Candy's Scoop of the Week: This is The End, HelloGiggles, St. Anselm, TTYLTEALA Teala Dunn, G Fella, and James Franco

Hey guys,

Wanted to share with you all my picks of the week. If you want to be featured or have a tip/suggestion of what should make my Scoop of the Week round-up, please email: candywashington@gmail.com!

xo,
Candy

Must-see movie of the week: This is the End with Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Jonah Hill
Not only is James Franco the perfect summer eye-candy (who happens to be extremely intelligent, remember those classes he took at NYU for fun?) Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill are as humorous and approachable as ever. If I had to endure the Apocalypse with anyone, it'd be with these guys!

@ThisIsTheEnd
@SethRogen
@JamesFrancoTV
@JonahHill

Must-view site of the week: HelloGiggles (visit the site here.)
These girls (Sophia, Molly, Zooey, and the crew) are definitely after my own heart! They bring the snark, wit, and sarcasm with a fashion and entertainment twist! Reason why they are the coolest site around town? I love how they post and promote video, articles, and other cool content from their readers.

@hellogiggles

Must-eat restaurant of the week:
St. Anselm in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Their signature meal is their steak. It's the best I've had in New York and is super reasonably priced. Pair with one of their red wines, mashed potatoes, and spinach for a to die for meal in one of the coolest neighborhoods in New York.







Must-watch TV Show: G Thing on FUSE
Watch the commercial for the upcoming show "G Thing" airing Wednesday, July 24th at 11:30pm/10:30pm CST on the FUSE Network! This Italian Stallion opens his own record label to make it in the hip hop world...

@GFella

Must-watch YouTube Channel: TTYLTEALA
How freakin' adorable is Teala Dunn from TBS' "Are we there yet?" and Disney's "Shake it Up?" I love her fashion and haul videos. She also re-enacts music videos and hosting cool tutorials videos. Kind of makes me want to be 16 again!

@TTYLTEALA 

Must-donate IndieGogo: Palo Alto stories by James Franco
I know, two shout outs to James Franco this week - but can you really blame me? How cool would it be to see his short stories based on his high school experiences turned into three different films? See below for more info and donate here!

"As some of you may already know, acting, creating art, writing, reading, and directing films are all vital components in my life.   In June 2011, I had the opportunity to publish my first book, Palo Alto. The book is a compilation of short fictional stories inspired by high school experiences and growing up in Palo Alto, California.  For this project, I have invited the talented up and coming filmmakers Nina Ljeti, Vladimir Bourdeau, Bruce Thierry Cheung, and Gabrielle Demeestere to adapt and direct some of my short stories into three different feature films: Memoria, Killing Animals, and Yosemite." 

Who stole my carrots? (The many faces of Candy Washington)

Northside Festival – Pump up the volume

Read on for my latest article in FashionEdits!

Wherever fashion meets music and entertainment you’ll find FashionEdits. This past weekend at Northside Festival was no different. Located in the heart of Williamsburg, aka Hipsterville, the boho chic-rocker-inspired-by-the-90’s outfits we saw were right at home with the awesome bands like The Walkmen, Black Table, The Motor Tom, Osekre & The Lucky Bastards, and Airwaves taking the stage. Did we mention Beyonce’s baby sis Solange closed the show? The only thing more rockin’ than her tunes was her curly ‘fro that matches her relaxed fashion style straight out of the 70’s that loves to mix and match fabrics and prints.

Fashion highlights from the festival:

Everyone was wearing: Oversized shades, loose tank tops with a bandeau bra, high-waist denim shorts (think Chloe Sevigny), and dark brown leather combat boots.

Coolest band: Bigs Ups. Not only are these guys super adorable but they also know how to rock a plaid shirt. Looking for ways to vamp up your plaid? Try wearing it unbuttoned and tied in a knot to the side with the sleeves rolled up and a long tank underneath. Pair with leggings or your favorite pair of cutoffs and you’re ready to rock.

Must-have accessory: Super long multilayered chain necklaces. They go great with tanks, dresses, and even your favorite boyfriend tee. These chains can also take your look from night to day – wear with pastels and light colors while at the festival and then slip into your little black dress and keep the chains on for a fierce nighttime ensemble.

More than music: Did you know that in addition to the bands Northside Festival also has a screening of indie films and hosts the NeXT Expo, a creative collection of panel discussions of the industry’s most innovative movers and shakers. All the speakers were fairly young and represented some of the coolest brands out there like Warby Parker and OkCupid. Dress code? Come as you are.

Don’t forget: In addition to your sunscreen wearing a large hat will not just protect you from the sun but it will also add a chic twist to any festival outfit. Try to find an oversized hat in black, brown, or tan suede like Sienna Miller wore to Coachella or a large straw hat. Skip any hats that you could wear to the Kentucky Derby.


Statement piece for any music festival: Huge headphones in funky prints or neon colors. Pump up the volume on your headsets and on your outfit this summer.

Keep calm and rock on.

Candy's event pick of the week: Models Against Bullying Runway Show for BGCB

About:
“Models Against Bullying” is hosting the first annual silent auction, live art exhibit and Runway show to raise funds for the BGCB. The Models have shared their personal stories about being bullied.

Their mission:
The mission of The Boys and Girls Club of Boston is to help young people have somewhere to go and feel safe while learning proper life skills. They build strong character in our children while filling their minds with hope and opportunity for their future.

The BCBG also operate 5 free standing clubs along with 5 shared space clubs throughout Boston and Chelsea. They serve communities where the need for a safe after - school, weekend and summer program is greatest. BCBG also operates the YouthConnect Program which is in partnership with the Boston Police department and Camp Harbor View.

Since 1993 the Jordan BGCB has offered six core areas, enabling youth to become responsible citizens and leaders. The Jordan club currently serves 1,100 members, plus hundreds of more youth through their facilities and community outreach. They also have a Masters Level Licensed social worker who is an integral member of the staff and who is uniquely trained to help members in difficult situations or who may have a crisis.

Read and share your stories HERE. 

The Scoop with Candy Washington: Summer style with NBC's Lilliana Vazquez

Want the latest scoop on how to get a hot body and red hot summer style? Watch my interview with style and beauty expert Lilliana Vazquez. 



About Lilliana Vazquez:

Fashion and Style Expert and Cheap Chica's Guide to Style Founder. Lilliana Vazquez is a sought-after resource providing fun, trendy and budget-conscious style advice to readers, viewers and listeners around the world. Lilliana is a regular contributor for NBC10 Philadelphia, Better Philly, WE Women's Entertainment and The Style Network. She is also the founder of the wildly popular fashion blog, The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style.She's also appeared on ABC, Better TV, QVC, The Shopping Channel and Univision (Lilliana is bilingual in Spanish) and featured in Lucky, Women's Wear Daily, Marie Claire, Glamour, Philly Style, Accessories Magazine, The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Latina, First, Better Homes and Gardens, and Daily Candy. A well-known stylist, Lilliana is committed to empowering women through fashion by teaching them how to dress for their figure, lifestyle and budget. Lilliana has been in the industry for almost 10 years where she was worked at top fashion magazines, as an accessories designer and as a fashion consultant.

The Gold Standard

Candy's pick of the week: Help the band Spanglish Fly make a full album!

Spanglish Fly is ready to record a full-length LP and needs your support! I love this band and they rocked it when I went to see them live and not just because my dear friend Matt Thomas plays the sax in the band! Check them out for yourself and then be sure to donate to their kickstarter campaign for their new album!

Kick start their album here!

CONTACT

Ken Park
Ken Park Talent Management
kenparkmgmt@aol.com
212.566.8672

candywashington@gmail.com 
646.264.8729

Q&A: The Bluer Denim Project Was Inspired by the $.99 iTunes Song

Thanks for this interview by my friends at The High Low - check it out below or here!

Designed in Portland, made with cotton grown in Georgia and denim milled in South Carolina, and cut, sewn, and finished in Los Angeles, Bluer’s jeans wear a bona fide made in the USA label, and they’re eco-friendly and sustainably processed.  The high-end men’s and women’s fits are now the subject of a Kickstarter campaign (completely funded, but get in on it anyway in exchange for jeans, if your interest is piqued) to bring Bluer’s denim to customers via an at-home try-on model.  Think Warby Parker meets jeans (the premium denim is offered at a $95 flat rate).

We talked to the company’s founder, Jeffrey Todd Shafer, about the inspiration for his ethical company and who we’ll see wearing Bluer in the near future.

The High Low:  First and foremost, what inspired you to found Bluer?

Jeffrey Todd Shafer:  Over the past 20 years, I have watched manufacturing jobs leave the U.S., the quality of apparel and denim offered in the marketplace drop, the retail prices of apparel and jeans rise, large companies dominate because of their scale, and small companies fail because of lack of size.  The fashion industry used to offer a constant flow of new designers, brands, and companies — not anymore.  It is almost impossible to start a new company without being independently wealthy.  The current wholesale/retail model was created in the 1800s to enable small, remotely located artisans and craftsmen to get their products to market.  The huge costs and inefficiencies associated with the wholesale/retail model today have forced suppliers to “a race to the bottom” in terms of price and quality, driving jobs to other countries and making disposable products, which I call “junk clothes.”

Today, due to the rise of the Internet as a platform for commerce and social media as a platform for communication,  the old model, which has been failing for a long, long time, is no longer necessary.  With the efficiencies of a web-based commerce platform and social media-based communication platform, massive sales, marketing, and distribution efficiencies are achieved.  Not only can goods be sourced locally, ethically, and transparently,  but they can be retailed at much, much lower prices.  This reality can create renewed boom in local sourcing and new enterprise.  As soon as I realized this scenario I had to start Bluer — not only as a business venture, but also as a role model aspiring other would-be entrepreneurs. I now consider it my responsibility to make Bluer successful and share it in an open and transparent way with the next generation of artisans, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs for them to emulate and copy.

THL:  Which came first then, the made-in-USA priority or the plan to offer the at-home try-on business model?

JTS:  Made in USA came first.  It always comes first.  I have pride in my country and I love my neighbors.  We need more jobs here.  Americans can make great things.

The home try-on model came second.   I know from first hand experience that buying jeans in a retail store environment can be a really tough and inconvenient experience for many people.  I also know that when consumers buy jeans online they often order two or three pairs so they don’t have to worry if they happen to pick the wrong size or wash.  They just keep which ones they like and send back the rest.  This usually makes online retailers upset because of the cost of shipping and handling. 

Customers who  do this often do so even if they feel guilty about it.  Home try-on grants customers a way to do this without feeling guilty.  I thought about this after reading how Steve Jobs priced songs on iTunes at 99 cents.  Jobs hypothesized that the 99 cent offering would encourage people to stop illegal song downloading by giving them a viable alternative, and it did.

THL:  To keep the product completely domestic, how did you find the manufacturers with whom you’re working?

JTS:  Finding manufactures was relatively easy.  There are trade organizations like The California Fashion Association that are fighting to save manufacturing in California by hooking up designers and entrepreneurs with factories.

THL:  Who’s your target market for Bluer denim when it launches?

JTS:  Bluer is focused on providing new and better denim choices to 18-to-24 year old men and women, college students, creatives, made in America activists, fashionistas and denim-heads.

THL:  The brand is entirely focused on Web-based commerce right now, but do you expect to be distributed in stores at any point?

JTS:  That is hard to say.  Brick-and-mortar operations are a very different core competency and require a lot of capital.  In the future, retail will only exist for retailers and brands that offer exploration, entertainment, or convenience.  Any product that a consumer already knows they want will likely be bought on the Web and delivered to their doorstep at the exact day and time they want it.  Hopefully Bluer will fit into that category.

Candy's pick of the week: The Serio-Vargus Broadcasting Camp

Ever dream of being a host or news anchor? Attend The Serio-Vargus Broadcasting Camp!


Info on the camp is below!

The Serio-Vargus Broadcasting Camp will be taught by Fox 29 weather anchor Sue Serio and former Fox 29 sports anchor Bill Vargus.
We have Guest Instructors lined up, too, including Fox 29 personalities Mike Jerrick and Kacie McDonnell. Mike, of course, has done it all during his career, including co-hosting his own national show, "Mike and Juliet" on the Fox network.
 
Kacie, on the other hand, will just be celebrating her 23rd birthday the day of her appearance, but that should help her relate to many of the campers who are in college and wondering about getting into the business.

We also have Scott Graham, the voice of NFL Films and Papa John's commercials, to help explain the use of voice in radio, TV, and voiceover work; Kathy Gerrow, the Assistant News Director at Channel 10 who has held just about every position imaginable in a TV station; Actor Brian Anthony Williams, who was in the TV show "the Wire" and countless feature films, to help explain some acting principles to improve on-camera performance; and several others. 


The camp runs for a week, from July 29th to August 2nd. It will be at Villanova University. On the final day, we will meet at philly.com's studios to record demos for all of the campers.
 
The website for more info and to sign up is www.broadcastingcamp.com.