from My tack!

Eajp FALL 2009 FASHION WEEK – Backstage Beauty at


FALL 2009 FASHION WEEK - Backstage Beauty at Cynthia Rowley - Charlie Price for Rusk



HAIR: Charlie Prince for Rusk
BEAUTY SNAPSHOT: "Last night's hair." Price created a 1930's Berlin look complete with fingerwaves, but made it imperfect, like maybe it was still up from the night before. He wanted the hair to look like they'd done it themselves, and he told us how we could do it ourselves.


THE SCOOP: To get the "last night's hair" look, you can 1. Do an updo and leave it in all night, or 2. Use texturizer, then create waves with a curling iron. Pin the hair up and under in the back, and use clamps to create side fingerwaves (see gallery below), then spray with hairspray. The texturizer controls and accentuates flyaways, and the hairspray keeps it all from falling apart while still looking like it's falling apart -- and adds shine!


GET THE LOOK: Try Rusk Radical Thickening and Texturizing Cream and Rusk Being Sexy Hairspray -- it even has UV filters to protect your hair from the sun.
Backstage at Cynthia Rowley

(click thumbnails to view gallery)

















					
						

						 Filed in shirts on Saturday, April 17, 2010  · No Comments » 				

			
	
				
					
iudg Evil Kitty Collection by Lidia Wachowska_2962

				
					
Evil Kitty Collection by Lidia Wachowska






We love the sassy style of the Evil Kitty collection, designed by Lidia Wachowska. Inspired by an animated character that Lidia created while attending The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, the collection includes t-shirts, dresses, underwear, jewelry and more, all designed with strong, independent women in mind. Lidia, current Artist-In-Residence of The Chicago Fashion Incubator, recently launched the Evil Kittens fan club, which offers exclusive items, contests and discounts to members. We chatted with Lidia to find out more.

Tell us a little about yourself and your work. My name is Lidia Wachowska. I'm the proprietor and designer of a clothing line called Evil Kitty. My collection attracts mostly a younger audience (or young at heart); women who are tired of "cookie-cutter fashions" and like to "stand out in the crowd". I design for the independent, thinking woman who has a statement to make.

I started the original line with punky and playful clothes that make all women feel and look "purrfect." Then I added another line, which has the chic, sleek and classic look. It is inspired by film noir and by the fashion of the 1940s and 50s. I pride myself on creating unique pieces in a socially conscious way. Each garment is created domestically with an emphasis on quality and sustainability. Evil Kitty is cruelty free and anti-sweatshop. 

Evil Kitty Collection

(click thumbnails to view gallery)

How did you get started as a designer? I've always wanted to work in the creative arena, but I could have never foreseen that soon after graduating from The School of Art Institute of Chicago, I would start my own clothing label. While working on illustrations and digital animations I came up with a character called Evil Kitty. This rebellious feline eventually ended up on t-shirts, which became the foundation for my clothing line. 
What inspires your work?  The collection mirrors a lot of Evil Kitty's characteristics. It's inspired by rebellious music, art, unusual street fashion, the punk movement, 40's and 50's glamour and designers who push the envelope. Fashion that stands outside the mainstream is what Evil Kitty is about. 
Who are your favorite designers?  Designers that push the envelope and are not afraid to challenge their audience and the fashion world; Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Karl Lagerfeld, Thierry Mugler...  
What are your top fashion & beauty must-haves? Nothing is more flattering than an outfit tailored to your own body. I make a lot of my own pieces. Beauty? Great foundation and a bold color eye shadow. 

Any advice you would give to aspiring designers? Before you start your own clothing line, work for an established designer. Such an experience is priceless. 

Where can people find your work? The full collection is available on www.evilkitty.net.

Anything else? A lot of great things happened this year and I have a lot to be thankful for: I was picked to participate in The Chicago Fashion Incubator, a year-long program for emerging Chicago designers. I collaborated with Toyota on creating an outfit based on their new concept vehicle called I-Real. We also launched a new website and Evil Kittens – Evil Kitty fan club. Evil Kittens is an unique experience for us and our devoted fans. Not only will they receive a tote bag filled with Evil Kitty goodies such as hot shorts, stickers, coupons and T-Shirts, but they will also be granted access to exclusive sample sales. This is a great opportunity to open a channel of communication between us and the clients. I feel it will lead to greater possibilities through the strong bond of the Evil Kittens community. We can bounce ideas off of each other to make Evil Kitty the best that it can be. After all, creativity breeds creativity!

We love all of the amazing independent designers out there and we wanted to find out more about what makes these creative types tick. If you do too, check out more of our Indie Designer Interviews.




























					
						

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Fkss DIY Designer Shirts – Make Them Your Way_2229

				
					
















DIY Designer Shirts - Make Them Your Way







Do you enjoy a good designer shirt now and again? Hey, who doesn't? We've been known to sport one around the office and/or yacht club. We're fans.Still, as much as we enjoy them we have never been 100% in love with any single shirt. Why not? Fear of commitment? Leaving our options open? No. It's just that no matter how great a designer is or how soft and stylish their shirt may be, they still don't know exactly what we want. We're a fickle bunch and we want what we want when we want it, and in the meantime we have to settle for the next best thing.

ShirtsMyWay can change all of that. They make custom dress shirts per your exact specifications. You are the designer. The only thing you don't do is the sewing (and shipping).

The possibilities are endless, or close to it. There are reportedly seven trillion possibilities, which may as well be endless. If you can't create what you want within that framework then you may very well be impossible to please and possibly our spouse. Is that you, honey?

Visit ShirtsMyWay and take a look. The site is new and they are currently offering introductory prices, which is something else that should please everybody.












					
						

						 Filed in shirts on Friday, April 16, 2010  · No Comments » 				

			
	
				
					
ccrn Britney Spears’ New Candie’s Ad Campaign Shot

				
					
Britney Spears' New Candie's Ad Campaign Shot by Terry Richardson, Annie Leibovitz and Mark Seliger







Britney Spears grins and "bears" it for edgy lensmen Terry Richardson. Photo courtesy of Candie's














For Britney Spears' second year as the face of Candie's, the company is kicking things up a notch by enlisting three top fashion photographs, Terry Richardson, Annie Leibovitz and Mark Seliger, to shoot the pop star. 

In what Candie's is dubbing "Britney Spears Through The Lens," the Spring 2010 campaign has each famed photographer taking their turn at shooting the pop princess in their own signature style. 

Portraiture master Leibovitz put a black dress-clad Spears in front of an stark grey backdrop, while Seliger's goal was to "create an iconic photograph" by way of a sultry-yet-fun "Moulin Rogue" scene in an uber-girly dressing room and he also shot Spears reclining on a Harley-Davidson motorcyle. 

Risqué shutterbug Richardson photographed Spears dancing to Prince while in a bikini against his trademark all-white background (naturally) and gave her some fun props, such as roller-skates and a bundle of red roses.

Candie's new "Through the Lens" ad campaign starring Britney Spears. Chair picture by Annie Leibovitz; dressing room and motorcycle ads by Mark Seliger. Photos courtesy of Candie's

"I have this dream hit list of people I want to photograph and Britney's been on it forever," said Richardson in a behind-the-scenes video of his shoot. "It's really exciting because it's sort of a dream fully realized and I'm able to put the notch on the belt." 

Spears, for her part, was also hyped to work with the photographers. 

"Annie, Mark and Terry are three of the biggest photographers in the world. I am honored to be working with them for my Candies Only at Kohl's ads," the star said in a statement. " It was an amazing shoot and I know my fans are going to love the cool images."

As for singer's favorite Candie's product, she said in the below behind-the-scenes video: "I actually like the dresses. They are very fitting and very flattering." 

Expect to see the ads in the April issue of Seventeen.

Which photographer do you think rocked it hardest? Let us know in a comment.











					
						

						 Filed in shirts on Thursday, April 15, 2010  · No Comments » 				

			
	
				
					
Sefk Bahar Shahpar S-S ‘09 Preview_2876

				
					
















Bahar Shahpar S/S '09 Preview







This trend of coveralls and overalls is really great for chics that can handle the wc commitment. It's totally hot. Like, totally. Bahar Shahpar's charcoal, suspender-coveralls in linen is especially so, as shown above on Agnesa (RED Models) and shot by photographer Michael O'Shea with beauty by Kelly Pearson (K's salon) The repurposed vintage jewelry comes courtesy of Mi Asunta.

Bahar Shahpar, a self-taught, NYC based designer with Iranian roots, is respected for her eco-perspective, employing sustainable techniques as well as materials. Although S/S '09 won't hit stores for a few months, the current collection is available at Saks Fifth Avenue and Embodies.












					
						

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uhtd Aniston and Jolie agree – Lofli jeans are hot

				
					
Aniston and Jolie agree - Lofli jeans are hot







As you can see Lofli jeans are showing up on all the best behinds in Hollywood.The London-based line has been infiltrating the closets of all the hot celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Sienna Miller and Jessica Alba. They love the fit, especially in the butt. Plus, the magic T-400 stretch fabric keeps it fitted around the knees, which if you think about it is really important. 

Seriously, think about it. Baggy knees = lame.

Think you're ready to work the celebrity chic of Lofli and make an investment in premium demin? Check out the selection at shopbop: all under $200 and over the top cool. 

Celebrity fans of Lofli Jeans

(click thumbnails to view gallery)




























					
						

						 Filed in shirts on Wednesday, April 14, 2010  · No Comments » 				

			
	
				
					
otbi ‘Project Runway’ Recap – Maternity Wear Chall

				
					
 If nothing else, episode 2 of “Project Runway” Season 6 drove home the message that conceptual and bizarre don’t make for a winning combination. And, so far, the losers this season are more memorable than the winners. 


Designers were charged with making a chic maternity look for actress/supermodel/guest judge Rebecca Romijn, who at the time of filming was very pregnant with twin girls. It was a challenge that baffled many of the remaining 15 designers — and yielded widely varying results.


On the heels of out-there Ari Fisher’s elimination last week, New Yorker Malvin Vien was briskly booted from the show for his mother-hen-and-egg outfit: a black silk organza tunic topped by a second yolk-colored one. 


While the judges, including special guests Romijn and designer Monique Lhuillier, did admit he had a concept, Nina Garcia dubbed it, “bizarre” — definitely the kiss of death. Viewers were clued into Vien’s fate when the designer said that he was making “jodhpur-like chicken thighs.”


More surprising was that Mitchell Hall squeaked through yet again, landing in the bottom two for the second episode in a row. Heidi Klum warned him to step up his game. His design, a too-tight T-shirt topping badly constructed shapelessly short-shorts was “not acceptable.” “We were not impressed by you,” Klum declared. 


Winner Shirin Askari turned out an elegant wine-colored jersey dress with sweet tucks around the waistline paired with a lovely Fifties-style charcoal coat. It was a look that judges deemed extremely wearable, pregnant or not.


Louise Black’s deep burgundy-red satin frock was stunning in its details — hand-dyed lace insert and lingerie-style couture touches — and was pronounced “very well executed.” Althea Harper’s evening-length, midnight blue jersey gown, with a flattering criss-crossed racing-stripe bodice was considered “perfect.” Both Romijn and guest judge/ designer Lhuillier heartily approved. 


Back in the workroom, memorable moments included designers awkwardly grappling with massive belly-pillows; trying to attach them to the dress forms and models. And catty remarks were on the upswing, including when Qristyl Frazier quipped about Johnny Sakalis print bolero jacket: “Rebecca’s not going to wear that; she’s not even going to dust in that jacket.”


The competition gets stiffer and, amazingly, Mitchell mysteriously remains. See who goes next week! 


Tune in Thursdays at 10pm ET/PT on Lifetime, then visit us for the recap.













'Project Runway' Recap - Maternity Wear Challenge Enlists Rebecca Romijn as Guest Judge and Designer Inspiration







Malvin Vien got eggs-cused for his maternity design. Photo: Lifetime

















					
						

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hgnj Ungewöhnliche Immobilie-  Wohnen wie die Urze

				
							










Ach ja, und als Partyzone kann man die H?hle auch nutzen. Ob sich allerdings in Thüringens Hinterland genug Leute finden, die morbide genug sind, um in dunklen H?hlen Parties zu feiern, bleibt sicher abzuwarten, zumal sich im ?Obergeschoss“ auch nur zwei renovierungsbedürftige Ferienh?user befinden. Als schwierig k?nnte sich zudem die partytaugliche Ausleuchtung herausstellen, von der komplizierten Akustik der mit dicken Pfeilern gespickten Tanzfl?che ganz zu schweigen.


Wohnen im Landschafts-Souterrain: die eigene H?hle.


So eine eigene H?hle ist zwar sch?n und gut, nur was kann man eigentlich damit machen, au?er sein Ego zu pflegen oder das urgeschichtliche Wohnen nachzustellen? Sich verstecken vielleicht, oder Stalagniten und Stalagtiten beim Zusammenwachsen beobachten, wenn man zu viel Zeit hat. Der Anbieter empfiehlt zudem eine Nutzung als Biohotel und Kurzone für Menschen mit Atemwegsproblemen. Ob die Luft da unten wirklich so gesund ist, kann aber wohl niemand so genau sagen.


Da? es sich dabei nicht nur um ein kleines Felsloch handelt, machen die Ma?e deutlich. Knapp 5000 m2 Unterwelt sind da zu erwerben, inklusive eines eigenen H?hlensees, zumindest wenn es der Wasserstand hergibt. Auch die Pfeiler haben beeindruckende Ausma?e, aber an diesen R?umlichkeiten wurde anscheinend auch über hundert Jahre gewerkelt.


Wen das H?hlenkonzept jetzt nicht ganz so überzeugt hat, bekommt im Kaufpaket zudem noch 7.600 m2 oberirdisches Land mit Blick auf eine nahegelegene Burg dazu. Ach ja, 99.000 Euro soll der Spa? übrigens kosten, der Anbieter wei?t aber sicherheitshalber darauf hin, da? man auch mehr zahlen darf. Na denn!


















Die eigene H?hle – wozu eigentlich?


Ungew?hnliche Immobilie:  Wohnen wie die Urzeit-Menschen









So oder so ?hnlich k?nnte die Anzeige in einem Immobilienportal aussehen: ?Beim angebotenen Objekt handelt es sich um eine Wohnung im Souterrain eines Altbaus. Die Wohnung ist renovierungsbedürftig, verfügt über flie?end Wasser, die Zimmeranzahl liegt zwischen 5 und 15, je nach Sichtweise. Der Boden besteht aus echtem Stein.“ 


Argw?hnische Zeitgenossen h?tten wahrscheinlich bereits jetzt den Verdacht, da? mit der Wohnung wohl etwas nicht stimmen kann. Und tats?chlich: Die Immobilie, die da angeblich zum Verkauf steht, ist wirklich kein allt?gliches Objekt – es ist eine Privath?hle.

					
						

						 Filed in shirts on Tuesday, April 6, 2010  · No Comments » 				

			
	
				
					
nuxh BGH- Mieter müssen Kosten für Öltankreinigu

				
					
Allerdings diente die Reinigung der Heizungsanlage laut BGH ?der Aufrechterhaltung ihrer Funktionsf?higkeit“, w?hrend durch Instandhaltungsma?nahmen bauliche ?M?ngel an der Substanz der Immobilie oder ihrer Teile“ behoben werden sollen. Des Weiteren handele es sich um ?laufend entstehende Kosten, auch wenn Tankreinigungen nur in Abst?nden von mehreren Jahren durchgeführt werden“. Somit z?hlt die ?ltankreinigung nicht zu Instandhaltungsma?nahmen, welche der Vermieter allein zu tragen hat. Daraus folgerte der BGH, dass die ?ltankreinigung umlagef?hig ist und gab dem Vermieter Recht.












In dem betreffenden Fall hatte sich ein Mieter geweigert, die Kosten für die Reinigung des ?ltanks zu tragen, die der Vermieter in der Betriebskostenabrechnung aufgeführt hatte. Als Betriebskosten dürfen ausschlie?lich laufende Kosten angerechnet werden – Kosten, die nur einmalig anfallen, sind nicht umlagef?hig. Der Mieter war der Auffassung, dass es sich bei den Kosten für die ?ltankreinigung um nicht umlagef?hige Instandsetzungskosten handelte.


Das Urteil wurde weitgehend positiv aufgenommen, da es eine Rechtsfrage beantworte, die schon h?ufig zu Unstimmigkeiten geführt hatte. ?Es ist gut, dass der BGH hier nun für die notwendige Klarstellung gesorgt hat“, hie? es bei der Eigentümerschutz-Gemeinschaft Haus&Grund. Der Deutsche Mieterbund (DMB) begrü?te zwar auch die ?Rechtssicherheit und Rechtsklarheit“, die das Urteil für Mieter und Vermieter mit sich bringe, merkte aber an, dass es für einzelne Mieter von Nachteil sei, dass die Kosten nicht auf mehrere Abrechnungsperioden verteilt werden müssen. Hier gehe ?Praktikabilit?t vor Einzelfallgerechtigkeit“, so Lukas Siebenkotten, Direktor des DMB.


BGH: Mieter müssen Kosten für ?ltankreinigung tragen







Der Vermieter darf die Kosten für die Reinigung des ?ltanks auf die Mieter umlegen. Das gilt auch dann, wenn sie in einem Abstand von mehreren Jahren anfallen – sie müssen dabei auch nicht auf mehrere Abrechnungsperioden verteilt werden, sondern dürfen in dem Zeitraum berechnet werden, in dem sie entstehen. Das entschied der Bundesgerichtshof (BGH) in Karlsruhe am Mittwoch.

















					
						

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pxxs Digital music gains, but CD losses a pain_622

				
					
Digital music gains, but CD losses a pain









Consumers are increasingly willing to pay for songs they acquire over the Internet, but declining interest in CDs is dragging down overall music consumption among Internet users.


“The value of each music customer is declining,” Crupnick said. But, he added, “anytime you can add 2 (million) to 3 million buyers year over year, that’s very encouraging.”


Peer-to-peer sites, meanwhile, saw an increase in the overall volume of song files being shared, up 23 percent for the same quarter last year, though some of that increase was attributed to a greater number of downloads per user, according to NPD. The number of P2P sharers among Internet users, NPD reported, stayed flat at 14 percent.


Not surprisingly, teenagers were a big factor in the gains–they accounted for 34 percent more paid downloads than in the third quarter of 2007, and P2P downloading spiked 46 percent among 13- to 17-year-olds.




Largely, that slippage is a result of the continuing drop in sales of CDs (down 19 percent in the third quarter), most notably among teens and young adults, but also including adults over the age of 36. 




















Also, credit popular video games such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero with spurring consumers to make a music purchase of some sort. In many cases, “gaming can help remind customers of the music they grew up with…and to re-engage with the artist,” said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD.


But the music labels, knocked off their stride by the advent of the digital music era, still face challenges.


   Jonathan Skillings is managing editor of CNET News, based in the Boston bureau. He’s been with CNET since 2000, after a decade in tech journalism at the IDG News Service, PC Week, and an AS/400 magazine. He’s also been a soldier and a schoolteacher. E-mail Jon.












During the third quarter, there was an increase both in the number of people buying digital downloads and in the number of tracks sold, according to market researcher NPD Group. Legal music downloads were up 29 percent from the same period last year, and sites such as iTunes and Amazon MP3 chalked up an additional 2.8 million music buyers, to a total of 15 percent of Internet users.


That jibes with reports from Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group. Both labels have recently seen vigorous growth in sales of digital music. Warner, for instance, said last month that in the third quarter, digital music sales rose 27 percent to $167 million.


Among Internet users, according to NPD, overall music demand was down 2 percent year over year in the third quarter of 2008. That figure takes into account purchased CDs, purchased digital music downloads, files obtained via P2P sites, and music files borrowed to rip to a computer or burn to a CD.

					
						

						 Filed in shirts on Saturday, April 3, 2010  · No Comments »