Dealblvd

The September Issue

dealblvd — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:06:50 +0000

Become an Ed Hardy Fashion Model

dealblvd — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:28:18 +0000

If you think you have the Ed Hardy look and want to win cash prizes and get free Ed Hardy Apparel, don’t miss your chance to enter the Ed Hardy Fashion Experience and Model Search at Lake of the Torches Resort Casino on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009.

Men and women who think they have the Ed Hardy look and want to win cash prizes and get free Ed Hardy apparel can’t miss their chance to enter the Ed Hardy Fashion Experience and Model Search at Lake of the Torches Resort Casino on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. You could be one of 12 models (10 female and 2 male) selected to showcase the latest in Ed Hardy apparel in a model contest to be held in the casino’s convention center preceding the King of the Cage “Strike Point” mixed martial arts event. The fashion experience is being sponsored by Lake of the Torches Resort Casino, King of the Cage and Ed Hardy Vintage Tattoo Wear By Christian Audigier.

The Ed Hardy clothing line was designed and launched in 2004 by French fashion icon Christian Audigier. He was granted the exclusive rights to the designs of Don Ed Hardy, considered the “Godfather of Tattoo.” Hardy’s artwork is known for its incorporation of Japanese aesthetic and technique into its design. Audigier not only built a fashion design, but a lifestyle upon Hardy’s art. Celebrities such as Madonna, Britney Spears, Kanye West, Bret Michaels and Jon Gosselin of Jon and Kate Plus Eight fame are frequently seen wearing Ed Hardy clothing.

“This will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for hot, sexy, young women and men in the region who’ve dreamed of having their chance at stardom to compete at this live model search. Representatives from Ed Hardy Clothing will be flying out from Los Angeles to oversee the show and they will be looking for their next big star. While there are no guarantees that a model from this contest will become an official Ed Hardy Clothing model, dreams really can come true and you’ll never know if you can make it unless you come forward and show what you’ve got,” said Lake of the Torches’ director of marketing Michael J. Broderick.

All models selected to compete in the fashion experience are guaranteed to receive a $150 stipend for the event, at least one piece of Ed Hardy apparel, and a pair of VIP tickets to the King of the Cage “Strike Point” MMA show that night. The top four models judged at the experience with receive prizes of $750, $500, $250 and $100 in cash accordingly and in addition will receive a complete Ed Hardy outfit. Judges will include representatives of Ed Hardy Vintage Tattoo Wear as well as surprise celebrities of T.V., sports, business, and the big screen.

Anyone interested in participating and competing in the event as a model in the Ed Hardy Fashion Experience should send both a head shot and full body shot (front and back) with their name, date of photographs, contact information with phone number and address, and date of birth to Michael J. Broderick, Director of Marketing or Leana Schlecht, marketing Manager. The images can be e-mailed to mbroderick@ldfcasino.com or sent to Lake of the Torches/Ed Hardy Fashion Experience, c/o Michael J. Broderick or Leana Schlecht, 510 Old Abe Road, Lac du Flambeau, WI 54538. Images sent by mail or E-mail must be postmarked by September 30th, 2009 in order to be considered. Models will be contacted if they are selected to appear in the fashion experience. All models must be at least 18 years of age. All images sent by mail will not be returned.

About Lake of the Torches Resort Casino:
Situated on the shores of Pokegama Lake and nestled in Wisconsin’s Northwoods, the Lake of the Torches Resort Casino has a feel of a classic Northern retreat and reflects its Ojibwe culture and heritage. The casino has over 800 slot machines (including a non-smoking area), 12 blackjack tables and three poker tables, a high-stakes Bingo Hall seating up to 500 persons, the 24-hour Game Time Grill and the Eagle’s Nest Restaurant. The hotel has 101 well–appointed rooms, the Dancing Waters Lounge and the Woodland Oasis pool area. The 8,500 square-foot Convention Center with the Hall of Nations offers an outstanding venue for entertainment, receptions, trade shows, meetings, presentations and seminars.
More information on upcoming events at Lake of the Torches is available at www.lakeofthetorches.com.

About Ed Hardy:
Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier is a clothing brand based in Los Angeles. Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier is a leading name in both men’s and women’s fashion internationally today offers the most hip and appealing lines of tattoo art-on-fashion clothing and accessory designs, including Asian snakes, dragons and tigers. Today’s consumer will easily be noticed by all of his or her friends wearing any of Ed Hardy’s iconic and famous skull tattoo wear. The company is just over 5 years old and can be found in 600 stores within the United States alone. Ed Hardy clothing can be seen in movies, magazine, videos and worn by the who’s who of Hollywood, music and sports. More information about Ed Hardy™ is available at http://www.donedhardy.com

via PRWEB

Record-setting denim donation to help homes hit by disasters

dealblvd — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:31:42 +0000

More than 33,000 items of old denim — jeans, hats and jackets — were sent to Washington in a recycling effort that will benefit disaster-struck homes, officials said.

National Geographic Kids magazine encouraged readers to donate their old denim instead of throwing it away.

The resulting 33,088 pieces of denim clothing set a world record, verified Wednesday by a representative from Guinness World Records, according to the magazine’s blog.

The thousands of pairs of jeans, which are on display at Union Station for two weeks, will be turned into housing insulation for homes affected by natural disasters. According to the magazine, there will be enough material to provide insulation for 60 houses.

The jeans will be turned over to Cotton Inc., which collects used denim for natural fiber insulation made without carcinogens or chemical irritants. Paula Rosario, vice president of consumer marketing for the company, said that the new record “certainly attests to the civic-mindedness of today’s children.”

The ceremony unveiling the denim display also honored 9-year-old Erek Hansen, who collected nearly 1,700 jeans. The elementary school student from Curtice, Ohio, said that his friends and classmates “were happy to help the environment.”

Hansen donated five pairs of his own outgrown jeans. The display also includes a pair from actor Ben Stiller.

via CNN

Do it Yourself: Denim iPhone Case!

dealblvd — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:25:04 +0000

Go to Instructables for full details on how to make your own DIY Denim iPhone Case.

Skinny jeans still rule the premium denim market

dealblvd — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:10:46 +0000

Some say there aren’t enough imaginative ideas in the category, but the ever-present skinny is still very popular — and usually expensive.

A major factor in the success of premium denim has been its ability to spark trends — big ideas in silhouettes and washes that eventually trickle down to the mass retailers of the world.

Still, some L.A. retailers say there aren’t enough imaginative ideas surfacing within the category. Fraser Ross, owner of the Kitson stores, said the big premium brands tend to copy each other — resulting in a glut of the same styles. “Everyone did the ripped, bleached and tie-dye thing for fall,” he said.

For fall, and even spring 2010, most of L.A.’s premium players are pushing the same two silhouettes: the ubiquitous skinny jean and the low-slung baggy (often rolled) boyfriend-fit jean that debuted a few seasons ago.

“What we’ve seen is skinny become mass now,” said Marc Crossman of Joe’s Jeans, adding that the brand’s boyfriend jean will be slimmed down slightly for fall.

At J Brand, the skinny is losing weight. “There’s a real turn toward [denim] leggings in the industry — having a super-sleek silhouette,” said Susie Crippen, co-founder and creative director, who designed a stretchy jeans legging for fall in a super lightweight denim with a 10-inch leg opening.

“Skinnies are still so strong,” said Colin Dyne, president and chief executive officer of premium denim and sportswear brand William Rast. “And the men’s business has turned into a straight-leg business [as opposed to boot-cut.]“

The brand, co-founded by Justin Timberlake, will lengthen the rise on women’s skinnies — making them slightly more body-friendly — and is experimenting with metal studding and other low-key embellishments for fall and holiday.

“Skinny, for us, will always be who we are,” said Michael Ball of Rock & Republic. “I’m not really into the whole baggy thing.”

Skinny styles remain red-hot in urban markets despite the fact that they flatter only a small segment of the population. Look inside any American high school and you’ll see bodies of all sizes stuffed into stretch-denim skinny jeans.

In L.A. — a city awash in willowy physiques — the narrow silhouette is rivaled only by the boyfriend.

L.A.-based TV writer Shawn Simmons, who wears straight-leg Levi’s exclusively, said he has “no idea what premium denim is,” but added that his wife, Christine, buys skinny and boyfriend jeans from Barneys New York (which largely stocks premium brands). The couple buys denim for their 2-year-old son, Flynn, at Lucky Brand, where kids’ jeans can range up to $69, but are often on sale for half that.

Premium denim fan Michelle Dalton Tyree, founder and president of L.A. public relations firm Blab Communications, wears skinny J Brand jeans religiously, though this summer she’s been mixing the fitted pant with boyfriend-fit jeans from Current/Elliott, “which get ‘oohs’ from other women, but snickers from the older crowd who shake their heads in confusion about how much I’ve paid [around $230] to have holes in my jeans,” she said.

But Tyree isn’t about to invest heavily in pricey kids’ jeans for her 6-year-old daughter Layla — she scours mid-priced stores including the Gap for cute styles.

“Layla recently fell in love with a very hip little pair of jeans at Oilily and I splurged because they were funky, cool and, yes, on sale,” she said. “As much as I love fashion, I can’t bring myself to spend $140 on a pair of jeans for a 6-year-old.”

via LA TIMES

Katie Holmes……Fashion Designer?

dealblvd — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:41:37 +0000

Katie Holmes can dress Suri as cute as a button – but what about the rest of us?

Tom Cruise’s high-profile wife is whipping up her own fashion label with her stylist, Jeanne Yang, to debut this fall exclusively at high-end boutique Maxfield in Los Angeles, WWD reports.

The Holmes & Yang premium designer line will include women’s wear inspired by Holmes’ own classic sense of style, plus a children’s line modeled after her trend-setting tot.

Holmes & Yang have already collaborated on a couple of designs, including the white strapless jumpsuit Holmes wore last year to the premiere of “All My Sons” on Broadway that scored mixed reviews.

This is the latest in the many hats Holmes has worn, from an acclaimed turn on Broadway to running the New York City Marathon and hoofing a cameo on “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Perhaps a turn on designer reality shows “Project Runway” or “Top Design” isn’t far behind?

via NYDailyNews

“Harvard Yard” by Harvard University

dealblvd — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:51:54 +0000

In the fashion universe, the news from Verus Group was not exactly earth-shattering: It was launching a collection of high-end men’s sportswear named Harvard Yard, under license from Harvard University. But last week, the news took on a life of its own, dividing the blogosphere into those who either love or hate the slim-cut preppy collection inspired by a New England collegiate look circa 1962.

The story went from Women’s Wear Daily, a trade publication, to the New York magazine’s fashion blog “The Cut,’’ and 24 hours later, news of the Harvard Yard fashion collection blossomed into a viral blog sensation. Yesterday the search term “Harvard Yard clothing’’ brought up more than 300,000 hits on Google.

It became the fare of late-night comedy: Jimmy Fallon chaffed, “Harvard University is launching a new clothing line called Harvard Yard. . . . Of course the clothes are really hard to get into, unless your father wears them first.’’

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton posted pictures of models wearing the clothes and crowed, “Harvard University launches fashion line, confuses everyone.’’ The Chronicle of Higher Education joked: “My khakis went to Harvard.’’

All the attention has taken Verus by surprise. “We were completely unprepared, and not expecting this kind of reaction,’’ said Verus Group spokeswoman Lisa Silhanek. “I’m truly gobsmacked.’’

Not all of that reaction, however, has been humorous.

“I’m not sure who it’s going to appeal to,’’ said Tyler Thoreson, executive editor of the GQ magazine website www.men.style.com. “I think the basic idea is that the clothes will appeal to people who want to at least dress like they went to Harvard. Maybe they’re hoping to sell the idea of a Harvard lifestyle. But it’s not going to appeal to trendsetters.’’

Regardless of what people are saying about it, it’s the kind of free advertising that executives could only dream about.

“I think it’s always easy to have a negative reaction,’’ said Jeffrey Wolf, executive vice president of Verus’s parent company, Wearwolf Group. “To have that kind of reaction when people haven’t seen the product and haven’t seen the line strikes me as strange. But good or bad, any press is good press.’’

Some of the blog posts have joked that Harvard is licensing the name Harvard Yard to help enhance its endowment. But the money from this licensing deal will instead be used for undergraduate financial aid, said Rick Calixto, director of the Harvard Trademark Program. The university would not disclose the amount it received in the deal.

“Actually, this is not really something different or new for the university since Harvard has always licensed a wide range of apparel products around the world, including upscale apparel items, and has always viewed the licensing of upscale items as a part of Harvard’s overall apparel licensing program,’’ Calixto said in an e-mail.

The Harvard Yard line will arrive in stores next spring with shirts selling for $160 and up, pants starting at $195, and blazers selling for $495. Eventually the company plans to add women’s wear to the mix. None of the Harvard Yard clothing actually bears a Harvard logo. The clothes have subtle touches to show their pedigree, such as crimson stitching around buttonholes. Shirts, sweaters, and jackets are also named for buildings on campus and streets in Cambridge.

The idea of Harvard lending its name to an upscale clothing line makes perfect sense to Ari Bloom, a recent graduate of Harvard Business School and past president of the school’s Retail and Apparel Club who now works as an adviser to emerging brands at Launch Collective in New York.

“Harvard has been licensing its name to many brands in many different categories,’’ Bloom said. “But it’s nice to have something that’s a bit younger and stylish. Let’s face it: If I wanted to get a Harvard necktie before I graduated, I could find plenty that were as thick as my head and not very stylish. My route was to take them to a tailor and ask them to make them skinnier so it would be more stylish.’’

Details magazine fashion director Michael Macko said Verus was wise to license the Harvard name. “Harvard plays a very special role in American culture,’’ Macko said. “It’s a name that is known all over the world. I also think this is something that a lot of guys would wear. From what I’ve seen, the clothes look well-made. They also have a 1950s and early 1960s look, which is a big trend for fall that’s continuing into spring.’’

via Boston.com

‘Seventeen’ dresses up iPhone fashion finder app

dealblvd — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:43:05 +0000

Teen-focused fashion and beauty magazine Seventeen announced an agreement with digital shopping services provider NearbyNow to introduce Seventeen Fashion Finder, a branded app for Apple’s iPhone platform. The free application enables users to search for fashions by product (jeans, tops, bags and shoes), by trend (rocker, boho, classic and girly) or by price point. The app then checks availability and reserves desired products at nearby retailers. According to Seventeen, the app also exploits “social shopping” trends, enabling consumers to review fashions and share them with friends–content will be refreshed on a monthly basis and will include a selection of fashion and beauty products chosen by the current Seventeen celebrity cover model, beginning with actress/singer Selena Gomez, featured on the magazine’s September issue.

Seventeen reaches more than 13 million readers every month–in addition to its U.S. flagship, the Hearst-owned magazine publishes 15 editions around the world.

via FMC

Obama debuts on Vanity Fair Best-Dressed List

dealblvd — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:18:59 +0000

Vanity Fair’s Amy Fine Collins told Meredith Vieira the first ladies of the U.S. and France share some common characteristics: “They are both young, in their 40s; tall, good-looking, and the world is watching,” she said. But while Bruni-Sarkozy was a supermodel before rising to political prominence, it’s Michelle Obama who would win any popularity contest.

In the best-dressed voting, which takes in ballots from some 2,000 fashion movers and shakers, Michelle “got more votes than any other person this year or any year — she’s that popular,” Collins told Vieira.

“She has brought back the dress, she has turned the planet into her runway without even meaning to,” Collins said. “She loves showing her arms and her legs, which is a bit refreshing.”

Michelle Obama often finds her wardrobe as much talked about as her husband’s domestic and foreign policies in mixing off-the-rack J. Crew fashion with prestigious designer labels. And that, Collins says, is her secret: “She goes high, she goes low. She’s very interested in American designers, but she’s not provincial. She has a good sense of color and pattern. It’s a strong, consistent and distinctive look.”

But while Michelle may be a no-brainer, her husband’s being named to a best-dressed list might be considered an upset of sorts. Just last month, Obama was chided for wearing well-worn, high-waisted jeans in throwing out the first pitch at the major league baseball All-Star Game, to which he nonchalantly replied, “I’m a bit frumpy.”

But it was that devil-may-care fashion attitude that placed him on the list, says Collins.

“He has such a natural ease and elegance,” Collins told Vieira. “He’s completely comfortable in his own skin. He is very much in the tradition of American classic dressers, but relaxed. You just watch the way he rolls up his sleeves and you can see how much he cares about the way he looks, but not too much.”

Here is the Full List:

INTERNATIONAL BEST-DRESSED LIST: MEN
TIKI BARBER, NBC correspondent, founder of Tiki Ventures
ARPAD BUSSON, financier
DANIEL CRAIG, actor
MATTEO MARZOTTO, entrepreneur, chairman to ENIT (the Italian state tourist board)
BARACK OBAMA, president of the United States
OGDEN PHIPPS II, private-equity investor
BRAD PITT, actor
ROO ROGERS, environmental entrepreneur, co-founder of OZOlab
ALEJANDRO SANTO DOMINGO, investor
CY TWOMBLY, artist

INTERNATIONAL BEST-DRESSED LIST: WOMEN
CHIARA CLEMENTE, filmmaker
PENÉLOPE CRUZ, actress
KATHY FRESTON, writer
AGNES GUND, president emerita of MoMA
ANNE HATHAWAY, actress
ALICIA KEYS, singer, songwriter, actress
H.R.H. PRINCESS LETIZIA OF ASTURIAS
KELLY RIPA, co-host of Live! with Regis and Kelly
H.H. SHEIKHA MOZAH OF QATAR, wife of H.H. the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, UNESCO special envoy for basic and higher education
LIZZIE TISCH, private banker

via: MSNBC

Max Azria and Miley Cyrus

dealblvd — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:13:44 +0000

No, you didn’t misread the title. One of fashion’s living legends has indeed paired up with Disney’s tween queen for a new clothing line available now at Wal-Mart.

Azria, the mastermind behind star-favorite labels BCBG, BCBGirls, and Herve Leger, clearly saw an opportunity to reach mainstream America here, saying, “We saw an opportunity to … introduce our designs to a much broader audience.” He also noted, “Miley Cyrus is talented and approachable, so working with her sparked a line that is authentic and vibrant.”

Chances are that Cyrus was also more than happy to work with Wal-Mart, who happens to be one of the biggest sponsors for her upcoming fall tour. (What do we think are the odds that she won’t be wearing these pieces every night on stage??)

Plaid shirts, stirrup pants, screen print tees and vests appear to comprise most of the junior’s collection, and prices are all under $20, true to Wal-Mart form. Accessories and shoes are also available.

So, what should you buy? I advise you to, most importantly, stay away from the bright lavender leopard print leggings (where was Azria on this one?). Instead, if you must, pick up the chiffon ruffle blouse ($12) or a pintuck tank ($8).

Check out walmart.com, as selection and quantities are limited in stores.

Above: pintuck tank in yellow, high-waisted denim shorts, chiffon ruffle blouse in blue, and the woven buffalo-plaid tunic.

All photos (C) Wal-Mart.

Story: via Examiner.com