.

Style Profile: Claudine Kurp

Fabulous Mom , Claudine

Name: Claudine Kurp

Occupation: Creator of DC Metro Mommy.com, an online parents’ resource guide of the best shops, services, events and everyday essentials in the DC Metro area.

Children: One beautiful 3 year old little girl named Gia.
What's your "uniform?” – Jeans and a black Banana Republic tee on days when I just don’t have time to even consider a big wardrobe choice.

What is your secret fashion sin : On gym days, I tend to linger all day in my workout gear even though I am not hitting the gym until the late afternoon. Not sure if that is a felony or misdemeanor in the fashion world.

What's your favorite current fashion bargain? I think you can find amazing prices at Nordstrom’s during a sale. The Summer Anniversary Sales are wonderful. I recently saved $80.00 on my Uggs Boots! H&M is a good spot for belts. I also tend to stalk sale racks at the end of each season. My Uggs were purchased in the middle of the summer!

I also hit Macy’s. Macy’s has a sale every 10 minutes. I am forever carrying a Macy’s coupon with me.

What's your favorite fashion splurge? Two beautiful Furla handbags that I purchased in Italy on my honeymoon.

What are your favorite stores? Nordstrom’s, Macy’s, Banana Republic and T.J. Maxx. I found an awesome Calvin Klein dress and a pair of Lucky Jeans at T.J. Maxx. I also like online stores Zappos.com and Shoebuy.com.

What do you see as your biggest shopping challenge? Finance and trends. Since having a child, leaving my job and upgrading my home…guilt sneaks up on me when I am shopping. That nagging voice of “Do you really need this?” lurks into my head too often! Plus I find that since I left the workforce I am just not as tied into the “it” product or the latest trends, hence the uniform of a black tee and jeans.

What’s your beauty secret? Sleep, exercise and Dermalogica products. The Daily Mircrofoliant from Dermalogica is wonderful.

Style Profile: Ruth Barzel

I have been a huge fan of Ruth Barzel for several years. I love her jewelry and her sense of style.

Name: Ruth Barzel

Occupation: Owner, Ruth Barzel Jewelry Design (www.ruthbarzel.com)
Children: Two, ages 7 and 15

What's your "uniform?”
Jeans and a cute tee shirt or sweater, accented with my own jewelry.

What is your secret fashion sin ?
Wearing my husband’s old, torn, size XL white Hanes tees to bed.

What's your favorite current fashion bargain?
Mossimo blazers from Target. They fit perfectly!

What's your favorite fashion splurge?
A stainless steel Cartier watch. I wear it every day.

What are your favorite stores?
Daisy Too, Treat, J Crew, the Barney’s outlet in Leesburg, and (for jewelry) Relish.

What do you see as your biggest shopping challenge?
Resisting anything that doesn’t fit my body and my age, no matter how stylish it is or how fabulous it looks on someone else.

What’s your beauty secret?
Jewelry can transform the most basic outfit in seconds. Avoid matching sets. Instead, mix jewelry by different designers, or pair funky pieces with classics—like a chunky necklace with diamond stud earrings or several cool bracelets and the Victorian ring you inherited from your grandmother.
____________________________________

To learn more about Ruth Barzel Jewelry Design line, visit www.ruthbarzel.com. To buy online, go to www.ruthbarzeljewelry.etsy.com, or shop locally at Apres Peau, Caramel, Daisy Too, Stanton Gallery, Sugar, and Treat. And visit Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Washington-DC/Ruth-Barzel-Jewelry-Design/9348107629?ref=ts to get updates and see photos of new pieces. Don’t forget to become a fan!

Style Profile:Donna Hamaker

Donna Hamaker, woman extraordinaire. What do you say about a woman that makes life look so easy? She's a great mom, successful business woman, true friend, and life saving volunteer!
This year Donna is up for the title of Woman of the Year by Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Name: Donna Hamaker
Occupation: Realtor for KDH Real Estate in Arlington, VA (I used to be the
Public Relations Director for Bloomingdale’s – so I appreciate fashion!)
Children: Sarah (24), Meredith (21) & Stephen (19)
What's your "uniform?”
A tailored black suit, off white tank and a oversized asymetrical pearl and silver necklace. Hands down.
What is your secret fashion sin ?
Yoga pants and the softest James Perse tee in the whole world.
What's your favorite current fashion bargain?
Fun summer jewelry.
What's your favorite fashion splurge?
A beautiful gown for black-tie galas.
What are your favorite stores?
Bloomingdale’s (of course!) and Lettie Gooch for fashion, Target for function.
What do you see as your biggest shopping challenge?
Finding clothes that skim the body but don’t cling – too much information is not a good thing!
What’s your beauty secret?
Find a great colorist for your hair. If your hair color truly complements your skin color and then you add subtle amounts of highlights and lowlights, it will make all the difference.

If you are interested in finding out more about the LLS, click below.
Please take a moment to click on this link:
http://www.active.com/donate/ncamwoy/DonnaHamaker. Your donation DOES make a difference – thank you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Style Profile: Debbie Brodsky

When I first met Debbie, I was drawn in by her friendliness and beautiful smile.


Then I found out that Debbie was a three-time Emmy Award-winning television producer with more than 15 years of experience. She has worked as a producer with public television, including South Carolina ETV (PBS), WETA (PBS), and most recently, MHz NETWORKS. She has won three NATAS-DC Emmy Awards for her work, including one for Best Documentary. She has also worked for TLC, Fox, and programs like “Entertainment Tonight” and “Reading Rainbow.” She now produces Life Stories on DVD. http://www.dmbpictures.com/

Name: Debbie Brodsky

Occupation: Owner, DMB Pictures, Life Stories on DVD

Children: Adam, age 4 and Bryan, age 1, who missed having the same birthday as his brother by just a few hours

What's your "uniform?”
Jeans with a great sweater/top. It’s comfortable to be in while editing films at my desk, and flexible for being around kids with tomato sauce hands and runny noses. I can dress it up on short notice with a nice pair of boots and some jewelry.

What is your secret fashion sin ?
My pajamas. I have a huge XXL t-shirt that my friend gave me from a press junket years ago that is incredibly soft and comfy to sleep in. It’s from the movie “Booty Call” and says so right on the front. I actually had to go to the emergency room one night during my last pregnancy with a severe nosebleed and was hysterical when I realized that’s what I was wearing! I swore never to wear it again, but old habits die hard…

What's your favorite current fashion bargain? Banana Republic Petites on sale.

What's your favorite fashion splurge? Make-up. I love Trish McEvoy products and MAC’s eyeshadow in Jest—I always get compliments when I wear them.


What are your favorite stores?
Nordstrom Petites, Banana Republic Petites, and Bloomingdale’s Petites.

What do you see as your biggest shopping challenge?
With two small kids at home along with running my own business, there’s not much time to shop.

What’s your beauty secret?
My Mom has always been a big proponent of staying out of the sun and wearing sunscreen. She’s 63 and looks like she could be in her 40’s. So I’ve tried to follow her advice.

Style Profile: Andrea Paro Sandler

The next installment in an occasional series of fabulous moms about town...

I've known Andrea Sandler for years. Like 20. We used to--okay, it was twenty years ago, so cut us some slack--fragrance model together. Anyway, if you've ever called down to Daisy Baby with a furniture, clothing or baby sling (I've even called for napping advice) question, chances are it's Andrea you've spoken to. Really down to earth? A walking mom resource? Hilariously hilarous? Yup, that's her alright.

And since the Daisy Fifth Anniversary Sale stages tomorrow (11-8!! 20% off of the whole store!! (save special orders)), I thought this would be the ideal time to post...

Name: Andrea Paro Sandler

Occupation: Owner, Daisy Baby and Daisy Too

Children: Two fabulous girls, 1 and 3-1/2

What's your uniform? Anything, punctuated with Tory Burch shoes.

Secret fashion sin: Sweatpants at home. Big, baggy ones. And I can't bear to throw out any of my True Religion jeans.

Favorite fashion bargain: Any Gap long sleeve cotton shirts

Favorite fashion splurge: I have never met a handbag that I didn't like!

Favorite stores: Daisy Too and Zelaya Footwear, but of course!

Biggest shopping challenge:: Finding the perfect pants and entering a dressing room with a bathing suit

Beauty Secret: Lots of Moisturizer!!!!!!!

Style Profile: Corina DuBois

Mix one part NYC cleverness, one part California laidbackness, and a good dose of midwest friendliness and you get Corina DuBois of Stroller Strides and Celebrate Mama! LLC. Yes, she loves moms so much that she exercises them and celebrates them (at her annual Mama festival, which takes place each spring in Montgomery County). That's dedication. She's the latest in our occasional series of fabulous DC-area moms...

Name: Corina DuBois

Occupation: Owner, Stroller Strides Montgomery County & Creator of Celebrate Mama! LLC

Children: Holden, 3 years and Nolan 2 years (both boys)

What's your "uniform?” I work out every day for a living, so I am always wearing workout gear. I LOVE fashion but never have the time to change… so you will see me getting coffee, shopping, at the park still in workout clothes from the morning. Thank Goodness for wicking material!

What is your secret fashion sin? I have expensive taste and a mom budget. So, if I’m not in workout gear, I’m decked out in a strange combo of Old Navy jeans and Stuart Weitzman shoes. I always wonder if I’m going to look up and see that I’m too old for the clothes I like (I secretly like to pick things up at Forever 21). Oh, and I like bejeweled things. I owned a Bedazzler back in the day.

What's your favorite current fashion bargain? Bluefly.com

What's your favorite fashion splurge? SHOES!! SHOES!! SHOES!! And Coach purses. Oh, and every season I buy a fun necklace and bracelet combo to jangle up the jeans and shirt staples.

What are your favorite stores? J Crew, High End Department Stores (Saks, Neimans), lucy (for workout gear) and (sadly) Target

What do you see as your biggest shopping challenge? Not going overboard because I know I generally wear workout clothes and don’t have that many nights out that require 3 inch heels or 3 pairs of boots.

What’s your beauty secret? Thinking I look hot even in workout clothes that I’ve been schlepping around in all day. It does wonders for the image I project. Seriously.

Thursday Fashion Profile: Meet the Fashionista

This week's profile is perhaps the hardest working mother in Washington, and is definitely one of the nicest. Do YOU get up at 4:30 on Sundays to go to work? Maybe, but then you get to go back to sleep eventually. Not her, but you'll never see her complain, and you'll never see her looking less than utterly, completely fashionable. And as a native Northern Californian, she always has a fantastic bottle of wine open and ready to serve...

Name: Michelle Jaconi

Occupation: Producer & Political Analyst, Meet the Press

Children: 1 full of pluck, Miss Kylie Kathryn, 7 months-old

What's your "uniform?” Black leggings (machine washable and one of the few styles of pants that fit me as I am 6 feet tall), ballet flats (I love heels, but the joke is that I can’t turn left if I wear heels, as my legs barely fit under the steering wheel as it is), and a crisp white shirt (who has time to iron? I buy a men’s shirt and throw it in with my husband’s dry cleaning and nothing gives you the illusion of being put together more than lip gloss and a little starch).

What is your secret fashion sin? I break out my Uggs from high school at the first sign of snow. My friends say they stand for “ugg-ly” but despite their short-lived East coast trend, as a California-native, I will always love them (despite their winter practicality, they are surfer girl favorites). So they do double duty.

What's your favorite current fashion bargain? I got Nine West flats that are such superb Chanel knock offs that my husband is irritated he bought me the real ones for Christmas (I save his for fancy occasions, and use mine for the spit-up-filled day-to-day).

What's your favorite fashion splurge? Two words, many meanings: Louis Vuitton.

What are your favorite stores? I am a stationery & accessory junkie, so I love Room with a View and Proper Topper in Georgetown. And, as a nursing mom, Nordstrom is my new favorite place in the world (why other stores do not copy their brilliant design/marketing concept is beyond me.) From their café, to the soft lighting in the women’s lounge, I referred to the store as my “office” when I was on maternity leave (it was too cold in January to go anywhere else). It became my “mother’s circle” as all the savvy new moms were there week after week, so we got to know each other & share advice. There was even a pediatrician who was a regular, and who would answer all our questions! Long live Nordie’s!

What do you see as your biggest shopping challenge? Finding pants that fit. And as much as I would think this would be something peculiar to my 6 foot tall frame, I find that very few people wear pants (and jeans!) that fit well. So, we all need a good tailor (and I need clothes companies to leave more hems).

What's your beauty secret? Smile.

Style Profile: Mary-Frances Wain

The saying "good things happen to good people" has never been proven more true than with style maven Mary-Frances Wain. She's gorgeous, incredibly dressed (being a former NM p.r. director certainly can't hurt), funny as they come, and as a non-profit consultant, she has her hand in just about every fabulous charity event in this town (including the MenzFit event October 4--yes, that's La Mer in your goodie bag, thankyouverymuch).

Here's a bit of insight into her style philosophy...

Name: Mary-Frances Wain

Occupation: Nonprofit Consultant

Children: 1, Sam, age 2

What's your "uniform?”I am an anti-uniform person, but if I have to answer that question it would definitely involve pants and a jacket, but not necessarily a suit, for business. Always heels, even though I’m almost six feet tall. For non-business occasions, just about anything goes..except for jeans and sneakers!

What is your secret fashion sin? Hmmm…I probably wear shoes waaay too long…after they have lived a long and fruitful life, I still will drag them out of the closet, when it is clear they need to be retired.

What's your favorite current fashion bargain? I love H&M and Zara…and have just discovered drugstore.com!!!

What's your favorite fashion splurge? Again, my thoughts run to shoes. (Editor's note: I can TOTALLY vouch for that. Prada comes to mind...)

What are your favorite stores? I love Nana on U Street. Jackie, the owner, is adorable. And, Sarah, knows my style – even if I don’t – and calls or emails when something comes in that I might like. Smart girl!

What do you see as your biggest shopping challenge? Again, almost six feet tall…finding pants that are long enough!!!

What’s your beauty secret? Dove soap.

Sited: Christina Hendricks of DC Mom

Mix the grace of Audrey Hepburn, the business prowess of Kate Spade and the wise-cracking sassiness of Alice from the eponymous TV show and you get Christina Hendricks. As the founder of DC's key mom activity resource, she is incredibly tuned in to all things Mom in the DC area--plus she's hilarious, generous, and incredibly friendly, too! Here's some insider info on the style maven behind one of my favorite mom websites...

Name: Christina Hendricks

Occupation: Website owner, go DCmom.com!, IT Consultant and Mom

Children: I have three very active kids – two girls that are 9 and 7 and one boy who is 5 who always seem to be asking or talking to me at exactly the same time!

What's your "uniform?” I’m a big fan of killer jeans and a great black t-shirt. Always looks good and in today’s world there is only a slim chance that you may be underdressed.

What is your secret fashion sin? I have a couple of completely threadbare t-shirts from back in the day…they are hideous and are advertising completely inappropriate places to drink beer but darn are they comfortable!

What's your favorite current fashion bargain? I scour sales racks at almost any place I am in…so that’s how I amass my bargains. I also think one of the greatest bargains ever is Jergens Natural Glow moisturizer. Ok, it’s not clothing, but it really keeps that pasty look at bay and anytime you have a bit of color even a bargain looks like a million bucks.

What's your favorite fashion splurge? I go crazy every time I am up in NYC and buy lots of Bond fragrances – Chelsea Flowers is one of my favorites. TSE Cashmere hoodies are great too – except my oldest daughter constantly steals them from me!

What are your favorite stores? Barneys, Bloomies, Saks and the local DC boutiques like Alex, Periwinkle and more. Plus, a trip to Forever 21 or Loehmann’s (what can I say, I am a diehard) always seems to turn up something.

What do you see as your biggest shopping challenge? Finding time to shop without children! My kids are always with me, so the challenge is figuring out what’s the best bribe for that day to keep them quiet and content while I shop. Plus my seven year fashionista has a strong opinion about everything I try on in front of her – which is both good and bad since I try not to dress like the tween idol she would like me to look like!

What’s your beauty secret? I wear tons of sunscreen. I happen to love Kiehl’s Facial Moisturizer, it is awesome and keeps the sun blocked all day, slather it on and you don’t have to think about it again. It’s what climbers use when they scale Mt. Everest, so I figure it’s good enough for the car pool lane.

Styling and Profiling: Mary Amons

For my first interview of a stylish mom, I thought I would introduce you to Mary Amons of the District Sample Sale. In addition to being a founder and chair of the event, she started a charity called Labels for Love which benefits women's and children's causes--and she's a full time mom. Read on...

Name: Mary Schmidt Amons

Occupation: Mom, wife, and founder of Labels for Love, Inc.

Children: 5 (!)

Your "uniform”: In summer, it's tennis wear, because I'm usually running around all day, with little time to focus on my outift. When I’m working or want to dress comfortably, I tend to gravitate to my favorite pair of jeans (skinnies this past year), always boots in the winter (my shoe collection tends to be more summer/spring focused due to my boot fetish) and a cool top with some funky jewelry to add some style.

Your secret fashion sin: (eg., do you still wear scrunchies when you think no one is looking? Any one thing in your closet you can’t bear to throw out, fashion police be damned?) I asked for my husband’s opinion on this (never a good idea when actually looking for what you want to hear!). He called me out on my comfy jammie pants that I have had for years (all 5 rotating pairs from Scoop, each a different color (faded and a little saggy in the rear now)…he mistakenly takes it as a subliminal message that there’s no shot.

Favorite current fashion bargain: I have found some very cool pieces at Forever 21, while shopping with my daughter. Good, one season t’s and basics. I also was bummed when C-Mart decided to open another location, and everyone figured out the secret. I have found some amazing top designer bargains there. Bluefly and Yoox are two favorite websites, as well as my twice-weekly dose of Shop It to Me.

Favorite fashion splurge: Boots – all styles! Henry Beguelin, Chloe, Martin Margiela, Dries Van Noten are my favorites.

Favorite stores: Alex Boutique, Barneys, Muleh, Relish, and all of the fabulous boutiques that support the District Sample Sale! They are all amazing, and DC is so fortunate to have access to great shopping, and fabulous store owners who offer personal attention and fashionable advice!

Biggest shopping challenge: Avoiding impulse buying, as well as gravitating to the same pieces that already exist in my closet. I have learned to stay away from the 3 week old Last Call racks at Neimans. It only gets me into trouble. A good friend gave me a piece of advice once: if its on the sale rack, it's there for a reason. I’m getting more realistic in being able to recognize a real bargain, but who doesn’t love a deal?

Beauty secret: Besides botox? (it’s rid me of migraines, so it’s a medical necessity now!) It's staying active, playing tennis, laughing with my kids, eating healthy (raw, when I can), drinking good wine (a must!), wearing proper sunscreen, getting away with my husband, and most importantly, nurturing my inner spirit, as it is directly reflected on the outside.