Tales of Twitpics Past: NYFW SP '11

As the month comes to a close and the last few traces of NYFW nostalgia fade away, I'll take these fleeeting hours of September to reminisce on the good times I had. From interviewing celebs, to backstage laughs, blogger-to-blogger convos and runway shows, this season is truly one I'll never forget...

1. Survivial Kit: My Canon Digital Camera, Fiji water, and my show invites in hand. 2. Front Row Celebs: Kelly Rowland and Ashlee Simpson share a laugh. 3. Backstage Access: Stylist Kanayo Ebi and I backstage at Custo Barcelona. 4. Designer Love: Solange Knowles embraces Max Azria after the show. 5. Celebrity Street Chic: One of my style icons Tracie Ellis Ross in Soho during Fashion's Night Out. 6. Blog Love: Misha of TheFabChick and I share an obsession with the same street vendor. 7. Printed Bliss: Warmed my heart to get a few paper invites this season. 8. FNO Friends: Can't even begin to explain how much fun FNO2010 was. 9. Goodie Grabs: Betsey Johnson's goodie bag was my fave. I loved them more because she gave one to everybody, not just front row! 10. Bomb Buddies: Finally met Claire of The Fashion Bomb and she's super sweet and stylish of course. 11. The Socialite: I must have bumped into Olivia Palermo about four times throughout the week. I kinda felt like a socialite, kinda. 12. Runway to Reality. I guess I never really thought I'd ever sit this close. But all things are possible, just believe.

Confessions of a Shopaholic: Pink Velvet Designs

 This past fashion week, I had the pleasure of adorning the Jungle Chain Necklace pictured above from jewelry brand Pink Velvet Designs. I must say, it went quite well with all of my outfits and I couldn't walk two feet without being stopped in it. I'm very much a proponent of accessories that POP so when I saw this chain online, I knew I needed it to grace my collarbone.. 

Above: Under the tents at Lincoln Center. Jungle Chain Necklace, $85.00

Pink Velvet is a brand of hand-crafted fashion jewelry, accessories, and casual printed tees that keep you looking glam, chic, and fabulous. A delightful collection of original statement pieces with gold and silver accents, and embellishments fit for a queen in designs that scream "diva!", the brand is for that girl who isn't afraid to be the center of attention. Believe me, people will stop and ask about it...

 Check out Pink Velvet Designs at their online shop HERE.

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Sick Site Spotlight: Style369.com

Image from Style369.com

  In the spirit of plus size fashions, I've discovered a brand new site for all you curvy girls (14+) out there. As hard as it is to find brands that actually flatter and don't make you look like a whale, I figured any new tidbits I could pass on would be appreciated. Although I haven't actually ordered from the site yet, Style369.com peaked my interest as a brand new fashion site out of the UK. Similar in style to a number of other UK sites like Miss Selfridge and ASOS, Style369 has a line of chic separates that are pretty well-organized and balanced in product offerings. Take a look...

Tree Print Maxi Dress, £39.50

I really got into the maxidress above. The longer silhouettes are huge for this season and Style369 has a few to boot. I absolutely love the print on this one. Simple flattering silhouette but still an intriguing pattern.

Faux Fur Hooded Gilet, £39.50

Fur has been a neverending trend since about two seasons ago. What can you do? *shrugs* Get with the program and get a piece that's versatile. This faux vest is reversible so you can tame the fur or let it all hang out, whenever you like!

Tapestry Ballerinas, £18.00

I also thought these tapestry ballerina flats were adorable. They have a romantic, vintage charm to them. I'm personally always looking for a cute pair of flats. When I can't wear a heel, flats that stand out with a bold pattern or unique detail always do it for me. Because I tend to stick to classic pieces for day to day clothing, I need a statement accessory to kick the outfit up a notch. Also for the ladies who aren't quite plus size but where size 10 and above, plus size sites tend to do very well with offering larger shoe sizes!

For more pieces, check the website www.Style369.com

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Monif C. Celebrates 5 Years of Style, Curves & Sex Appeal

Last night at Bo Concept in midtown NYC, Monif C Plus Sizes celebrated the 5 year anniversary of their premium plus size fashion label .Premiering her holiday line, Monif C filled the windows of the chic upscale furniture store with curvy models adorning her latest designs. Aside from the notable VIPs, delectable hors d'oeuvres (yes curvy girls like to eat), fruity cocktails and amazing event sponsors like Carol's Daughter, the overall energy at the event was unmatched. It was truly a celebration of plus size proportions, in more ways than one. Here's what I got into...

Pictured with founder, Monif C.

The party was on once founder Monif C. arrived on the scene. She had enough energy and spunk to fill up the entire room. What a pleasure it was to finally meet the diva behind the designs! By the way, my floral F21 pumps were a big hit last night! People literally chased me down to compliment me!

(Outfit Above) Leather jacket - Vintage, Top - H&M, Boyfriend Jeans - Vintage, Pumps - Forever 21, Jesus Piece - Forever 21, Ring - Street vendor HERE 

Models wearing the "Marilyn" convertible dress

The models at the Monif C 5 Year anniversary were as much entertainment as they were mannequins. These ladies had so much energy and were delightful to snap photos of. I can't tell you how hilarious it was watching men blush as they passed by the seductive models posing in the window. Models pictured above are sporting Monif C's renowned "Marilyn" convertible dress. The ways you can tie this dress are really infinite. Love it!

Pictured with Lisa Price, Founder, Carol's Daughter

I was so absolutely honored to finally meet Lisa Price, the entrepreneur behind Carol's Daughter, face to face. This woman is absolutely one of my inspirations. She was my first ever celebrity interviewee. I did a phone interview with her during my sophomore year in college for a small independent magazine on campus I ended up being co-editor for; Little Black Book. Wow, never thought I'd see the day...

Pictured with Gabi Gregg, Young, Fat & Fabulous

I also bumped into the lovely and always-fab Gabi Gregg of YoungFatandFabulous.com; also the newly crowned MTV Twitter Jockey. Had a great time chatting with her about life in Harlem (she just moved up here) and her new experience as MTV's TJ. Make sure you guys keep up with her on Twitter.

Overall, great time at the Monif C. 5 Year Anniversary. I wish her many more!

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Jasmine's Fall 2010 Beauty Picks

Well lovelies, the fall season is upon us once again. We're sad to see summer go but looking forward to a new wardrobe and all of the new beauty products out this season. This Fall is all about the details; those accents that add a little punch. My bestie & LBS beauty correspondent Jasmine is back at it again. This time with a rundown of her Fall 2010 Beauty Picks. Here's what she's got up her sleeve (or in her makeup bag)...

Jasmine Says: One beauty trend that I'm totally on board with for the season is the red lip. I’ve been fawning over this look since spring and I finally bought my first red lipstick (actually my first lipstick ever!) early this summer. 

The red lip grabs attention and pumps up the volume on any look. It’s classic, but definitely not for the faint of heart. The key to making it work is picking the right color for your skin tone and balancing your other makeup with it. Most beauty experts say that pink and blue based reds work best with cool skin tones and brown based or warm reds go well with warm tones. I don’t really know if there’s a science behind choosing the right red but I personally think you should try 'em out until you find what works for you!  

Top Picks: Kores Raspberry Antioxidant Liquid Lipstick in Red 56, NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Vesuvio.

Jasmine Says: 90's grunge "slept in" or smudged shadows are in!

Flipping through magazine ads and pictures of the Fall 2010 runway shows, I couldn’t help but notice the explosion of 90s grunge looks. I’m not sure yet if I like it or not, but one look from the trend that I might try is the smudgy eye, a la Kate Moss. It's a good alternative to the smoky eye and you can make it work with different colors. To rock the smudgy eye without looking like you literally just woke up in your makeup, you need:  An eye smudger or Q-tip, a great eyeliner, and maybe even a dab of Vaseline (which I normally use on my eyes when I’m looking for a low key night look).

Jasmine Says: Deep Purple Accents rule this season.

Every season, the fashion and beauty world crowns one color the “It” color for the season. This season, the beauty buzz has been all around purple. From nail polish to lip color and eyeshadow, purple has been popping up in a big way. It can work with edgy rocker looks or elegant red carpet looks. I plan on getting a plum lip stain and definitely the Sephora by Opi nail polish in "Just a Little Dangerous" to give my fall wardrobe that regal feel.

Jasmine Says: The one thing for the fall that should accompany everyone’s wardrobe (and go beyond being a trend) is healthy hair and skin. Your hair and skin are your foundation, and any beauty trend will look better if your base is healthy. 

I’d like to highlight argan oil again. I’ll be using some products made with argan oil to treat my hair, nails and skin this season. I just purchased a Hydrating Hair Mask made with argan oil to use as a new deep conditioner and I’ll be using my Josie Maran oil as my daily moisturizer. 

What are some of your beauty essentials this fall? Soundoff below!

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Fierce or Foolish: Rihanna in Pucci

Image Source

 Rihanna was spotted recently rocking a Pucci mini dress and a big, voluminous head of red hair. I'm always a fan of Pucci, but not so much a fan of clown hair (whomp whomps). I don't know guys. I might have to put together a post about the relapse of RiRi. She's been disappointing me lately.

You decide. Fierce or Foolish? Soundoff below!

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'Fit Room Flicks: H&M September '10 Lineup

Sales people are evil. Sometimes you really just need some good friends by your side to let you know what pieces work and what outfits need to stay on the rack. Sadly though, you don't always have your best buds with you on impromptu shopping trips.  Next best thing to a good friend? A digital camera. So I can share all these looks with you loves! And you can tell me what looks good, and what looks a hot damn mess...

From left: Striped top, $14.95. Army green tunic, $24.95, Striped oxford, $24.95

 So the first top on the left was super comfy and I really did love the stripes. I know I can be "bland betty" sometimes and stick to the neutral colors, but my turquoise chain really popped against the black and white. And at $15, what a steal! The tunic in the middle stood out to me for it's mesh detailing on the shoulders and front pocket. I'm also in love with army green now - big trend for fall 2010! And the oxford on the right was my fave. It had the perfect fit, went well those fitted slacks I tried on and it was just "me".

So I bought it! I plan on tucking it into some boyfriend jeans with bright colored jewelry and tall wedges.

From left: Cinched dress, $29.99, Lace shoulder dress, $29.99, Red tiered cocktail dress, $39.99

I tried on a few fall dresses as well, but I wasn't super stoked about any.of these. The cinched dress on the far left was a cute neutral piece; a good basic to layer with scarves, tights, fringe vests and other goodies for the season. I'm a sucker for lace, so the tunic in the middle had me at hello. But something about the draping didn't sit right with me so I left it hanging. And with the red dress, I really loved the color but it was kind of flat on me. I'd have to really spruce up the accessories on this one.

Attention: images of the following dress may cause tears of joy...(At least it did for me)

Above: Cocktail dress, $49.95

Cue the Carl Thomas ballad, "It was...love at first sight....I know...from the way she looked at me"

I.Am.In.Love. It doesn't happen that often but when it does, I don't question it. I think with my heart, run to the cash register and purchase! Absolutely in love with this dress and it's versatility. It's 3/4 length, shorter in back than in front and if I wanted I could easily tuck the straps in or pin up the sides for a different look!

What do you guys think about my final choices? Yayy or nayy?

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Sick Site Spotlight: Claires.com

 Oh the pre-teen and teenage years! I remember my coveted trips to the Claire's store to fish for cool bangles or bright colored rings or shiny Tiaras to try on. Well, surprisingly Claire's has a little something for everyone lately. I checked out their newly relaunched website Claires.com the other day and found some amazing pieces perfect for fashionistas over (cough, cough) drinking age...

 Claire's has a really cool collection of (my faves) double finger rings! Absolutely in love with this style and Claires.com has them for really affordable prices.

Images via Claires.com

And for the budding fashionstas reading this who aren't yet drinking age, Claires.com is currently searching for fashion bloggers to contribute style tips, music and pop culture, and gossip to their site. The bloggers selected will share their personal photos and videos giving insight into their lives. You can become the next official Claires.com style curator by submitting a video and info on your style. Click HERE for details!

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Full Time Fabulous: Sunglass Hut

Yesterday during my impromptu shopping session in midtown, I stumbled into Sunglass Hut's flagship store on 5th Ave for some not-so-window shopping. During NY Fashion Week, Sunglass Hut announced some amazing news! They're hosting a HUGE contest called "Full Time Fabulous" in which they will be choosing one lucky hopeful to be a Full-time Sunglass Hut blogger! The Grand Prize winner will not only have free accommodations for an entire year in NYC, but also will receive a $100,000/year salary and get flown to top fashion capitals like London and Milan to experience fashion week. I'm giddy! Now to think of a cool concept for my video...

Anyway, if you're into it, click the link for full details on the contest: Full Time Fabulous. Would love to have all your support once I submit in October!

By the way, what do you think of these tortoise-shell Ray Ban wayfarers? Yay or nay?

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Fashion Week Diaries: Angela Simmons & Crew

From left: Me, Angela Simmons, Kanayo Ebi backstage at Custo Barcelona's S/S 2011 Show

 So if you guys were following me @LoveBrownSugar on Twitter during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week then you might have caught a glimpse into the following feature with Angela Simmons. I tweeted out a few sneak peek pics of us backstage with her lovely stylist Kanayo Ebi and Pastry designer Juan Vargas. Well, here's the long-awaited video I've been talking about! Take a peek as Angela talks about her crazy hectic fashion week, Kanayo talks about how she got into the styling business, and Juan discusses his involvement with Pastry shoes. Check it out!

Kickin' It: Fashion's Night Out 2010

Image courtesy www.eighty-vii.com

So I know it's super late and FNO 2010 is already 2 weeks past, but I had an AMAZING time with some awesome people. It was LoveBrownSugar.com's first meet up with friends of the blog and avid readers I've never met so I definitely have to spotlight the amazing time we had that night.

Image courtesy www.eighty-vii.com

We started the night off around 6:30pm at the Ralph Lauren store in hopes to see Janelle Monae perform. Little did we know that the line would be down the block, and she wouldn't be performing until 8:30!

Image courtesy Tia Hendricks

So we said "deuces" and hopped to the next location to scout out free drinks and goodie bags...

Image courtesy Tia Hendricks

We didn't have to go far! Next door at the Reiss store, they were passing out free cocktails and offering free beauty makeovers sponsored by Rimmel...

Image courtesy Tia Hendricks

I promptly hopped into their London-like telephone booth and put on my fanciest British heirs...

Image courtesy Tia Hendricks

Next impromptu stop landed us somewhere between Prince and Spring St in Soho, watching N.E.R.D perform in front of the Billionaire Boys Club store. Super live performance, even crazier crowd! From there we were headed to the 3.1 Phillip Lim/ Rag & Bone block party on Mercer.

Image courtesy Tia Hendricks

We made a brief stop at the Camper store for, you guessed it, more free cocktails!

Image courtesy Tia Hendricks

Cheers!

Image courtesy Tia Hendricks

On our way to the block party, we peeked into the Marc Jacobs store and low & behold celebrity stylist June Ambrose appeared like a fairy fashion Godmother! She was styling shoppers at the chic downtown boutique as part of the FNO fun...

Image courtesy Tia Hendricks

Next, we bumped into LoveBrownSugar style icon Tracee Ellis Ross. Love this woman! She looked stunning per usual, rocking a black two-piece with a poppin' pink lip...

Image courtesy Tia Hendricks

By 8:30 pm, we finally made it back to the Ralph Lauren store to see lil' miss Janelle Monae perform some of her hits live...

Image courtesy www.eighty-vii.com

After that, we hopped over to the Meatpacking district and bumped into the one and only Diane Von Furstenberg. A fashion legend and a real party girl. She seemed to be having a great time!

Image courtesy www.eighty-vii.com

And of course NY socialite and co-star of reality show The City, Olivia Palermo, made a brief appearance at the DVF store as well...

Our last stop was the Tory Burch store, but we were having too much fun to snap pics. Check out the rest of the night's pictures in the Facebook Album HERE. 

Special shoutout to Tia Hendricks and Shade of Eighty-vii.com for the awesome pics taken that night. I'd also love to thank all the wonderful friends, LoveBrownSugar readers, celebs and super-cool strangers that made FNO such a memorable experience. Be sure to join us next year for Fashion's Night Out 2011!

Fierce or Foolish: Solange at Lavo

 I've grown to love and appreciate Solange's eclectic style. I love the way she puts together her separates in the ensemble above and the 'fro just gives it that extra special touch. It's so beautiful to me, seeing a wild 'fro with a polished look. The top and the skirt are giving me vintage glam and those metallic Mary Jane wedges?! How about I need those in my life, as soon as possible! What do you guys think? Soundoff below!

By the way, if you haven't checked out my exclusive video with the fashionista front row at Zac Posen, check it! She's such a sweetheart:

LBS Runway Report: Monique Lhuillier, Herve Leger, Betsey Johnson

From left: Monique Lhuillier, Betsey Johnson, Herve Leger S/S 2011 shows.

My last few days at Mercedes-Benz Fashion week saw a mixture of different trends from the high-end and always body conscious cocktail dresses at Herve Leger to the quirky downtown rocker looks at Betsey Johnson. One thing is for sure, these next few designers had the most exciting shows, for me, of the entire week...

Herve Leger, Spring 2011

 I loved the sexy yet regal prestige of the Herve Leger show. And for the simple fact that I can count on certain celebs to rock out with these pieces on the red carpet this upcoming season, it excited me to see the preview of what's to come, up close and personal. Herve Leger showed lots of mesh, detailed and pristine ruffles below the waist and tight body-hugging luxe materials up top. View the entire collection in the Facebook Album HERE.

Monique Lhuillier, Spring 2011

Surprising fave Monique Lhuillier was a red carpet stylist's dream with stunning floor-length gowns and rainbow colored asymmetrical frocks crowding the runway. In my opinion, Monique Lhuillier's show was the true definition of a show. I gasped each time a model popped out from behind the stage and onto the runway. That's how amazing the gowns were. View the entire collection in the Facebook Album HERE.

Check out the final walkthrough at Monique Lhuillier:

Betsey Johnson, Spring 2011

And of course, the most fun show of the entire week by FAR was the Betsey Johnson S/S 2011 show. From the upbeat tunes to the amazing punk rock meet grunge meets nautical pinup looks and down to the lace thongs Betsey delicately placed in each goodie bag, I had an absolute ball at the show! Of course Betsey did her signature cartwheel, and the show's looks were girly, quirky, naughty and fun just like Betsey! View the entire collection in the Facebook Album HERE.

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Fashion Week Diaries: Vashtie

Backstage at Custo Barcelona, LoveBrownSugar caught up with "Downtown's Sweetheart" Va$htie. She's an artist, director, designer and all-around fly girl at the age of 25. Check out what she has to say about fashion week and her personal style philosophy...

Keep up with Va$htie at her BLOG and @Vashtie on Twitter

Spotted: Estelle at Max Azria

 LoveBrownSugar caught up with Estelle to talk about her fashion week "hangover" and her love for Max Azria...(we heart her)

LBS Runway Report: Max Azria, Custo Barcelona & Korto Momolu

(Left to right: Korto Momolu, Custo Barcelona, Max Azria S/S 2011)

The shows on Day 4 ran the gamut from chic minimalism to eclectic edge. From brunch-ready pant suits at Max Azria to feathered couture pieces at Custo Barcelona, the tents surely had us in for a treat...

Though neutrals and pale pastels set the tone for the Max Azria S/S 2011 collection, there were some unexpected printed pieces I absolutely fell in love with, like the maxi dress above. Overall the collection exuded effortless chic. Pant suits and separates perfect for uptown weekend brunches and "ladies who lunch" were prevalent, as were A-list celebs front row like Solange Knowles and Estelle. See images of the full collection in my Facebook Album HERE.

 Images courtesy Custo Barcelona via WhatsHaute.com

What's not to love about Custo Barcelona? The S/S 2011 collection was fun and fancy-free per usual. Far from the minimalist collections I had gotten so accustomed to seeing, Custo stuck with their traditional aesthetic and showed a funky yet well-rounded mix of pieces embellished with fringe and feathers. I also got a chance to sneak backstage for the Custo show and kick it with Angela Simmons and her stylist Kanayo Ebi.

 Fashion Week Diary video coming soon to the LoveBrownSugarTV channel!

First let me say, I absolutely think Korto was robbed during Season 5 of Project Runway. She was my fave from the beginning and she's a brilliant designer. I can sefely say, I wanted to own every piece that went down the runway at Korto Momolu's Spring 2011 show.From really stunning printed maxi dresses to cocktail-ready separates and chic work attire, Korto Momolu showed a collection fit for a queen.

For up-to-the minute updates on LoveBrownSugar's fashion week coverage, follow @LoveBrownSugar on Twitter and stay tuned to LoveBrownSugarTV.