Project Runway... wait, it's The Fashion Show... wait, What?!

So I don't know what it is - sour grapes or just Bravo trying to prove they know how to make a must-see reality series (because, I love it, but that's all Bravo is now-a-days), but their new show "The Fashion Show" seems almost identical to "Project Runway." An April 22 NY Daily News article said that the lawsuit between NBC Universal and the producers of Project Runway was settled and the show would be making its move to Lifetime and LA and debuting season six in August of this year.

Well Bravo has seemed to move on by creating The Fashion Show. According to the website it's got 15 designers (so did Project Runway) all competing to have their designs sold in a retail market (so did Project Runway - with Bluefly.com). It doesn't sound like these newbies have the chance to see their designs in New York fashion week - too bad.

Over on the west coast (presuming The Fashion Show will be filmed in NY) the new cast of the black sheep of Bravo will be relocating to that town where LC got famous on The Hills, probably competing for a spot in LA fashion week. And I can bet you more than what's in my wallet that it's not hosted by Heidi 'aufedersein' Klum and Tim 'make it work' Gunn.

To be honest, I'll probably watch both shows, but I doubt Isaac Mizrahi/Kelly Rowland and Los Angeles will hold a candle to the old times watching contestants getting "auf'd."

Beachy keen

A recent post on Fashionista sparked my interest. It was about beach makeup and the writer wondered what kind of woman needed to wear makeup to the beach, she thought only women uncomfortable in their own skin would do such things. The clear answer, at least in my opinion, is all women - so long as their face is equipped with makeup that has sunscreen.

Last fall Neutrogena came out with a new liquid, mineral foundation. Fortunately for me it was about the same time I ran out of my over-priced, can't-even-remember-the-name-of-it, department store foundation and decided to try something new. As a college student I'm out the in sun quite a bit between classes, and, thanks to genes from my dad, have a naturally oily t-zone. The then-new Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Liquid Makeup SPF 20 was the perfect solution. Needless to say, I snatched it up right quick and was incredibly happy with my new drug store, liquid, mineral foundation. It keeps my face clear and sun burn-free. The foundation pumps right onto a foundation brush that can compete with any line of designer makeup brushes - and that you automatically replace every time you buy a new bottle! Until something even more genius than this comes along, I know what I'm sticking with.


My biggest pet peeve about liquid foundation, however, is that it can leave your face looking unnatural (I don't care if you're a makeup artist trying to prove me wrong, I'm sticking to my guns here). Anytime a woman applies a liquid foundation it needs to be followed by powder. Another pet peeve, though, is when the powder is too light for the skin - something that happens far too often. It just takes away from the natural warmth any face has! Instead of a loose or pressed powder that would usually follow liquid foundation I opt for bronzer. A very light veil does the trick: it keeps the face looking clean and one-tone, while adding the natural warmth missing when you use any other powder. I've tried several bronzers and landed on Jane Iredale So-Bronze 2. It has two shades that when swept up on a brush together create a magnificent warmth and glow that looks healthy and natural all year long.



Now, using a foundation with SPF and finishing it with a bronzer, keeps skin protected at the beach - or out shopping - while still looking completely natural. Visit the same beach as the chick who wrote that one article for Fashionista and I'll bet she'll wonder how you got your skin to look so good, because you'll like you're not wearing any makeup at all. Dab on a little bit of cherry chapstick (also with SPF) and you're good to go.

For the love of Toms

It's no secret that I am a fan of Toms. They're comfortable shoes for a good cause and the new DIY canvas shoe.

Back in the day everyone was buying chuck taylors in white and being their own designer. Teen Vogue featured teens who were ultra creative with their chucks and other teen mags showcased easy to DIY designs.

Nowadays chucks are still big, but there's a new kid on the block. Toms mold to your feet and feel like socks, but let everyone know that you care about kids in Africa. And now they're fun to draw on, too! While you can buy them in a full spectrum of colors and sequins and, well, designs, you can also buy them in white. They probably won't stay white for long though. One boutique in Waco, Harts N Crafts, will take your white Toms and paint them like Easter eggs. Literally. One of the designs looks like an Easter egg. Take your Toms in and get them tie-dyed, splatter-painted, or done however you want.

Spring has sprung at Forever 21

I know I've called them out before, but Forever 21 is a retailer that will always be dependable for copying designers. In the past I knocked F21 for this, for good reason, but when a design is tastefully adapted for a different price strata (i.e. no blatant ripping-off of a look) with a varied cut/color/pattern/etc. it can be a good thing. Here are a few examples of F21 being a fashion good-guy rather than grand-theft fashion.

Michael Kors SS2009 look 16
Chloe SS 2009 look 34
Lanvin SS 2009 look 22Jason Wu SS 2009 look 5

FGI Dallas - design symposium

Fashion Group International is an incredible organization, and one of the great things they do is offer a career day for students in fashion merchandising and fashion design. It's a day full of keynote speakers and seminars that culminates in a fashion show filled with designs submitted by attending students. Some 700 or more designs were submitted and about, gosh, 300 or more showcased in the afternoon show at the Dallas Market Center. As the good blogger and journalist I am, I showed up with my camera at the ready. Some pictures turned out too blurry to post, others were just sad (the designs, not the actual photograph). Some of the designs seemed to come from Project Runway-esque challenges (a coffee filter dress... been done) and others just seemed to copy what has come down the runway in New York or Paris. Here are some of the best non-winning designs my camera could capture. Disclaimer: these five shots are a combination of my favorites and the most innovative and the best non-motion blur. And yes, the first look was made out of party ribbons - I love it!




Here are the winners, some with their designer, others without. There were probably more winners than this, however due to where I was seated, the pictures may have been blocked by awards presenters and other people on the runway. Enjoy!

My own personal Coaching

When I began my love (and collection) of Coach purses it was all about the conspicuous consumption. I was more focused on letting people know that I had a Coach purse that I failed to realize how gaudy the "C" pattern could be. In fact, and prepare to be appalled, my first Coach purchase was a camel "C" pattern tote with fuschia suede. I know what you're thinking, but I was young, naive and just too excited to get my first designer purse that I didn't think it completely through. I've evolved from that first Coach acquisiton. Next was a more subtle, but still emblazoned with the recognized pattern, and also still had suede, but was more tasteful (although in soft pink it's a bitch to clean). Most recently, however, I found a wonderful leather wallet from Coach (compliments of le beau). Here is a pictorial view of my evolution in Coach.

In the beginning


Then this came along


And my new love

As my taste has gotten better I've become more appreciative of what Coach was first designed as in 1944: a leatherware brand. As far as their new collection of Bonnie bags go, I'm not the biggest fan and will probably hold off until next season to find something to-die-for, but the new Bonnie Leather Convertible, $458, is nice.