Bravo's Castmembers of "Kell on Earth."

From red carpet dresses to your favorite summer T-shirt, and everything in between, we had a glimpse of it all within the walls of the  West Hollywood showroom of  People’s Revolution, located on Melrose Avenue, the sister office to their larger New York City headquarters. Style Seen Daily stopped by to get an up close and personal look at their designers, their offices and of course, they’re style.

Walking into the fashion filled room, there is an intensity you immediatley feel, although its also very relaxed and cool, it is somewhat intimidating, especially when you meet the once described “Snow White with Razors,” Partner Robyn Berkley, who you may be familiar with from the hit show on Bravo, “Kell on Earth,” which documents Robyn and Founder Kelly Cutrone throughout their world in the fast paced fashion and art scenes.  Once we spoke with Robyn, who was in fact lovely and nothing like a razor ridden cartoon, we were invited to take a look at their clients hottest styles for 2010, including dresses, t-shirts and sexy stilettos. (more…)

Toronto Born Hip Hop Artist Drake About to Board Virgin's First Flight to Canada

The day began at 4AM, en route to Los Angeles International Airport with Jason Pomeranc, co-owner of Thompson Hotel Group, once we arrived, we proceeded through Virgin America security to board their celebratory inaugural international flight from Los Angeles & San Francisco to Toronto. The irreverent launch resonated with the Virgin brand’s Canadian roots – Sir Richard Branson and Canadian export Grammy winning musician Drake co-hosted the flight.

Gov. Schwarzenegger also boarded along with 141 guests, deplaning in San Francisco (where Virgin America is based) and greeted by Mayor Newsom, Virgin is currently building an eco-friendly LEED certified terminal which will include a farmers market made up of locally grown products, certainly the first one of its kind.

Carter Reum, Co-Founder of VeeV Spirits (served in-flight on Virgin America)

Once in flight to Toronto, Virgin hosted the first-ever entrepreneurs’ “airplane pitch session” at 35,000k feet; entrepreneurs Jason Pomeranc, Eric Ryan (CEO of Method) and Courtney & Carter Reum (Co-Founders of carbon neutral VeeV spirits) mentored aspiring young people via this Virgin Unite initiative, each group also getting face time with Sir Richard Branson. As part of this program, titled “Virgin America Provocateur“, candidates submitted their ideas online with Virgin Mobile, and winners were selected and brought on board.

Virigin America Flight Lands In Toronto, Media Tarmac

Landing in Toronto, a media frenzy greeted guests on the tarmac and all attendee’s proceeded to the new Thompson Toronto Hotel for a cocktail party on the rooftop and announcements from Sir Richard Branson.

Thompson Toronto Hotel's Rooftop

Branson spoke about the origin’s of Virgin America, and worked the room, greeting everyone from his own staff, to his followers and Thompson Toronto party goers.

Sir Richard Branson Speaking Rooftop at Thompson Toronto Hotel

Following, guests were escorted to the main level of the hotel where they were served food by Scarpetta (in hotel restaurant) and Drake’s DJ spun beats to entertain the group both in the lobby and below in the hotel’s nightclub.

Sir Richard Branson & Style Seen Daily Co-Founder Erica Cornwall

We had a chance to catch up with Sir Richard Branson and speak with him about his latest book “Losing my Virginity” which tells the tales of his experiences in the business world and how his style has been one of no risk no reward, but all the while having fun growing, and even failing from time to time. Meeting someone like this, as well as the other entrepreneurs involved in this 24 hour experience reminds us that we all need a style beyond just fashion, a life-style encompassing business, friends, family, philanthropy and attitude.

Check out the companies involved by clicking on their websites: www.virginamerica.com, www.thompsonhotels.com , www.veevlife.com and www.method.com

When I Stop Talking You'll Know I'm Dead

At 72, Jerry Weintraub is still at it. From observing in the William Morris Mailroom to blocking up the phones at MCA when Lew Wasserman needed to make a call, he changed the music industry forever in the 60’s with his firm Concerts West, managed artists, chaired United Artists and produced in his own style which created a new imprint in the Hollywood scene, but keeping one constant, using the telephone.

From time to time we have the privilege to become awestruck, this happened when I recently had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Jerry Weintraub, an icon in the entertainment scene and someone who has, as Frank Sinatra – a onetime client of Jerry’s – would say “did it his way”. When our friend real estate tycoon Michael Meldman invited us to his beautiful development El Dorado in Cabo, I expected an incredible trip, but was thrilled to spend time with an extraordinary story teller and prolific leader.

Susie, Jerry & Jen Goldman

Jerry’s unique approach on life, which he openly shares in the book, inspires us to reach inside of ourselves and push for whatever it is we want, even if that changes day to day. “When I Stop Talking You’ll Know I’m Dead” has a slick style, helped by co-writer, Rich Cohen who profiled Jerry for Vanity Fair, makes it an easy read, and educates you on decdates of life and characters from Armand Hammer, George’s – Bush and Clooney, to second wife singer Jane Morgan, never divorced, yet gave blessing to his live in newer love (of over 20 years) Susie Ekins. A scenario even lothario Warren Beatty was publicy impressed by.

Jerry & Susie at CineVegas Ocean's Thirteen Screening

His career achievements are still mounting, from reenergizing Elvis Presley, to producing Katate Kid (both the original and the recent remake with Will Smith), to managing Sinartra, Bob Dylan, playing golf with George Bush Sr. and building the career of icon John Dever, to bringing together George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and cast for Ocean’s Eleven (of course also having been friends with the original Rat Pack) – Jerry has done more in one lifetime than most dream to and willingly shares with us the details in hopes to inspire us to take on anything we desire. Even speaking at Creative Artists Agency to the assistants and signing books for anyone who comes his way.

Ocean's on Hollywood Blvd

A self proclaimed “packaging guru” which he believes is all about creating an impression, even if it’s a spin. Relentless and full of endless suggestions, he is committed to creating whatever is necessary to get what he wants. His honest, yet defiant attitude has brought him much success, from a young age the moment he truthfully answered the question from the CEO of MCA about abusing phone privileges to speak with his girlfriend, later leading to a promotion, to bringing in inmates to pull out hundreds of chairs in a Florida stadium and then putting them all back in again just hours later to appease Elvis Presley and his commitments – to playing pranks on his fellow prankster friends with no expense spared, Jerry has a style that he created which continues to bring him great success and remarkable relationships with incredible people. Just check out the list of poeple he thanks in his books as well as the list he has worked with or represented.

His style is youthful, his charm is in explainable and he always manages to have fun while continuing to build, across decades of generations. Currently he is producing the Liberace biopic starring Michael Douglas as lead and Matt Damon as his lover, along with Steven Soderbergh. We salute Jerry and look forward to seeing the documentary about his life that our friends Alan & Gabe Polsky are currently producing – meanwhile Read The Book! – get inspired. We thank Jerry for giving us a glimpse of the total hilarious insane success he creates again and again. And to Susie, his girlfriend and sidekick, we are forever grateful to have been a part of their lives for those precious moments.

Jerry Book Signing

Kindly Jerry even signed books for all of the guests in Cabo who were interested in his book and his stories.

Source:  Fashion Newspaper

July 2010
Interactive Workshops Open Doors in San Francisco this July and New York City later this Fall

Since its inception in 1873 as one of the original purveyors of American workwear, the Levi’s® brand has been the uniform of choice for great American pioneers. Levi’s® jeans have been worn by the craftsmen, laborers and artisans who helped define the cultural landscape in America and have shaped the energy and events of our times. This week, the Levi’s® brand celebrates a new generation of pioneers and creative communities across the country with the launch of Levi’s® Workshops. Taking a new, innovative approach to integrating community involvement with retailing, the first Levi’s® Workshop debuts this week in San Francisco followed by a second expression of the program later this fall in New York City. The Levi’s® Workshops will be multi-use spaces, featuring a functional workshop, community event space and retail storefront. Each Workshop is designed to focus on a specific craft including printmaking in the San Francisco Workshop and photography in the New York City shop.

The Levi’s® Workshops will serve as community-based extensions of the brand’s Go Forth marketing campaign, paying homage to the principles of hard work and civic engagement. Central to the Workshop program will be collaborations with recognized pioneers from each community. For eight weeks, each Levi’s® Workshop will open its doors to the general public and host a range of interactive demonstrations, educational programming and events.

The first of the Levi’s® Workshops will open to the public this week in San Francisco’s Mission district, just down the street from one of Levi’s® original factories. Located at 580-582 Valencia Street, the Workshop will feature letterpress, silkscreen and photocopy equipment for local artists and designers to create their own print-based artwork. Community groups and non-profit organizations will also be invited to access these resources and work with the Workshop staff. The space will also offer Levi’s® denim and workwear product that embodies the spirit and craft of print design.

To leverage the energy of the Levi’s® Workshops, the brand has invited local pioneers to execute printmaking-based collaborations including:

–  Alice Waters – chef, author and proprietor of Chez Panisse Restaurant in
Berkeley, California. Waters is also the Vice President of Slow Food
International and a leader of the culinary philosophy based on using
only the freshest organic products served in season. Waters’ commitment
to education led to the creation of The Edible Schoolyard, a one-acre
garden and adjacent kitchen classroom at Berkeley’s Martin Luther King
Jr. Middle School which has grown into a national program.  For her
collaboration with the Levi’s® Workshops, Waters is working with a
longtime design collaborator to create an educational poster for the
Edible Schoolyard. “Levi’s® is bringing together art, food and the
local community,” said Alice Waters. “This is what Chez Panisse has
always been about and what excites me most about the Levi’s®
Workshops.”
–  Craig Newmark – an Internet entrepreneur best known for founding the San
Francisco-based website Craigslist.org, a site where people can help
each other with everyday needs including housing and jobs searches. The
site embraces a culture of trust, based on shared values. Newmark’s
resume includes thirty years working with computers for leading
companies including IBM, GM, Charles Schwab & Co., and Bank of America.
Newmark has partnered with the Levi’s® Workshops, combining his
expertise in digital media with manual printmaking to share powerful
messages.
–  Aaron Rose – artist, film director, curator and writer. Rose directed
the documentary film Beautiful Losers (2008) and recently completed the
short documentary film Become a Microscope based on the life of the
1960s artist/activist nun Sister Corita. Rose’s publishing imprint
Alleged Press releases hardcover books by contemporary artists.
Levi’s® Workshops celebrates his pioneering work as an advocate for
positive creative voices in the arts.  “I am thrilled to be able to
bring the work of Sister Corita to the Levi’s® Workshops in San
Francisco,” said Rose. “Corita is a huge inspiration to me, and
hopefully will have the same effect on the people who take part in our
workshop.”

“The Levi’s® Workshops celebrate the pioneering spirit and hard work of people and organizations that we admire,” said Joshua Katz, head of Collaborations, Partnerships & Creative Concepts for the Levi’s® brand. “It’s all about community, creativity and collaboration. Through the programming, the various production projects and the public resources that we are providing, we are able to collaborate with local heroes who have mastered their craft while inviting in the broader community to roll up their sleeves and get to work.”

Levi’s® Workshops will encourage global involvement through a dedicated website, various social media platforms and syndicated daily content. The website will launch alongside the San Francisco Workshop in early July. Original content supported by articles from renowned guest bloggers will be posted daily, in addition to updates on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr. Supporting the written content will be a series of films highlighting the spirit of the Levi’s® Workshops. These films will be a catalyst for
spreading the message of the Levi’s® Workshops while documenting the activity happening inside each environment. The website will also include opportunities to purchase Levi’s® products offered in the Levi’s® Workshops. For more information about Levi’s® Workshops and a full list of events, please visit http://workshops.levi.com.

About The Levi’s® Brand

The Levi’s® brand epitomizes classic American style and effortless cool. Levi’s® jeans were invented by Levi Strauss & Co. in 1873 and have since become one of the most recognized and imitated clothing items in the world – capturing the imagination and loyalty of people for generations. Today, the Levi’s® brand portfolio continues to evolve through a relentless pioneering and innovative spirit that is unparalleled in the apparel industry. Our range of leading jeanswear and accessories are available in more than 110 countries, allowing individuals around the world to express their personal style. For more information about the Levi’s® brand, its products and stores, please visit http://www.levi.com.

Source:  The Independent

July 2010

They’re calling it the world’s biggest dressing-up box. Never before has such a vast collection of vintage clothing – in excess of 7,000 dresses, 6,000 pairs of shoes and 20,000 items of jewellery – been assembled in one place in Britain.

Yet this precious attire, from 70-year-old Dior couture to Biba dresses from the Sixties, will be sold in a field at a music festival. Instead of Wellingtons and striped ponchos, the dress code at West Sussex’s Vintage Festival will be seamed stockings and twinsets, kipper ties and winkle-pickers.

Festival veterans might point to the Lost Vagueness corner of Glastonbury where it became customary to cut a late-night sartorial dash in ballgowns and second-hand suits – but that was a style statement that came caked in mud. Vintage Festival will not do dirt. “It’s rare that a cool person wants to be grubby – there wouldn’t be a fashion and beauty industry if people enjoyed being filthy,” says the founder, Wayne Hemingway. “Wouldn’t it be great if you could just go to a festival and be how you’d be if you were going to a nightclub and didn’t have to feel dirty?”

Vintage will be a festival where the toilets are plumbed and have basins and mirrors “so that you can do your lippy”. Camping will come with ready-made beds and the option of breakfast brought to your tent. And the clothes stalls will have stylists on hand, alterations experts equipped with sewing machines and a home delivery service for any purchases.

“I’m already picking out my outfit, we are all so excited,” says Judy Berger, who is curating the Vintage Market Place, which will feature clothes from the Forties through to the Eighties. “I’m going to go to the on-site hairdresser every day and do a different decade, but starting on the Fifties because that’s my favourite.”

Berger has brought together specialist vintage vendors from around Britain, avoiding those who source stock from wholesalers. “The biggest challenge has been ensuring that all the traders are selling something different,” she said. “We’ve brought in people who scour flea markets and car-boot sales and who go to Paris, Italy and LA to find amazing vintage.”

Arrive in combat trousers and a T-shirt paying tribute to your drinking capacity and Hemingway will not be impressed. “I would be disappointed if people turned up in that at ours, I really would. I’m not interested in just creating another festival.”

Vintage is not a nostalgia fest and is targeted at under-25s as much as at those who actually remember wearing the styles of the Seventies and Eighties. The music and dress of Eighties artists, including Heaven 17 and Human League, will be celebrated by contemporary performers such as La Roux. “I like the idea that you can take from the past, enjoy the present and look to the future,” said Hemingway, who has planned the festival with his three older children, all in their early twenties.

Berger hopes the vintage clothing will appeal to younger buyers who want to incorporate the style of a previous era into their look. “There will be seasoned collectors but we want to attract young people as well,” she said. “You can get an amazing Seventies dress for £15 or a piece of fashion history from Dior for £300. You’re not walking into a high-street chain and buying something that everybody else has.”

Alongside clothes, there will be stalls selling vintage furnishings. “We have proper chandeliers coming,” said Berger. “Just yesterday I booked in a ‘kitchenalia’ store selling glassware and pottery and stuff for the home. They will be next to a stall that sells Sixties and Seventies movie posters.”

Berger has already bought a pair of Seventies roller-skates to wear at the festival’s Roller Disco, one of several music arenas dedicated to specific decades. Music will range from Sixties icons Sandie Shaw and Martha and the Vandellas to contemporary party hosts Horse Meat Disco.

According to Hemingway, the music industry’s problems began when it lost sight of its relationship with stylish dress. “When I was growing up, music and fashion went totally together,” he said, recalling his childhood love for the style of David Bowie and the close relationship between Acid House and the Red or Dead clothing label that he founded with his wife and business partner Gerardine.

He said the media has prevented British style movements emerging in the past 20 years by saturating new trends before they had a chance to develop. Britpop, he argued, did not have its own look. “Damon Albarn in a Harrington jacket and jeans is not a seminal moment in youth culture and you can’t picture how Brett Anderson in Suede dressed.”

The loss of album artwork to the culture of downloading has also cut the ties between music and style, he said, claiming that the Vintage Festival could play a role in reversing that trend. “The reason that music was of more value was because it was wrapped up in graphics, design and fashion,” he said. “I think there’s a business case for bringing that back together, where you go to an event and music and fashion are totally intertwined.”

Vintage Festival is at Goodwood, West Sussex, 13-15 August

Source:  Fashion Newspaper

July 2010

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) today announced a break-through back-to-school promotion in which every customer who tries on a pair of AE jeans receives a free smartphone after instant discount with a new two-year service plan, from July 21 to August 3. Customers can choose from more than 40 phones from a variety of top brands including BlackBerry^® and Android™ smartphones and many others. Every customer who takes advantage of the promotion will also receive a $25 AE “Money Card” redeemable online or in stores.

“American Eagle Outfitters wants to send our customers back-to-school in style with new denim and a new phone,” said Fred Grover, executive vice president of marketing, American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. “This promotion adds a level of excitement and fun to our customers’ shopping experience, as well as making a powerful statement about our confidence in the denim collection.”

The AE back-to-school denim collection includes a complete range of fits and washes. AE women’s denim fits include the new Jegging, as well as Skinny, Super Skinny, Artist™, Slim Boot, Favorite Boyfriend, Artist Crop and Boy Fit Crop. The AE men’s collection includes three new fits—Slim, Low Rise Boot Signature Stitch, and Relaxed, as well as Straight, Low Rise Boot, and Bootcut.

How it works:

• As customers exit the AE fitting rooms after trying on jeans, they will receive a special card that explains how to select their phone and carrier at www.ae.com/jeans.
• The new phone and $25 AE Money Card is sent to the customer via FedEx.
• Users will be given the opportunity to download an AE logo to their phone deck that acts as a direct link to the AE mobile site.
• Online shoppers will receive the special card in their order shipment with every denim purchase.

**Promotion is available to U.S. customers only and offered only while supplies last. Please see www.ae.com/jeans for complete rules and information.

About American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc., through its subsidiaries, (“AEO, Inc.”) offers high-quality, on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable prices. The American Eagle Outfitters^® brand targets 15 to 25 year old girls and guys, with 934 stores in the U.S. and Canada and online at www.ae.com. aerie^® by american eagle offers Dormwear^® and intimates collections for the AE^® girl, with 143 standalone stores in the U.S. and Canada and online at www.aerie.com. The latest brand, 77kids^® by american eagle^®, is available online only at www.77kids.com. The 77kids brand offers “kid cool,” durable clothing and accessories for kids ages two to 10. AE.COM^®, the online home of the brands of AEO, Inc. ships to more than 76 countries worldwide.

Source: The Independent

July 2010

Boom time for haute couture as overseas demand soars.

Couture is back: Rumours of its death had been exaggerated. Designers including Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier and Givenchy reporting a rise in sales of their custom-made creations ahead of this week’s Paris shows.

The increase in sales of exclusive fashions – often costing upwards of £30,000 a dress – is being credited to new clients in Russia, the Middle East and China, as well as the return of US customers who had reined in their spending during the recession.

Chanel estimates sales of the label’s summer collection were up 20 to 30 per cent on 2009, while Givenchy said its January couture sales were up 10 per cent on last year. Jean Paul Gaultier’s president, Veronique Gautier, described the situation as a “spectacular recovery”. The company reported that its Russian client base began growing after it held its first haute couture show in Moscow in May. Dior, meanwhile, showed couture at the opening of its enlarged boutique in Shanghai in May.

“It is difficult to pinpoint where couture customers come from,” said Harriet Quick of Vogue. “The people you see in the front rows at Paris aren’t the same people who are going to the salon to buy them. They are discreet.”

Sidney Toledano, president of Christian Dior, told the US fashion blog Women’s Wear Daily that Dior’s couture arm is booming globally. He said: “We have received so many orders, we are not sure we can deliver them.”

Designers, buyers and fashion editors flocked to Paris this weekend for the city’s couture shows, which open tomorrow. Labels such as Dior, Valentino and Giorgio Armani Privé will stage catwalk shows, while Givenchy has decided to show its designs by appointment only this season.

“It has gone from a beleaguered couture week to a buoyant commercial proposition,” Ms Quick said.

Stringent rules, policed by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, that governed the exclusive world of Paris fashion for 150 years are being relaxed. Once, to use the term “haute couture” fashion houses had to have a workshop in Paris, present a certain number of outfits twice a year and design made-to-measure clothes for individual clients. While purchasing a couture gown from a traditional house such as Chanel requires plenty of both time and money – involving at least three trips to the workshop for fittings – some new designers are happy to work remotely, having the dress sent to and from clients by courier.

“Alexis Mabille does a mix of ready to wear and couture, and the prices are much lower. There is also a new designer, Lee Klabin, who is in Paris showing,” Ms Quick said.

Mabille and Klabin are not the only newcomers to Paris fashion week. Jewellery brands such as Van Cleef & Arpels and Chanel Joaillerie showcased their expensive wares as part of the official haute couture calendar for the first time in February. And the last day of the couture shows is now entirely devoted to jewellery. Since allowing jewellers entrance into the couture week, the Chambre Syndicale is said to have been inundated with requests to open up the shows to other brands.

Source: New York Times: Fashion

Published: June 6, 2010

PARIS — A second high-style/low-price hook-up took place last week from the same source: Tokyo Fast Retailing, which is the umbrella company of the American brand Theory.

Olivier Theyskens, the Belgian designer known for a couture sensibility, has been tapped by Andrew Rosen, chief executive officer of Theory. In the spirit of the Jil Sander/Uniqlo collaboration — but at a middle-market price point — Mr. Theyskens is taking to Main Street an aesthetic that has formerly been seen at the Paris houses Nina Ricci and Rochas.

“I think it is a breakthrough for the next generation — it has to do with clothes that are not so preciously made, but made with great integrity,” said Mr. Rosen, who founded Theory in 1997 in partnership with Elie Tahari. “Today, you can’t just be good — you have to be great. I want to be proud of the clothes I make.”

Mr. Theyskens, 33, admits that he has had problems reconciling his haute design with the frustration that it was unapproachable to his own generation.

“For a long time I have been thinking about affordable fashion — you can be disappointed when not so many people can wear your stuff,” Mr. Theyskens said. It was a learning curve to work with Theory to make “a perfect modern look” and take responsibility for its development, he said.

The Theyskens capsule collection, which will be shown in New York in September for the Spring 2011 season, by appointment, will fill the barren middle ground between high street and high end. This is the territory that Mr. Rosen has explored with Theory, aiming for a no-fuss emphasis on wearable, well-made clothes.

“I think the space is very crowded and the idea is to find new ways to stimulate the customer,” said the executive, who met Mr. Theyskens by chance when he was launching a book in New York.

Eager shoppers have been teased with short-lived collections from major designers ever since Karl Lagerfeld partnered with H&M in 2004, setting off a slew of further collaborations from Comme des Garçons at H&M to the current Stella McCartney line for GapKids.

But if Theory succeeds in bringing designer clothing down to a reasonable price on a more permanent basis, it will help usher in what already seems like the dawn of a new 21st-century fashion era.

Source:  Fashion Newspaper

Date: June 8, 2010

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) today announced that total sales for the four weeks ended May 29, 2010 decreased 1% to $193 million, compared to $196 million for the four weeks ended May 30, 2009. Consolidated comparable store sales decreased 3% for the month, compared to a 7% decrease for the same period last year.
Total sales for the year-to-date 17 week period ended May 29, 2010 increased 6% to $853 million, compared to $808 million for the 17 week period ended May 30, 2009. Comparable store sales increased 3% for the year-to-date period compared to a 9% decrease for the same year-to-date period last year.

The company is reiterating its second quarter adjusted earnings guidance of $0.12 to $0.16 per diluted share. On a GAAP basis, second quarter guidance is ($0.01) to $0.03 per diluted share and includes estimated closing charges and an operating loss related to MARTIN+OSA of approximately $0.13 per diluted share as outlined in the table which follows. This guidance also excludes potential investment security charges. Second quarter guidance compares to adjusted earnings of $0.18 per diluted share for the second quarter ended August 1, 2009, which excludes a tax benefit, a non-cash, non-operating foreign currency loss and an operating loss related to MARTIN+OSA as outlined in the table which follows.