Exclusive: Marie Claire EIC Joanna Coles Responds to Controversial Fatist Blog Post” y 11 mas

Exclusive: Marie Claire EIC Joanna Coles Responds to Controversial Fatist Blog Post
Gossip Girl’s Fashion Industry Guest Stars Keep on Coming
Fat-Hating Marie Claire Blogger Struggled With Eating Disorder
Street Style: Marina is Cycle Chic
Chanel Private Sale on Rue La La
Brood Spring 2011: Serkan Sarier Impresses the Heavy Hitters
Becka Diamond Gets Fitted For Vogue?
Win a Foley + Corinna Bag! Yipee!
Cameron Silver Gives Decades Shoppers Something to Wear With Their Chanel Jackets
Makeup Artist Collier Strong Teaches Us How To Use L’Oreal’s Magical New Primer
Fashion News Roundup: The Rise and Fall of The Hipster, Tracking Down Those Gap Wedges and Ally Hilfiger to Design
Kitson Countersues Nicole Richie’s Clothing Line, Claims Richie Bailed On An Appearance Worth $500K. Is Richie Worth It?

Exclusive: Marie Claire EIC Joanna Coles Responds to Controversial Fatist Blog Post

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 06:54 AM PDT

Marie Claire sex and relationship blogger Maura Kelly drew the ire of the internet yesterday with her post about CBS sitcom Mike & Molly titled “Should ‘Fatties’ Get a Room? (Even on TV?),”, in which she concluded, yes, “fatties” should get a room because overweight people “gross” her out. Kelly’s post has since received nearly 1,000 comments, and unsurprisingly, the vast majority of them pillory her.

Some commenters are so upset with the mag for publishing the post that they claim they are canceling their subscriptions. One even called for a boycott of Marie Claire until Kelly was fired.

So what does Marie Claire EIC Joanna Coles think of the piece? We asked her when we caught her at yesterday’s Banana Republic spring show, we asked her for her thoughts on the piece.

“Maura Kelly is a very provocative blogger,” Coles told us. “She was an anorexic herself and this is a subject she feels very strongly about.”

Coles said the mag has received over 28,000 email responses to the piece, and that Kelly was “excited and moved by their responses.”

While Coles made clear that she hasn’t actually seen Mike & Molly, she added “I’m concerned about a show that makes fun of large people.”

I haven’t seen the sitcom in question either, and yes, the show has its naysayers, but the critical response to the show has been positive in regards to the way it addresses issues around weight. “Mike & Molly is significant as the second fictional series in recent months to take weight not as a sideshow but rather as a central, animating subject, surpassing even the efforts made by ”Roseanne” in the 1980s and ’90s,” Ginia Bellafante wrote in her review of the sitcom for the New York Times. “Huge, a drama about teenagers at a fat camp, which appeared this summer on ABC Family, displayed a similar sensitivity, a tone aimed at correcting for the reflexive cultural judgments levied against the overweight at a time when obesity has been cast as one of the greatest blights of our age.” “I didn’t take it as making fun at all, and I think I’m really sensitive to that stuff,” Melissa McCarthy told the Chicago Tribune in August.

Coles went on to rightfully point out that Kelly has since updated her post, profusely apologizing for being “insensitive” and coming off as a “bully.” She also acknowledges that her struggle with anorexia may have had a part in what she calls her “extreme reaction” to the show.

Do you accept her apology? And has Coles’ done the right thing by standing by the post?

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Gossip Girl’s Fashion Industry Guest Stars Keep on Coming

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 02:30 PM PDT

We just received word that Cynthia Rowley, Joe Zee and Rachel Zoe will all be making appearances on next week’s Gossip Girl. The episode will center around Blair’s birthday party, which of course will include a performance by Robyn (last year was Lady Gaga). It seems like in almost every episode this season, a Van der Woodsen has air-kissed someone from the fashion industry or New York society. Last night’s episode was no exception. It culminated in an Observer party at the Boom Boom Room with Tim Gunn, Isaac Mizrahi, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner in attendance.

We’re not sure if these guest stars are meant to increase ratings or just give the show a more realistic feel. They are hardly publicized–Tim Gunn was in the commercial for last night’s episode, but none of the others were. Neither were Karlie Kloss, Meredith Melling-Burke, Hamish Bowles, Lou Doillon and others who have popped up throughout the season. Furthermore, do most Gossip Girl viewers even know who these people are? Part of it is obviously publicity for the “celebs” themselves, but the appearances also lend New York cred and pop culture relevance to the show, whose plots haven’t exactly been riveting lately. Overall, the surprise guest stars are definitely fun for us, but is Gossip Girl perhaps relying too heavily on them to save a show that should be on its last leg?

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Fat-Hating Marie Claire Blogger Struggled With Eating Disorder

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 01:59 PM PDT

Maura Kelly, a sex and relationship blogger for Marie Claire, is finding herself in a whole lot of hot water today. She wrote a post for the mag’s site titled “Should “Fatties” Get a Room? (Even on TV?)” which was ostensibly about the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly, a show about a couple who meet in an Overeaters Anonymous group, but was really just a fat-ist screed coming from someone who has struggled with eating issues herself.

Marie Claire has upped their fashion coverage recently with hires like Nina Garcia and Taylor Tomasi Hill. And considering the fashion industry’s recent efforts to diversify the body shapes on the runways (like Beth Ditto at Gaultier), on the pages of editorials and ad campaigns (Crystal Renn for Chanel and Gaultier), and this season’s embrace of curves (Louis Vuitton Fall 2010), this post from Kelly flies in the face of all of that. Moreover, it’s just an unabashedly mean spirited piece and we’re kind of shocked that it’s attached to such a reputable ladymag, one, no less, with a feature series called “Big Girl in a Skinny World” by 5’2″ 220 pound stylist Ashley Falcon.

Here’s the thing: Kelly has struggled with anorexia. She’s written about it. So it seems wildly insensitive that someone who has struggled with eating issues would lash out at others struggling, too. Since the post went live, Jezebel has noted that she’s addressed her anorexia in the comments: “Though I don’t think of myself as anorexic any more, being freaked out by obesity to the insensitive, even cruel, point that I was is certainly a vestige of the anorexic mindset; maybe so was being righteous about how easy it is to lose weight. (Because once I lost an extreme amount of weight, of course—about half my body weight—etc.).”

But does that make it OK?

Judge for yourself. Here are some highlights:

“I think I’d be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other … because I’d be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything. To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room — just like I’d find it distressing if I saw a very drunk person stumbling across a bar or a heroine addict slumping in a chair.”

But don’t worry guys, she’s got nothing against fat people! See:

Now, don’t go getting the wrong impression: I have a few friends who could be called plump. I’m not some size-ist jerk. And I also know how tough it can be for truly heavy people to psych themselves up for the long process of slimming down. (For instance, the overweight maintenance guy at my gym has talked to me a little bit about how it seems worthless for him to even try working out, because he’s been heavy for as long as he can remember.)

Because really, if you’re overweight, it’s clearly your fault:

But … I think obesity is something that most people have a ton of control over. It’s something they can change, if only they put their minds to it.

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Street Style: Marina is Cycle Chic

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 01:30 PM PDT

Name: Marina

Age: 24

Occupation: Model

How would you describe your style? Cycle chic

Where are you from originally? Russia

What are you listening to? Sigur Rós

What are you going to be for Halloween? I have no idea, but I know it's going to be scary.

What is your favorite candy? Merci Chocolate

What are you wearing? Mango shirt, Zara sweater, Topshop jeans

**All photos by Ashley Jahncke.

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Chanel Private Sale on Rue La La

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 01:00 PM PDT

There was a buzz behind the scenes at Rue La La when we all laid eyes on the Chanel pieces that New York-based Madison Avenue Couture painstakingly curated for our Members. Just a few of the statement-making offerings that had us all talking: the classic quilted flap bags with the famous "CC" interlocking logos in different colors, beautiful bouclé tweed jackets with logo buttons that work with jeans and pencil skirts, a rare coat from the famous "Devil Wears Prada" collection, funky boots that turn leggings into a fashion statement, hard-to-find necklaces and earrings from the 1980s, cozy winter coats and scarves to brave the cold in high fashion.

Only one of each coveted piece will be featured in our Boutique, so we suggest arriving early (we're all setting our reminders and postponing meetings as we speak). The Madison Avenue Boutique opens at 11AM on October 27th and lasts just two days.

Here's your exclusive invite: www.ruelala.com/fashionistacom

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Brood Spring 2011: Serkan Sarier Impresses the Heavy Hitters

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 12:50 PM PDT

Stepping into Brood’s Spring 2011 presentation was like stepping into an elite club where only the fashion industries heavy-hitters were welcome. Sally Singer, Vera Wang, Zac Posen, and Mario Grauso were all in attendance.

Honestly, nothing less should have been expected. After all, Brood is is the brainchild of Serkan Sarier, a graduate from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp–one of the most prestigious fashion schools in the world. Some notable grads of the Royal Academy include Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, and Martin Margiela, so you can imagine what editors expect from an Antwerp scholar.

After graduation, Sarier went on to assist Emanuel Ungaro, and later began working under Giambattista Valli, Haider Ackermann, and Olivier Theyskens.

For his debut spring 2011 collection, Brood presented women’s evening wear made of fine washed and distressed silks in various shades of yellow, light blue, and off-white. There were several short draped one-shoulder dresses as well as a few long dresses with plenty of ruching. Every piece seemed to have what looked like draw strings to hold it together, making for easy, effortless looks.

Over all, the collection was aesthetically refreshing. Give Brood two or three seasons, and you might see the line on the same ranks as some of Antwerp’s most noticeable graduates.

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Becka Diamond Gets Fitted For Vogue?

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 12:04 PM PDT

“On my way to Vogue for a fitting,” reads a slightly misleading tweet from Becka Diamond. The party-goer/DJ/occasional NYLON TV person is a regular on street style blogs like Altamira and had a blip in Vanity Fair.

Vogue.com even named her an It Girl a while back, but we never expected to see her in the pages of the actual magazine. (She’s just a little too downtown for Anna, don’t ya think?) And, we won’t. It turns out Becka was just being fitted in a Craig Lawrence dress that she will wear tonight to a Vogue event honoring London designers. We’re maybe even more jealous about that than a Vogue feature–Craig Lawrence is amazing.

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Win a Foley + Corinna Bag! Yipee!

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 11:52 AM PDT

This fall, all we can think about is ladylike handbags. From Celine to Chloe and back, every great label made a version of their own.

And that includes Lower East Side staple Foley + Corinna. Best known for their City Tote, the brand has created one of the most covetable cross-body bags out there.

The “Chainy Crossbody,” as they like to call it, is quite possibly our favorite bag of the season. Especially in that gorgeous ruby color (shown).

And guess what? The generous team over at F + C wants to give away the ruby Chainy to one lucky Fashionista reader. (Retail value: $450.) Just click here to enter. The deadline is Friday, October 29. Bonne chance–we’re jealous!

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Cameron Silver Gives Decades Shoppers Something to Wear With Their Chanel Jackets

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 11:30 AM PDT

Last week, we stopped by the Decades Denim showroom to meet Cameron Silver and see how his collection had evolved since last season's launch. Holiday 2010 and Spring 2011 were both on display, allowing us to witness the line's progression from a few basic denim pieces to a nearly full-fledged collection.

Some vintage inspiration is to be expected from the owner of an L.A. vintage mecca and, naturally, Cameron chose the denim-crazed seventies. The influence is subtle in both collections. Holiday pant styles include basics like a pocketless skinny jean, a straight leg, a boot cut, and a jean legging. There are also more frivolous options like a cropped cigarette jean, a jodpur-seam jean legging and a really great-looking cropped cargo jean. There were also a few dressier options like a trouser, a velvet skinny jean and my favorite, a tuxedo pant with a rounded hem that is a bit shorter in the front to reveal a great pair of shoes. The washes available include indigo, light blue, white, black and my favorite, Ox Blood, a deep bordeaux red. Every pair is clean and timeless–devoid of distressing and obnoxious logos. It all has the kind of dressed-down glamor that L.A. is known for, but also definitely has a place in a New Yorker's wardrobe.

Spring's expanded range of safari-themed wares was still small, but full of casual wardrobe essentials like the perfect chambray tuxedo-front shirt dress, a sleeveless jacket that can be worn alone or layered, and some great high-waisted shorts. There were also more jeans, including a chic take on the boyfriend jean, which Cameron calls "the boyfriend jean that will actually get you a boyfriend," and a classic seventies flared number.

The line, which ranges in price from $99-$120, is sold in 150 stores, including Cameron's own. While $100 jeggings might seem odd in the midst of $6,000 vintage Dior gowns or even $600 Marc Jacobs jackets, it has turned out to be a great fit. When assisting clients (that place is too fancy to call them customers), Cameron would always find himself saying, "That would look great with a great pair of jeans." (It is L.A., after all.) Now, he can direct those clients right over to a rack of jeans that already have his seal of approval. We love this concept because it promotes the kind of high/low or vintage/modern dressing of which we’ve always been a fan. It’s a hallmark of great personal style.

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Makeup Artist Collier Strong Teaches Us How To Use L’Oreal’s Magical New Primer

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 10:30 AM PDT

When I see a product that bears the word "magic" on the label I generally have two competing reactions. First, I get really cynical and snarky. Then I want to try it immediately.

This was the case when I stumbled upon L'Oréal Paris' new Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base. A few weeks ago I was finally cleaning out my goody bags from NY Fashion Week. As I emptied out the bag from the Project Runway finale show, I wasn't surprised to see some L'Oréal Paris and Garnier products in there. We all know who the show's sponsors are by now (no Piperlime shoes, unfortunately).

A small little pot of opalescent pink potion caught my eye. I don't usually wear any base, foundation, or concealer, but for some reason I was intrigued by this. I swiped some on and swooned. Swooned, I tell you! I haven't had a reaction like that since I tried Bobbi Brown's pressed powder many moons ago.

I'm not usually a gusher and I strive for objectivity, but this product is worthy of a gush. It looks like a mini pot of Duncan Hines frosting, and feels like a thick moisurizer when you first touch it, sort of like Crème de la Mer. That is where all comparisons end, though.

When I put it on, it made my skin feel beyond smooth and silky. Then I looked in the mirror. Every fine line and pore had disappeared. My face was like Nicole Kidman's in the Tom Cruise days. I quickly ran to every harsh and natural light source I could find. Yep. Perfect skin. And no heavy greasy feeling.

I wanted to know more about this product, so I rang up L'Oréal Paris. None other than the dashing Collier Strong, Consulting Makeup Artist to L'Oréal Paris–and Project Runway make-up guru–answered my questions. Unfortunately he didn't come to my home for a makeover, so I settled for these tidbits via email:

First and foremost, depending on the condition of your skin, you can use this product alone to illuminate your skin and show a supple, hydrated finish. I like applying it with a sponge all over the face for a nice, even application. If you wear foundation, it is the perfect primer to apply beforehand, as it glides on the skin seamlessly. If you don't wear foundation and only wear a touch of concealer, the same applies. If you wear both foundation and concealer, after you apply the Magic Perfecting Base, apply as little foundation as necessary for the amount of coverage needed. Then apply concealer only if more coverage is needed, for instance under the eyes, around the nose, etc. And finally, apply a light dusting of translucent powder on the skin to create a flawless finish.

In its October "Best of Beauty" issue, Allure named it the best primer, so clearly I'm not crazy. It retails for about $12.99, and a little goes a long way. I'm hoarding it in case it ever gets discontinued.

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Fashion News Roundup: The Rise and Fall of The Hipster, Tracking Down Those Gap Wedges and Ally Hilfiger to Design

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 09:58 AM PDT

Investigating The Hipster: High-brow literary journal n+1‘s investigation of the rise and fall of the Hipster started with a panel at The New School and has culminated in a text entitled "What Was the Hipster?: A Sociological Investigation." You can purchase it here for $10. {The Moment}

Wedding Bandz: Katy Perry and Russell Brand are married now. Katy wore Elie Saab and the wedding gift bags included custom “Katy” and “Russell” Silly Bandz. {Styleite}

A Gap in Inventory: Leave it to Racked to track down the highly anticipated Pierre Hardy for Gap wedges. Unfortunately, the results of their NYC findings were pretty dismal. Apparently, Fifth Avenue and 54th Street only received five pairs (all of which are probably gone by now). Times Square had “a few sizes” and 34th street had nothing. All stores are hopefully awaiting more shipments. {Racked NY}

Tommy’s Girl: Ally Hilfiger, who we loved on Rich Girls but hasn’t done a whole lot since, is working on a clothing line. She’s collaborating with Nary Manivong, whose collection she styled for the past two seasons. The collection, set to launch for Fall 2011, will be a range of shirt dresses and will be manufactured entirely in New York. We look forward to seeing what she comes up with and we have to give her props for not riding on her father‘s coat tails as much as she could have, even if she is following in his footsteps. {Fashionologie}

What Leibovitz Lacks: We were all shocked last year when it was revealed that Annie Leibovitz was millions of dollars in debt. It’s hard to understand why one of the highest paid and most in-demand photographers ever would have that kind of financial trouble. Unless…no one wants to buy her work? {Financial Times}

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Kitson Countersues Nicole Richie’s Clothing Line, Claims Richie Bailed On An Appearance Worth $500K. Is Richie Worth It?

Posted: 26 Oct 2010 09:00 AM PDT

Kitson, every pop tart’s favorite LA boutique, has filed a countersuit against Majestic Mills, the manufacturer of Nicole Richie’s Winter Kate line, WWD is reporting. In the suit, Kitson claims that because Majestic Mills dropped the ball on getting Richie to appear at the launch party for Winter Kate and House of Harlow 1960 shoes, the store was “deprived of profits in excess of $500,000.”

Richie’s manufacturer, Majestic Mills, filed the initial suit against Kiston in August claiming that the retailer owed $225,000 worth of merchandise.

What’s striking about this increasingly messy legal battle, is Kitson’s claim that one Nicole Richie appearance is worth $500K. Could that be right? Sure, she’s got cute hair and cute babies and dresses cute sometimes, but $500K? That seems like a lot. Maybe not, though.

We consulted Jo Piazza, author of the forthcoming book, Celebrity Inc. Inside the Business of Being Famous, which examines how celebrity business models work, to break down that number.

“Yes, they’re saying a Richie appearance would have generated $500,000 in profit,” says Piazza. “While a Richie appearance fee is probably only around $20,000, her appearance would have generated a lot of publicity for the shop, even up to half a million…you have to look at it in terms of advertising dollars.”

- $60,000 in print advertising. A Kitson appearance is going to, at best, get her a quarter page single pic in the weeklies. That real estate is worth about $10,000, and there are six big weeklies (People, OK!, In Touch, US Weekly, Star and Life and Style). But, Piazza qualifies, “events like this are a dime a dozen and Nicole Richie is at best a C-list star who is photographed everywhere so the space devoted to the event would be pretty small.”

- Up to $500,000 Television spots are where the real money comes into play. E! news, Access Hollywood, The Insider, Entertainment Tonight, and, if something crazy happens, TMZ, might all cover the event. And the average 30 second ad that runs during these kinds of shows costs around $100,000, says Piazza. That kind of coverage requires an excellent team of publicists. But it’s possible.

“I think it is totally plausible that with the exposure Kitson would have gotten from a Richie appearance,
one that was publicized and managed properly, they could have generated a quarter million in sales based on the publicity they would have gotten,” says Piazza.

Richie’s failure to appear could have done serious damage to a store like Kitson. The LA-boutique has built their business on celebrity. We’ve all seen countless paparazzi photos of celebrities like Paris Hilton and La Lohan and Richie leaving Kitson, their arms weighted down with those blue bags that scream “KITSON” across the side in bold lettering. Those images flash across the store’s website. It’s part of their brand. Kitson depends on these images for business.

“Kitson started [getting celebs snapped at their store] around the time the number of celeb weeklies went from two to six (between ’02 and ’04) and the news hole for celebrities started gaping so wide open that they needed to fill it with fake celebrities. Enter Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie,” says Piazza. “Kitson also evolved as those C-list celebrities created their own clothing lines and then became the go to spot for those.”

So if celebrities stop showing up for appearances, stop shopping at the boutique followed by a hoard of paps, or people lose interest in bad celebrity lines, where does that leave Kitson?