Throw Some Discounts in The Mix

The Intermix warehouse sale is going on now. It started yesterday, but that's when all the crazies come out. There's still tons of designer merch available including Stella, Chloe, Proenza and Matthew. Also, great to stock up on basics like Elizabeth and James blazers, Jbrand skinnies and Vince sweaters all priced below 3-digits.

The sale will continue now through Sunday at the Metropolitan Pavilion. They don't restock daily but they've been known to slash prices and run specials as it gets closer to the end.

Final Word: Definitely worth a weekend visit. 125 W 18th Street, between 6th and 7th. Fri & Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 10am-6pm.

Lo for Linds

These are new images of Lindsay Lohan taken by Hedi Slimane. As we all know, LiLo is the subject of constant criticism. For her weight, for her antics, for her complete non-existence of a youthful glow…but there is one thing we can never criticize about this girl, and that’s the fact that she pretty much has the world’s greatest rack.

She is the only girl I know (and by know I mean don’t know) who can go from happy and healthy to painstakingly emaciated without tailoring a cup size. In her early days, this sparked implant speculation, but we’ve since determined that is simply not the case. She’s just been blessed with the world’s most bountiful bust (and by blessed I mean that’s really the only thing she has going for her right now).While the images are artful and actually kind of hot, it’s still pretty tragic that she has to constantly objectify herself to maintain any type of spotlight outside the tabloid media. We all remember the Marilyn Monroe/New York mag stunt.

Lindsay’s actually a talented comedic actress with a strong likability. She was once America’s young, freckle-faced sweetheart! My, how times have changed.

Final Word: Ditch SaMAN, eat a pizza, call Tina Fey, and for Christ’s sake, keep your top on. We already envy your cleavage, time to show us what else you got.

Yrusha: Francophile Style

When it comes to fashion, the French just do it better. This, we already know. To further support this absolute truth I introduce to you, Yrusha. This chic collection of “understated couture” comes to us from sisters Vanessa Moyal and Stephanie Berdah.

Already established in the City of Lights and other European capitals, the collection cites boho-glam goddesses Vanessa Paradis and Sienna Miller (yes, she’s making a comeback) amongst their flock of fashionable followers.

In cruising through their lookbook I literally fell in love with everything. Not only the collection, but the styling, the model, the details…these girls know how to turn it out. Having said that, I’ll let the images speak for themselves:


Final Word: Stateside distribution is exclusive to Intermix for Spring 09, available in NYC, LA and Miami only. So hop on those pre-orders, you know the digits. If not, click here.

I Like Your Curves

AT&T has The Bold, Verizon's got The Storm, but us kids over at T-Mobile have been waiting quite sometime for a new Blackberry model. Should we have to suffer just because we wanted cheap calling plans and seamless international communication? I think not. Well, we finally have something to look forward to.

T-Mobile recently launched the Blackberry Curve 8900. It doesn’t have a touch-screen, but I don’t think I have the hand-eye coordination to maneuver that anyway, so I’m not too concerned.

What it does have is a 3.2 mega-pixel camera, Wi-Fi connectivity and turn-by-turn GPS, which oddly enough, happens to come in handy anytime we leave this grid we so fondly call home.

It also features a sizable 256-megabyte memory card, so you can point, click and send away from anywhere in the world (it’s supported by 4 international radio bands which will pretty much cover you anywhere).

Not that I’m planning to whip out my passport anytime soon, but maybe I’ll have a new pin. So, you know, that’s cool too.

In other Blackberry news, UrbanDaddy is reporting that your Blackberry can now serve as a “remote cable box.” Hmm. Isn’t it ironic that the exact device intended to keep us connected continues to further enable our seclusion?

And that, my friends, is my philosophy for the day.

Final Word: New phone and increased social-anxiety? Yes, please! I so need GPS.

And The Award Goes To...

Slumdog swept it…Kate Winslet got what she’s been deserving…Sean Penn coolly triumphed over Mickey Rourke as he called us all “commie homo-loving sons-of-guns”…Penelope Cruz beat out her fierce competition and Heath Ledger’s family displayed impressive composure as they accepted his posthumous award while the entire audience wept.

In case you missed it, I think that’s all you need to know about last night’s Oscars. I’ll skip Hugh Jackman and that annoying Anne Hathaway. Although I should mention Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black’s eloquent acceptance speech, establishing equal rights for gays as the evening’s political theme.

So now that all the hype and speculation are reduced to the single list of winners, what we can continue to discuss is the fashion. Here are my personal best and worst:

Best-Dressed goes to Natalie Portman in Rodarte. This gown flawlessly hugged her petite frame. The design was youthful and sophisticated, glamorous but understated, much like the actress herself. The color was bright and unexpected yet completely appropriate. Hair and makeup were gorgeous, contributing to the overall perfection of the look.

Second in line is Angelina Jolie. When you are a goddess like Angie you do not have to do much, and with this look less is more. A simple black Elie Saab gown and oversized emerald accents from Lorraine Schwartz created the effortless, elegant ensemble.

Third goes to Penelope Cruz in vintage Balmain. With simple hair, makeup and accessories, she let the gown, which Tim Gunn called “a museum piece,” speak for itself. This is the type of piece that could wear the woman, but with unrivaled beauty and grace, Penelope owned the gown.Jessica Biel and Amanda Seyfried get worst-dressed for the same reason; both gorgeous girls covered up their enviable, youthful figures in ill-fitting yards of unflattering fabric.

Final Word: While great effort was taken to tone down the ceremony (or was it just slow it down?) the red-carpet still managed to maintain its glamour.

I Just Couldn’t Resist…

This probably isn’t even that funny, but for some reason it just provoked some serious laugh-out-loud laughter amongst me and my office mates. These poor girls, busting their asses at the Herve Leger show yesterday, see full pics on Jezebel (it's worth it).

I would like to say it’s not their fault; the skin-tight dresses, the six-inch platforms, even designer Max Azaria blamed the falls on the slick finish of the runway. But it just so happens that one of these girls also fell in the Prada Spring/Summer 09 show. So maybe it’s time to consider a different career path…

The poor thing looks like an under-fed Russian gymnast trying to stick a landing. Perhaps she was, thus enabling her to deliver the blunder with such grace. She picked herself right up, it could have been worse.

Final Word: Let’s just interpret this as the literal demise of the bandage dress. We’ve had enough, it’s very much time for it to tumble out-of-sight. Sorry ladies, that you had to be the victims.

Nailed to It

The New York Times featured an article this week titled “Let the Chips Fall Where they May.” The angle? How your manicures, and the nail business as a whole, will suffer due to the Recession. There were a few kill-yourself quotes in there like “when my nails are good, all is good in the world” coming from the senior events manager at none other than The Economist.

Now, you may know how we feel about the NYT tackling these types of topics. Although it’s technically a business story, it appears in the Style section and they attempt to deliver it with, well, style, but the result is severely lacking.

Where I have utmost respect for the paper (I’m actually loyal to the online version), they should stay away from these types of stories, much like I stay away from discussing the subprime mortgage market or Rwandan rebels.

Having said that, I feel entirely equipped to wax philosophical on the topic of manicures in a Recession.

The way I see it, we live in New York. There’s a $10 manicure on every corner and if you do your research you’ll find one that’s actually good. My go-to on 26th & 6th, which I believe is called NAILS, costs me $9.50 and doesn’t chip for a solid 5-7 days. I mean…if that’s not a bargain then I’m not sure what is.

Getting your nails did gives you that little extra pop in your step. That little extra fine tuning of your look. And whether you're Wicked, Winey Tiney, Ballet Slippers or French (ouch!), your nail selection is a subtle extension of your style. And for basically a dollar a day, should we really forgo that? Wow, I feel like Sally Struthers without the fly-face kids.

Final Word: Times are tough, but I can still afford a $10 manicure every 7-10 days and I imagine so can you. Don’t worry NAILS, you can count on me for biz. Especially with this new “Lacquered Up,” LOVE!

Polarizing Paltrow

Why do people hate Gwenyth Paltrow? Poor Ms. Paltrow has been in the news more than ever, not so much because of her new movie "2 Lovers" with Joaquin Phoenix, but because of her blog. Yes, for those of you who don't know, the former fiancee of Mr. Jolie has a blog. GOOP, as it is called, offers "personal" musings from Gwennie ranging from which detox fast she prefers (blueberry shakes with soy-marinated chicken) to which brand of faded gray tee she prefers (The Row) and has been a target of hate-mongers from the New York Post to New York magazine.

Here at the Blackberrie, we've been GOOP subscribers for weeks. Not counting how odd it is the normally holier-than-thou actress has a blog, we actually like it. Sorry! I mean, who doesn't want to know how she got those killer legs to rock those Stella and Balmain minis or which Rag & Bone tights she wears to take Apple to Hyde Park? We do!

The truth is, no matter how much you want to hate her, you want to know her secrets more. Just like you want to know where Sienna got her skinny jeans, just like you want to know which collection of Balenciaga Mary Kate's booties are from, we all want to know- they just never tell us...until now.  

But maybe we shouldn't even be surprised. Recently, at a party my brother threw, when I was expressing my shock to a friend that GP even had a blog, not to mention she is now launching a line of gyms with friend/guru Tracey Anderson, he knowingly retorted, "Why! She's just like one of us. She's a spoiled kid from New York with nothing to do. I mean, she went to Spence!" Huh. Point taken.

Final Word: Not counting the horrendous outfit above (Really Gwenyie? Really?), we ask the media to get off their high horse and stop hating so she can share more of her celeb-endorsed secrets...til then, soy sauced chicken for everyone.

See Scallops

This spring we can look forward to a new brand of romanticism that is refreshing and modern in the form of scalloped hems.  Unlike Liberty prints or chintzy floral, this new type of femininity flaunts chic minimalism with softer edges that exude a timeliness that only a laser cut could create.  For the Spring 2009 shows, both Chloe and Christopher Kane flaunted demi-circle ensembles in neutral shades of nude, peach and pink.  The combination of dusty pastels and spacey orbs lent the models an otherworldly air as if they might float off the runway.  

Final Word: One part whismy, one part wit they are the perfect combination for the modern girl. And what better time for the modern girl to test-drive this new look than on Valentines Day?

It's A Wrap

We love our designer collabs here at The Blackberrie, so try this one on for size. Our boy Alex Wang has teamed up with Proper Attire to create an exclusive line of condoms. Yes, condoms.

I am not exactly sure what goes into “designing” a condom, but if Mr. Wang applies his Midas touch then perhaps single gals will be more inclined to have them floating around in their purse. Actually, it would be quite an accomplishment if he could make that look chic, but that is the idea behind Proper Attire…

Anywoo, the line will debut at his Valentine’s Day show this weekend and will be available at 60 Thompson thereafter, proceeds will benefit Planned Parenthood.

Wang was quoted earlier in the week saying, "I used a spare design that felt sexy, modern and empowering; after all, women should always come first!”

Final Word: This boy always gives us what we want. If only the rest of the gender were so tuned in…

Addendum: We Heart Hearts

We know we did an item on hearts- the motif du jour for spring. But they just keep popping up! Our current favorite? Marc Jacobs' cut-out flats. What can we say? J'adorable!

Final Word: The fabulous flats are now available at Net A Porter for a mere $795, proving love actually does cost a thing.

Limelight's Twilight

Remember Limelight? Well, we do. That grotesque nightlife boite housed in a deconsecrated church on Sixth Avenue that played host to numerous debauched evenings of our youth, most notably the after-party of my senior prom, which incidentally was held at the World Trade Center (Yes, I’m aware of how shamelessly I dated myself.) The thing is, no matter how many late night hours we’ve logged in at the paltry pourhouse, we don’t remember when Limelight was actually cool. Always a bit seedy, always a bit cheesy, always a bit Avenue of the Americas, since its opening in 1983, it has become a relic of campy New York nightclub history joining the ranks of other loathed-but-loved clubs like Tunnel, The Roxy or the present-day Marquee.

To go to Limelight was to relive one of Jay McInerney’s novels. Often ripe with aging trannies, Bolivian Marching Powder and overzealous yuppies from the Upper East Side, even at the precocious age of sixteen, I knew I was seeing New York at its best worst. Even today’s Generation Y wanted a piece of the crumbling club with one of Gossip Girl’s rookie episodes featuring the disintegrating discoteque where Chuck Bass notoriously seals his bad boy image by attempting to date rape Jenny on Limelight's roof (Yeah, we also got over that.)



But New York has taken another turn for the worse by shutting down the legendary lewd nightspot in exchange for the reopening of the notoriously corny clubwear shop Lounge. Even the name elicits cringes. The boutique most known for their oppressively loud main stream house music, eurotrash customers making the pilgrimage to Soho and abundant collection of overly-ripped, low rise denim, seems to be flourishing in a time where most stores are closing. A sign of the apocalypse? We think so.

Final Word: Regardless of it less-than-stellar reputation, we still mourn the loss of Limelight. Now as we whiz up Sixth Ave instead of amorously watching aging B & T crowds peter out of the eroding landmark in the wee hours of the night drunk with rum and cokes and MDMA, we’ll have to see them shopping, in broad daylight. Ugh.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Yes, she has been a welcome wave of realism on reality shows “The Hills” and “The City.” And yes, her classic power-bitch one liners such as “truth isn’t always a shiny blue bird resting on your shoulder,” have begged us to ask “will someone give this woman her own show already?!?” but we weren’t really serious, were we?

Well, Bravo is, at least according to the NY Post. Kelly Cutrone, owner of fashion PR-firm People’s Revolution and occasional Whitney Port mentor & confidant has apparently “inked an eight episode deal with Bravo for a reality show based on her fashion PR company.”

I mean, she is a publicist, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist or even so much as a 22-year-old account assistant to figure out that this reality shit BRINGS YOU PRESS. I’m sure it’s the best idea for her company and her clients, but I am not so sure I can handle that mug for 30 straight minutes.

Final Word: Chew on that for a minute. At least until Cutrone comes in and spits you out.

Confessions of a (Semi) Reformed Chick Flick Hater

Last night I attended the premier of Confessions of a Shopaholic, hesitantly that is. The pre-pre-buzz ranged from “terrible” to “terribly timed” given our Recession (ista, if you must) climate.

For me, a perpetual hater of all things “chick”—chick flicks, chick lit—the idea of trekking to midtown in the literally freezing cold in a dress and high heels was both daunting and dreadful. But the thought of Isla Fisher was like a little ray of sunshine, so trek to midtown I did.

For Fisher, sunshine is an understatement. Much like Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods and Alicia Silverstone’s beloved Cher, Isla Fischer took a character that all girls could potentially hate and turned her into someone we’ll all indefinitely love.

Fisher, both adorable and hysterical, brought her trademark qualities to the character of Rebecca Bloomwood, creating an irresistible underdog you couldn’t help but laugh at and laugh with simultaneously.

Amongst a cast of veterans (Kristin Scott Thomas, John Goodman, Joan Cusack), heartthrobs (the dashingly handsome Brit, Hugh Dancy) and unexpected cameos (John Lithgow and Wendie Malick), Confessions of a Shopaholic was most definitely a one-woman show bound to launch Fisher to the lead ranks of female comediennes.

This should take her from an Anna Faris to a Kristen Wiig (ok, the latter is slightly untouchable, but you get my point). Overall, the reviews will be favorable for our little Isla…to be known no longer as Borat’s baby mama.

The film as a whole follows the cliché chick-flick course. Much like both Legally Blonde and Clueless, the female lead solves the problem, gets the guy, and over the course of the film realizes her initial goals were both materialistic and morally conflicting. So even though she gets what she thought she wanted, in this case a job at Alette magazine, she turns it down for the more sincere alternative.

For a film about shopping, the styling was questionable. But they certainly had fun with it. Each article of Bloomwood’s clothing looked like it was plucked from a different page of a Pantone book, and many articles there were, so it was quite the display of ROY G BIV.

But like the film itself, the clothes were bright, cheerful and optimistic. Not exactly what one would imagine from Bergdorf’s or YSL where several scenes were shot, but then again, her credit card bill was only $900 after leaving BG with several bags and boxes, so we’re not exactly fact-checking here.

Confessions of a Shopaholic was fun, light-hearted and enjoyable to watch. Contrary to some initial criticism, a film about shopping, debt and freeing yourself from it all is ironically appropriate when we’re all up to our eyeballs in Recession dread. It was the escapism we all could use a little dose of.

Final Word: Taking a cue from Rebecca Bloomwood, maybe I should do shots of tequila while reviewing my bills. It won’t decrease the bottom line, but it will increase the sense of humor attached to it all. And that’s a free-for-all commodity we can’t relinquish in these times. Having said that, who’s got the Patron? Umm…I mean, Cuervo.

Catch Phrases

Here at the Blackberrie, we've decided to implement a new "column" that dutifully notes new catch phrases of the zeitgeist. Since recession has kicked in, we've noticed people are little more witty with their words, which has led to quirky quips like "I die" or "J'adorable" (Thank you Rachel Zoe) Perhaps I'm just taking more notice of colloquialisms than clothing but these idioms have achieved such cult-status that it's no longer about the it-bag or it-shoe, it's about the it-phrase! Here are two of this week's favorites:

1. "Bean Up"
What: To get your daily dose of java
Where: Time Out, February 5-11 2009
How: "I'm headed over to Gorilla Coffee, it's where I bean up--they roast their beans strong."

2. "Magazining"
What: To browse through magazines with friends for inspiration
Where: New York Times, February 4, 2009
How: "She explained a pastime she calls 'magazining'- sitting on the couch with her friends and 'traveling' through the pages of Domino."

Final Word: Words are free, words are fun, and words are unlimited. We're looking forward to more catch phrases this year, post your new and noteworthy ones in our comments!