Live From Fashion Week: The City's Olivia Palermo at London Fashion Week | Live From Fashion Week

Live From Fashion Week: The City's Olivia Palermo at London Fashion Week | Live From Fashion Week

Diane Von Furstenberg Fall 2010 RTW and my new adventures

See below for my top picks of DVF's fall 2010 ready-to-wear collection and read below for a recap of my first night in the city of brotherly love...

















So this has been my first weekend in Philly and I just wrapped up my first day at Urban Outfitters. Job = amazing. Me getting used to my new life in the city of brotherly love = not-so-much.

In true made-for-TV style my first night in my new apartment was interesting to say the least. The movers and super have left and I'm antsy in my new spacious 1-bedroom apartment, which is a far cry from my teeny-tiny studio in Chelsea, which I had oddly grown to love. Was it possible to have too much space? Alas, I decided to take my New York City missin' self for a walk. I grabbed my Louis, threw on my snowboots and long puffy black coat, and headed for the door.

After an hour of aimlessly walking the streets of Center City, I decided it was time to head back 'home'. Slipping and sliding back to my place, I couldn't help but let my inner New York cynic out... why was it so quiet? How come there were no people out? How come everything seemed to be closed? Did I really just see everything Philly had to offer in my late afternoon stroll?

I open my first door and dredge down the long corridor to my apartment door. I take out my shiny new keys and insert it into the lock... swoosh-swoosh... but no click. I jimmy the key in the door again... swoosh-swoosh, but no click. "Are you SERIOUS?!" I shout to myself.

FML.

I am locked out of my place. "Hmm... maybe I can break-in..." I begin scheming. I opened the door to the area outside where we put our trash... it leads to the alley way inbetween our buildings. I schlep over to where my living room window is (mind you there had been a mini blizzard and it snow-caked out there).

I don't know what I was thinking.

I made a feeble attempt to open the window screen, but who did I think I was? MacGyver? With my tail between my legs I walk by to the door and alas, that door is locked too! Who knew it would lock behind you once you closed it? So there I was. Locked out of my apartment AND locked out of my building. It was just me, 5 feet of snow and ice, and the trash.

FML.

I shimmied underneath the fire escape stairs and through the unsholved mountains of snow to only encounter yet another locked door. "Ha!" I thought to myself, "this time I will be the victor!" I could actually open this door. I unbolted the lock, mustered all my strength and flung open the stubborn door. I proceeded to meander through the piles of snow in the back alley, praying I wouldn't be mistaken for a good-time girl and then made my way to freedom to the other side of my building.

Defeated, I walked back to the front of my building and entered the front door and then slowly walked through the long corridor again. I sat on the hard, cold floor in front of my door and my little numb fingers dialed my super's number. He'd be there in 10...

To be continued...

All settled in...

The only constant in life is change... and for me, all has pretty much changed... new job, new apartment, new city. I'll be sure to chronicle all of the highs (and lows) of this new chapter of my life... it's sink or swim time folks...

Fashion Week Etiquette, PR Edition: Tantrums Will Get You Nowhere

Two weeks ago, we broke down a few Fashion Week myths.

This time around, we asked a handful of publicists what they’d like to tell the world about how to act during fashion week.

RULE #1: BE NICE

Bonnie Morrison, who went from Publicity Director at KCD to Special Projects Editor at Men’s Vogue and back to PR again, is handling Chris Benz’s AW10 show. She says, “People outside the industry forget that it’s a trade show (not a circus, discotheque). People inside the industry forget that it’s not a contract or hostage negotiation (with a set of conditions, demands). Like anything in life, the fundamental rules apply: be nice, play fair, say please and thank you. People really do remember it…and they remember its opposite even longer.”

We’ve seen people throw tantrums and we’ve seen people ask nicely - the first tactic always fails.

Sidney Prawatyotin, who handles Rachel Comey and Organic at Krupp Group agrees, “In all honesty, people need to understand that there is no need to be rude when they approach the door. We are doing a job. Even though some people believe that we’re there to make things harder and be discriminatory, yelling and pushing to get closer to the person with the clip board can, and will probably backfire. I just want to let everyone know: Don’t yell or be rude to the person with the list. If you are cordial and patient… you will probably get in.”

That’s true (even if you’re not on the list).

RULE #2: DON’T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR FRIENDSHIP

This is a more recent problem, as the world shrinks and one out of three people has a blog (just a guess) and everyone’s tweeting at each other, it’s easy to feel like you know the people you’re dealing with, whether publicist, model, designer, whatever. Everyone wants to go to a fashion show - and bring their boyfriend.

Matt Kays, Charlotte Ronson’s beloved publicist from Seventh House emailed me back with this, “I want to say something funny like, ‘Just because we got wasted together at a fashion party doesn’t mean I have to invite you to shows.’ BUT! I think a more serious quote is, ‘Requesting a standing room ticket does not make it any easier on us. We still have to add you to the RSVP list, check you in at the front, and give you a standing room ticket when planning the seating chart.’”

RULE #3: IT’S WORK, NOT PLAY*

Emily Bungert from People’s Revolution (whom you met last night on Kell on Earth) puts it bluntly, “Hundreds of hours, and plenty of blood, sweat and tears go into producing a fashion show…so just remember that for most of us, Fashion Week is a business - not a party.”

This is something we’ve addressed before, especially when it comes to people paying for their seats. On the one hand, we’re jealous that you’re all dolled up watching the show and get to go play afterward. On the other, we love our job and don’t mind working 18 hour days for a month to do it, as long as no one makes it harder than necessary.

by britt aboutaleb
fashionista.com

Behind-the-bands: Sexy Neighbors

We are at a quaint Chinese restaurant in the heart of Chinatown and I am nibbling on my General Tso’s chicken, it’s a bit too salty so I wash it down with my obligatory Diet Coke. I’m sitting across the table from Felix, lead singer and guitar player of Sexy Neighbors, the sensational new band on the come-up in Brooklyn.

He is wearing a hunter green Holiday sweater with white reindeer on them, ripped jeans and boots, how appropriately Brooklynite of him I thought to myself. Andy, the painfully aloof and ever-intriguing bassist sits next to him, fidgeting the way he does. I grab some more Lo Mein and coyly mention their upcoming gig at Lit Lounge (Saturday, Feb. 6th at 8:00pm) and both begin to grin from ear-to-ear.

Sexy Neighbors, the brainchild of Felix, got its name while he was rocking out to some house music with authentic Gospel lyrics (it was blaring from a church in Bed Stuy located just one block from his place), and the name just came to him with the assistance of some gnarly ‘party favors’.

Akin to the sounds of Lake Trout of Baltimore and the Pixies with break-beats, Sexy Neighbors also has a truly unique sound, different than your standard electronic-influenced rock music, check out their MySpace, http://www.myspace.com/sxynyhbrs, and experience it for yourself. My favorite tunes are The Chain and Silent Not Silent.

I’ve been trying to convince them to permanently change the lyrics of Mandy to my namesake Candy, a song that was born while Felix was experimenting with house-style melodies on his guitar, pre-band and back in Buffalo. It maybe too late to get the switch for their upcoming album for King’s Highway Records, but fingers-crossed they grant my wish live this Saturday.

Read on for my exclusive interview with this indie/hipster/electronic/dance/rock band.

Where do you draw your inspiration from, music-wise and lyrics-wise?

That's a tough question since there are so many sources. A lot of the musical intention comes from dance music, especially house. It's sort of the idea that the music should be felt above all else. There's a band called STS9 who play drum & bass and electro using live instruments, I sort of think of us as similar to them except playing rock music. The band Architecture In Helsinki was also real influential for me, they are so great at stripping down songs to the bare elements. The B-52s...there are so many inspirations. 60's garage is also a big foundation for us...that pure energy that carried through through the punk movement, that idea of intensity mattering more than precise technique. And of course everyone brings their own inspirations to the band.

I know that you guys have a album coming up, could you tell me a little about the process of making an album?

It's fun but also very demanding, especially when the money is coming right out of your pocket. We had a limited budget so we did the whole thing in 4 days except for a few overdubs. It's exhausting and cathartic at the same time. Everyone put their heart into the music, and when you're doing that all day it takes a lot. But it's great to finally see the realization of these songs on a recording since some of them are 2 years old. Everyone really played great. Margie only joined the band full time in September and she really stepped it up and learned the songs. She has some cool solos on the album as well.

If you guys could jam with one other band or musician out there, who would it be?

One person I would love to jam with is Richard Devine, who's this amazing electronic musician from Atlanta. He's really sort of a genius of sample creation/manipulation. I think more people should collaborate creatively within the music world.

What are some of the craziest things that have happened at one of your shows?

Well, we actually haven't had that many shows since the current lineup came together only recently, but we had a show at Don Pedro's in Williamsburg that was pretty wild. There was an couple who were heckling us, and one woman yelling at the drummer. I thought they were encouraging us, but Nima didn't see it that way.

What's one thing about Sexy Neighbors that you can only find out here?

We have a band mascot....his name is "Artbarg Yugenol". That's all I'm gonna say right now.

What do you guys view as musical success?

I can't speak for the other guys, but for me, musical success is touring and getting our music out there. No matter how big we get, I just want to pay great music and have people feeling it at show. That's success to me!

What gets you amped to perform? How do you prepare to rock?

We don't necessarily have any pre-show rituals...we just try to stay cool and focus on the music. Maybe we'll eventually develop them. Any ideas? For me personally listening to the music I love gets me pumped. Sonic Youth or the Stooges are good preshow choices.

What's your dream venue to put on a show?

There are so many venues I'd love to play at, especially in NYC. One goal is the Bowery Ballroom, which is sort of the standard for New York bands. I'd love to play at some of the DIY venues in Brooklyn, like the Market Hotel or Death By Audio. If you're reading this, get in touch! Our phone lines are open. There's also the badass banquet hall in the Hassidic neighborhood called the Rose Castle...I would love to rent it out for a show if they'd let me.T

What are your favorite songs to perform and why?

I love playing all our songs...one in particular that's a lot of fun is "Silent Not Silent", which is really a live song. The buildup in the middle was written specifically in order to get a crowd into the music, to get people excited as it gets faster. I think about that stuff a lot...that building up of energy that's such a great part of electronic music and what a DJ can do during their set. We played a great version at a show at Surreal Estate in Brooklyn that really had the crowd into it.

I know you have plans to start a blog about your band, music and other such delights... do you want to talk a little about that and what we can we expect?

We definitely want a legit website at some point...some cool artwork, band info and such. On a personal level I want to start a blog that more about my personal interests, which go outside of music to civic and urban planning issues. You know, another cool site for the internets.

You guys are Brooklyn-based band. Does living in BK influence your music at all? And if so, in what ways?

I would say being a Brooklyn band totally influences our music. First of all there's that sense of place...of the music being rooted in Brooklyn, which is a such a diverse area in terms of the different neighborhoods and lifestyles here. There's so many areas that each have their own distinct culture. I think we reflect that sense of being grounded in that, our own locales. I want people to walk around Brooklyn, say along Broadway under the JMZ, and have the music fit the setting. There's also that sense of urban living, of making things happen with whatever you have to work with. You know, Brooklyn Go Hard.

Anything else you want our readers to know about the Sexy Neighbors?

Our music is best listened to driving at night through the desert, away from something. With your sunglasses still on.

What's the best thing about being in a kick-ass band?

I would say our legions of adoring fans and touring the world in our fleet of private jets. With wet bars and foot massagers. You know, the simple pleasures. On the real tho the best thing is just playing music with a group of kickass musicians, and seeing people dancing at our shows. That's the best!

Where can we catch your next gig? And what else is on tap for Sexy Neighbors?

We have a show coming up on Feb 6th at Lit Lounge in the East Village, with Toi Toi Toi!, Princess Tiny and the Meats, and Mythical Legends. It's gonna be totally bad ass! We're also finalizing the artwork for our debut CD, which will be released soon on our label (King's Highway Records). For now you can stream the whole thing on our myspace (www.myspace.com/sexyneighbors). Check it out!


Sexy Neighbors at Lit Lounge, 8pm, $6, Saturday, February 6th, 93 2nd Avenue

Contact:
http://www.myspace.com/sxynyhbrs
sexyneighbors@gmail.com

Be inspired.

So I've been thinking of what inspires me... and so far this is what I've thought of...

SoHo..... Williamsburg...really cool teenagers on the subway... like they have style for days (can be a bit annoying, but they are pretty hip...) ... really bad break-ups... nothing inspires like love lost... blogs blogs and 'mo blogs... flea markets... the streets... art... paintings.... net-a-porter... magazines... my friends... not having any clean clothes and needing to improvise...movies... starlets... i want my mtv... cool bands... NYLON... what's on your list?

Fashion 2.0 Social Media Awards Polls

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Spring Fever

Ummm... can it warm up now please? Can't wait to wear these looks!

New jobby job

So... I just took an offer at Urban Outfitters to join their buying/merchandising team!! Can't wait!

Wish me luck...!!!

rebecca minkoff sale at ideeli

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