The Best Shoes of Spring/Summer 2011” y 11 mas

The Best Shoes of Spring/Summer 2011
That Didn’t Take Long: Gap Goes Back to Original Logo
Mad Men Style Recap, Episode 12
Racked Dealfeed: Gant, Fred Perry & Ron Herman
Would You Rather…? The Dramatic Draping Edition
Getting Waxed at the Fjällräven Store
Street Style: Zoe Loves Caramel Macaroons
Lauren Conrad Wants Her New Show To Be Like The September Issue
Trendspotting: Animal Magnetism
The Brazilian Blowout Allegedly Contains A LOT of Formaldehyde: What Does This Mean For The Future Of Hair Straightening?
Fashion News Roundup: Lanvin for H&M Trailer, More Sofia Coppola For LV, and Lara Stone Wants Little Gay Boys
It’s Supposed To Look Like You Just Stepped In Gum, And More of Kobi Levi’s Crazy Sculptural Shoes

The Best Shoes of Spring/Summer 2011

Posted: 12 Oct 2010 07:00 AM PDT

Forget diamonds–shoes are a girl’s best friend.

The SS11 runways were full of new “best friends” for shoe addicts everywhere. From Alexander McQueen’s and Rodarte’s sculpted wedges to Calvin Klein’s lucite and wood stilettos, there’s something for every girl, even sneakers (from Giles and Yohji Yamamoto, of course)! Trying to pick a favorite may cost you hours, so why not just love them all?

Click through to see the best of the best shoes from the Spring runways!

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That Didn’t Take Long: Gap Goes Back to Original Logo

Posted: 12 Oct 2010 06:12 AM PDT

Last week, Gap abruptly changed their logo. Nobody liked it. The switch from the brand’s classic blue box logo to a lowercase Helvetica font with a blue square in the right hand corner inspired much vitriol across the internet, the twitterverse, and in the comments section on Gap’s Facebook page. Some gems from this site include, “I think [the logo] could be slightly more boring if they really made the effort. They can’t even do boring right anymore,” and “What I think of when I look at that new Gap logo is a pharmaceutical company.”

We weren’t fans either, but tried to understand the change, noting that Gap had been using the font in their 1969 denim campaign for some time.

Gap listened to their angry fans, and late last night, released a statement that they would return to the “iconic blue box logo.”

“Ok. We've heard loud and clear that you don't like the new logo. We've learned a lot from the feedback. We only want what's best for the brand and our customers. So instead of crowd sourcing, we're bringing back the Blue Box tonight,” Gap posted on their Facebook page last night.

A week is pretty quick for Gap to be ditching their new logo. A huge brand like Gap doesn’t make a change to their logo on a whim. Tropicana even waited out the hate for their new logo for about a month before deciding to go back to their original logo a few years ago.

"We've learned a lot in this process,” Gap Brand North America president Marka Hansen said in a statement. “And we are clear that we did not go about this in the right way. We recognize that we missed the opportunity to engage with the online community. This wasn't the right project at the right time for crowd sourcing.”

The full release from Gap Brand North America President Hansen:
"Since we rolled out an updated version of our logo last week on our website, we've seen an outpouring of comments from customers and the online community in support of the iconic blue box logo.

"Last week, we moved to address the feedback and began exploring how we could tap into all of the passion. Ultimately, we've learned just how much energy there is around our brand. All roads were leading us back to the blue box, so we've made the decision not to use the new logo on gap.com any further.

"At Gap brand, our customers have always come first. We've been listening to and watching all of the comments this past week. We heard them say over and over again they are passionate about our blue box logo, and they want it back. So we've made the decision to do just that – we will bring it back across all channels.

"In the meantime, the website will go back to our iconic blue box logo and, for Holiday, we'll turn our blue box red for our seasonal campaign.

"We've learned a lot in this process. And we are clear that we did not go about this in the right way. We recognize that we missed the opportunity to engage with the online community. This wasn't the right project at the right time for crowd sourcing.

"There may be a time to evolve our logo, but if and when that time comes, we'll handle it in a different way. "

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Mad Men Style Recap, Episode 12

Posted: 11 Oct 2010 05:22 PM PDT

Just when Mad Men starts turning into a gossipy, love triangled drama, it grabs the wheel and reverts to its business ways. In episode 12, all of Mad Men’s relationship issues were put down to highlight a bigger issue: That SCDP is down and almost out.

With Lucky Strike gone, SCDP is on its last leg. Don starts the episode in a gray suit and black tie, looking more serious than ever, in a meeting with Heinz. Desperate for business, Don will do anything to sign a client, but the fish aren’t buying. The SCDP accountant brings in more bad news to the conference room where we find Roger in another blue look, this time it’s a three piece suit, Pete in gray, Burt in sky blue, and Faye in a black and white optical print blouse and gray slim skirt. Aside from Burt, who’ll later resign in a khaki colored get-up, the colors of SCDP are dreary.

Roger reverts back to a gray suit later, Don gets gloomier in gray and black, Lane keeps it dark toned and somber in mismatched black jackets and tan vests, and even Peggy can’t help but feel down wearing a jet-black short sleeved dress with white, vertical stripe accents.

But just when you thought it was too bleak to watch, there, out of the bustle of midtown, appears Midge.

Midge may have been one of Don’s favorite girlfriends, or at least one of the audience’s favorites because she introduced the cool, downtown scene to the uptown, uptight world that Mad Men once was. Lurking in the Time & Life building lobby, Midge is a vision in a yellow dress and cobalt cardigan, with chunky beads around her neck and an adorable black beret on her head. She seems to have resolved her beat passions with her business ones, making art for Life Magazine. But just like SCDP, however, Midge’s life has taken a nasty turn. She’s hooked on heroin and looking for Don to make a donation. He shells out $320 and takes one of her strange Ab Ex paintings, a timely coincidence with MoMA’s Ab Ex NY exhibit that just opened.

Upstate, Betty and Sally are moving along well with their therapy… well, at least Sally is. Wearing a variety of cute, plaid ensembles, as well as a peach printed shirt and cerulean skirt that could’ve walked Karen Walker SS11, Sally is handling herself more like an adult, while Betty, in a lilac full dress and later in a white dot slim dress is acting more and more like a child. Betty snaps when she sees Sally sneaking off to play with Glenn, storming out of her car in light green cropped pants and a baby pink shirt. The colors of Betty’s wardrobe this episode are those of a newborn baby, devoid of grown-up emotions, as opposed to Sally’s vibrantly colored clothes. In the most childish move of all, Betty declares herself finally ready to move, solely because Sally is getting the attention that Betty feels she deserves.

While things were looking down on Mad Men this episode, there’s always something to liven our spirits. Megan sported a variety of cute ensembles, from a navy dress with coral scarf, to a ringer for the Café Gitane uniforms (that’s lime green A-line dresses), and even her seafoam ensemble from some episodes ago, which she wore in a shot that placed her behind a glass wall, between Don and Faye. Faye, who’s style is not the most elegant, wore a red suit at this episode’s close that looked like what the drag version of Mao would wear. It was truly horrific. Joan, who made but a brief appearance, was in peach and later blue florals. Peggy sported a coral and white dress that emphasized her super tiny waist, and Trudy, the true star of Mad Men style, wore a light blue tent top and pencil skirt proving that post-pregnancy and new motherhood is no excuse not to look fabulous.

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Racked Dealfeed: Gant, Fred Perry & Ron Herman

Posted: 11 Oct 2010 03:12 PM PDT

Gant
Deal: Up to 80% off fall/winter clothing and accessories from Gant, Gant Rugger, and Gant by Michael Bastian
When/Where: Tuesday, October 12 through Friday, October 15. Tues—Thurs 8:30am—6:30pm, Fri 8:30am—5pm. 20 W. 55th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves, 11th floor

Slane & Slane
Deal: 50% to 60% off modern jewelry, much of it handmade of recycled sterling silver
When/Where:Today through Friday, October 15. Daily 9am—6pm. Misorena, 260 Fifth Ave between 28th and 29th Sts (212-725-5400)

Fred Perry
Deal: 50% to 60% off clothing and accessories for men and women, including Fred Perry by Raf Simons, D.S. Dundee, and selected collabs
When/Where: Today through Saturday, October 16. Mon—Fri 10am—7pm, Sat noon—5pm. Avalon Group Showroom, 547 West 27th St between Tenth and Eleventh Aves, third floor

Mxyplyzyk
Deal: A sidewalk sale of housewares and gifts going for $5 to $25
When/Where: Saturday, October 9 through Monday, October 11. Daily 11am—6pm. 125 Greenwich Ave at W. 13th St (212-989-4300)

Neiman Marcus Last Call
Deal: Extra 30% off your entire purchase
Where/When: Online and in stores

Ron Herman
Deal: 65% off designer merchandise on labels like Alexander Wang, Winter Kate, Prada, Elizabeth & James, and more. Discounts continue as the sales go on.
When/Where: Online and in store

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Would You Rather…? The Dramatic Draping Edition

Posted: 11 Oct 2010 03:00 PM PDT

Chanel’s Haute Couture 2008 show was a memorable affair, if not for the face frames, then for the hot pink dress that Cameron Diaz would later wear on the Red Carpet (after Rachel Zoe famously altered it). For SS11, however, Carven presented a very similarly draped dress in black. So whose draped wonder would you rather wear, Chanel’s or Carven’s?

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Getting Waxed at the Fjällräven Store

Posted: 11 Oct 2010 02:40 PM PDT

Fjällräven, the highly sought after Swedish outdoors brand, reopened their Mott St. store last week (262 Mott St., NYC). They’ve revamped their only US outpost, expanding the space and creating a one-stop shop to outfit you for any adventure (even an arctic one). Beyond their classic waxed coats and utterly adorable neon backpacks, the store stocks handmade axes, balsam fir incense (for when you can’t actually get to the woods, one of the Fjällräven girls explained to me), and tin cookware for whipping up fireside meals.

The store is meticulously curated and laid out just-so. Everything about the store is as precious as the brand’s arctic fox logo. It’s an aesthetic that appeals to certain kind of in-the-know hipster as well as outdoorsy types. And the clothes are timeless and stylish (in addition to being functional). The jackets, especially their classic Crinan jacket from the ’70s, in army green, fits in perfectly with this season’s military trends. It also comes in a cornflower blue for spring. I couldn’t resist picking one up, which I then had waxed to protect it for the winter.

The store boasts a waxing “station” (we’re not talking back of the nail salon here) that is essentially a fancy ironing board in the corner. It sounds a bit intimidating to own clothing that needs waxing, but I got a lesson in waxing my jacket and learned there’s not much too it. You simply rub wax on the shoulders and collar of your coat (the bits that need the most protecting and weather proofing) like you were scribbling on it with a crayon and apply heat. A hair dryer will do. Or you can let the super friendly Swedes at the Fjällräven store do it for you.

Click through for more images of the store, and the Fjällräven crew modeling the spring line against an idyllic backdrop…on Mott St.

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Street Style: Zoe Loves Caramel Macaroons

Posted: 11 Oct 2010 01:30 PM PDT

Name: Zoe Ghertner

Age: 26

Occupation: Photographer

Who is your dress by? Miu Miu

What is your favorite dessert? Caramel Macaroon

**All photos by Ashley Jahncke

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Lauren Conrad Wants Her New Show To Be Like The September Issue

Posted: 11 Oct 2010 12:21 PM PDT

Lauren Conrad’s new MTV reality show won’t be a Hills redux. Gone are the grainy glammed-up montages of LA’s freeways, Conrad says her new show will be filmed more like a “documentary.” “The Hills was shot with three or four cameras; things like entrances and exits were reshot; and if there were sound issues, we were asked to repeat what we just said,” LC tells Teen Vogue in her cover story. “This show is going to have a smaller crew, and they’ll just be following us around. It’s going to have a rougher feel, but I think the end result is going to be more true.” (Right…)

Her inspiration? The September Issue. The show will focus on her new line, Paper Crown, which, Conrad says, will be all about “really great fits, fabrics, and details. It won’t be overly trendy—nothing that’s trying too hard.”

But don’t expect any Conrad-Wintour similarities beyond their proclivity for oversized sunnies. LC’s built her brand on being nice, and it’s working. She’s on the cover of Teen Vogue this month, and just last month she was on the cover of ELLE. Her newest book, Lauren Conrad Style, follows her highly successful YA series L.A. Candy, which is rumored to become a movie or TV series. The Hills died after LC left the cast. So we’re betting her September Issue-inspired new show will do just fine. Will you watch?

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Trendspotting: Animal Magnetism

Posted: 11 Oct 2010 11:00 AM PDT

For SS11 designers turned to their animal roots, emblazoning their designs with portraits of their favorite furry friends. From Prada’s now famous monkeys to Tsumori Chisato’s tiger, jungle animals were the most popular, although Miu Miu went classy with swans and Giles showed some koala-looking blobs on intarsia sweaters.

Which animal portrait would you wear?

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The Brazilian Blowout Allegedly Contains A LOT of Formaldehyde: What Does This Mean For The Future Of Hair Straightening?

Posted: 11 Oct 2010 10:19 AM PDT

Ask someone who has had a Brazilian Blowout or other keratin straightening treatment, and more often than not you will get a giddy, breathless account of how it has changed her life. Indeed, my friend Jodi, who was an early adopter of the Japanese and then keratin straighteners said, "I would give my left arm before giving it up." Trust me, she means it.

But there's a chance she may have to give it up. Perhaps the frizzy, unkempt hair Marc Jacobs showed on his S/S 2011 runway is a harbinger of bad hair days to come.

The hair straightening product Brazilian Blowout is at the center of the controversy, faced with accusations that it contains dangerously high levels of formaldehyde. Health Canada, a government-based health agency, tested the product after it received multiple complaints and found that it contained 12% formaldehyde. Health Canada issued a statement on October 7th recommending that all Canadian salons stop offering the treatment.

Brazilian Blowout, which claims it contains no formaldehyde, has also come under scrutiny here in the US. After salon workers in Oregon complained of eye irritation, nose burning, and difficulty breathing, the Oregon Health & Science University's Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology tested the formula. Their results indicated that the solution contained between 4.85 and 10.6% formaldehyde. Some salons have voluntarily pulled the product, but the FDA has made no official statement yet.

So what exactly do all these percentages mean? The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, an industry organization responsible for monitoring cosmetic safety, declared that a product should contain less than 0.2% formaldehyde to be considered safe. So 12% is 60 times more than the "safe" amount. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and also causes a variety of respiratory and skin problems at high levels.

Oregon OSHA and the Brazilian Blowout (BB) company have been engaged in a press release pissing match since September 29th based on the findings. First, BB claimed that OSHA didn't request a sample from the company directly, therefore negating all test results because the solution could have been contaminated. On October 4th, BB claimed in a rather random and cryptic statement on its site that it stood by its "no formaldehyde" claims. Then on October 5th it released a statement that after independent testing, BB solution does contain trace amounts of formaldehyde, but no more than what occurs naturally, and in an amount that still allows them to claim "no formaldehyde."

Finally, on October 8th, Brazilian Blowout let loose with a tirade against OSHA, calling the organization’s testing methods faulty because it measured methylene glycol, not formaldehyde. OSHA responded the same day stating that formaldehyde and methylene glycol are the same thing, and that air samples indicated that dangerous levels of formaldehyde were released. (In the salon, the solution is applied to the hair, hair is blow dried, and then flat ironed at high temperatures. This is the step during which the stylists noted the unpleasant symptoms.)

After wading through all the press releases, what exactly is the significance of all this? I got a "C" in organic chemistry in college (I really can't be blamed for this. It was at 8:30 a.m. on Friday mornings) so I decided to consult an expert. I spoke to a PhD organic chemist with more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry about the chemical properties of formaldehyde.

After an informative lesson on carbonyl structure, he said, "The long and short of it is that methylene glycol equals formaldehyde, period, get over it, done, move on." He also told me that there are chemicals that can be put into solution that when heated, turn into formaldehyde quickly. So a chemical that is not technically formaldehyde in solution, can turn into formaldehyde. The miracle of modern chemistry.

A WebMD article noted that formaldehyde is needed to bond with the keratin in these treatments, and that any product with less than 2% formaldehyde probably wouldn't work. So you can draw the obvious conclusions.

As of now, only the Brazilian Blowout solution has been targeted. But this isn't a new problem with these products. Allure reported high formaldehyde levels in some brands back in 2007. And Jodi, my beautifully coiffed friend–who now lives in Canada after moving from NYC–says, "I used to ask the guy who did my hair in NYC why our eyes burned so badly if it was natural and he would say, 'Oh, I’m sure it is some plant based acids.' WTF?! I never questioned further [be]cause frankly I didn’t care. It works so amazingly it could burn three layers of scalp off the top of my head and I’d still use it."

So there you go. Are we burning, er, burying our silky smooth heads in the sand? Or is this really not a big deal?

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Fashion News Roundup: Lanvin for H&M Trailer, More Sofia Coppola For LV, and Lara Stone Wants Little Gay Boys

Posted: 11 Oct 2010 09:44 AM PDT

Lanvin Hearts H&M Trailer: Remember when we told you about the competition H&M was holding offering an exclusive Lanvin video to the most popular blogger? Well, Zet Fashion was able to gather up enough votes to win exclusive rights run a cut of the Lanvin Hearts H&M trailer (the full vid debuts on November 8 at HM.com). The video shows Leigh Lezark pouring Alber Elbaz tea and it’s pretty amazing. {Racked}

More Sofia Coppola for LV: Sofia Coppola is a busy lady. In the past year she has given birth to her second child and directed her new film Somwhere. She’s also added more bags to her popular collection with Louis Vuitton. The expanded collection will offer more colors and shapes as well as her signature SC bag in luxe crocodile. {Daily Front Row}

Sally Singer’s First Issue at T: Rumors are floating around that Mick Jagger will grace the cover of Sally Singer’s first issue of T. {Fashionologie}

Lara Stone On Having Kids: Apparently, Lara Stone is all about having kids. Little gay boys, specifically. “I would love to have children some day,” she told British Vogue. “I’d like little gay boys. That would be good. I’m terrified of having a little girl. Girls are more evil than boys. And then they have boyfriends.” {The Cut}

Victoria’s Secret Show Sketches: It’s almost time to tune in to CBS, watch the Victoria Secret Show, and then feel bad about ourselves and hit the gym immediately after. Catwalk Queen has recently gotten their hands on some of the outfit sketches from the upcoming show. They look, well, like they always do. {Catwalk Queen}

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It’s Supposed To Look Like You Just Stepped In Gum, And More of Kobi Levi’s Crazy Sculptural Shoes

Posted: 11 Oct 2010 09:05 AM PDT

In case you felt there was a shortage of crazy shoes on the SS11 runways this season (hello Prada), Israeli designer Kobi Levi has got just the stompers for you. More like sculptures than actual shoes, Levi’s designs are comical, kitschy, and probably hard to walk in.

Nevertheless, they’re amazingly crazy and delightful (and a little NSFW). Thanks to Design Boom for finding them. Click through to pick your favorite design!