Uniqlo flagship store to come, 5th Ave at 53rd St.

Opening on Friday, October 14, the Fifth Avenue location (at the southwest corner of 53rd St.) will be the Japanese retailer’s largest global flagship store.  Yes, Fifth Avenue has plenty of flagship stores, but Uniqlo will be a great addition to It Books’s little stretch of the avenue, saving us from Hollister/Gap/H&M fatigue.  Come the holidays, tourists will no doubt choke up the sidewalks even more, but I for one am happy to have another mid-market shop.  And it’s always nice to see an empty store front find a new store to call it “home”!

NEW YORK, NY (August 4, 2011) – It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced today that it has acquired Born to Be Brad: Life and Style Lessons from the Front Lines of Fashion, by TV and fashion personality Brad Goreski. The publication of the book will coincide with Goreski’s premiere season on BRAVO’s “It’s a Brad, Brad World,” produced by Shed Media and Television 360, in 2012.

Lisa Sharkey, Senior Vice President and Director of Creative Development at HarperCollins, acquired North American rights for It Books from Farley Chase of the Waxman Literary Agency. Amy Bendell will edit the book. Collaborating with Goreski is writer Mickey Rapkin, former editor at GQ and author of Pitch Perfect (2008), now in development from Universal Pictures.

Fans know Brad Goreski as a top celebrity stylist, fashion trendsetter, and the fun-loving former assistant to Rachel Zoe, but few know the story of how he got there. The book will recount Goreski’s childhood in Port Perry, Ontario, where he escaped the taunts of bullies by reading fashion magazines, performing in the local children’s theater group and playing stylist to Barbie. Moving to Toronto and landing an internship, and later a job at Vogue, helped him break into the competitive fashion world and eventually capture the hearts of millions as the quirky and endearing assistant on BRAVO’s The Rachel Zoe Project. Along with the moving story of his road to success, he will offer a glimpse into his world now, filled with insider access to behind-the-scenes photo shoots and the countless red carpets and awards shows. And of course, the book will also feature his fashion advice and style tips and tricks, complete with color photos.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be working with the creative team at It Books and to tell my story to my fans. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is be true to yourself. I hope that Born to be Brad will inspire others to pursue their dreams, because to make dreams come true we have to listen to our hearts and not be afraid to fail,” said Brad Goreski.
“There’s no one out there like Brad, and this book will be as unique and creative as the style trendsetter Brad has become. Fans everywhere will be empowered by his moving life story, and entertained by his wit,” said Lisa Sharkey.

About It Books: Launched in September 2009, It Books is dedicated to publishing exceptional books in entertainment, music, fashion, design, art, celebrity, pop culture and sports. It Books has published numerous New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestsellers including the # 1 New York Times bestsellers Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern and Red by Sammy Hagar as well as Getting the Pretty Back by MollyRingwald, Booky Wook 2 by Russell Brand, The Red Hot Chili Peppers by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead by Neil Strauss, All My Life by Susan Lucci and The EveryGirl’s Guide to Life by Maria Menounos. Upcoming publications include Dear Cary by Dyan Cannon and Beauty, Disrupted by Carré Otis. It Books is an imprint HarperCollins Publishers, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). It Books can be found online at www.YourItList.com, www.Facebook.com/YourItList, www.Twitter.com/YourItList and www.Twitter.com/ItBooks.

Matchbook

“From lipstick to letterpress, gelato to grosgrain, and Paris to Peru, consider us your field guide to a charmed life.”

—Matchbook Magazine

Their monthly issues offer everything from history to style to interviews—for instance, their most recent issue mixes a Dorothy Parker bio, Anna Sui’s secrets to a charmed life, and an Amelia Earhart-inspired style spread. But best of all—at least in my mind—they love books. You can’t go five pages without bumping into a review, or an interview about what people are reading, or a beautiful pile of books stacked in the corner of a style spread. As they say on their site intro, “The Matchbook Girl…received an iPad for her birthday, but will never give up her library card.” Now that’s a lifestyle I can get behind!

Check them out at www.matchbookmag.com.

To celebrate the paperback publication of Molly Ringwald’s Getting the Pretty Back, here are her top 10 staples every closet should have:

1) JEANS: “The best thing to do is determine your body type and match the jeans accordingly.”

2) BLACK CASHMERE TURTLENECK: “A black turtleneck looks chic under a trench (a favorite combination of mine – very Yves Saint Laurent) and can also dress down beautifully under a casual jean jacket.”

3) HERMES SCARF: “There is nothing better for style or function than a silk Hermes scarf.”

4) WRAPAROUND DRESS: “It’s nice to have one dress that you can wear no matter what and still feel beautiful and sexy.”

5) TRENCH COAT: “The trench is a wonderful piece to take you from season to season, and of course it never goes out of style.”

6) HANDBAG: “Choose wisely. After all, this is something that you will be carrying every day.”

7) T-SHIRTS: “They are necessary for layering and can also just be worn on their own.”

8) A NUDE HEEL: “A nude heel really does extend the leg, much more than a darker shade.”

9) BLACK BLAZER: “Something that always makes your outfit look sharper is a well-fitting black blazer. I particularly love the tuxedo. A black blazer can make you look more finished.”

10) LINGERIE: “Beautiful underwear is the ultimate morale booster; it’s like walking around with a wonderful secret.”

I realized my love for Marchesa this week when the fashion-forward Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl wore a stunning metalic dress to a Valentine’s Party.

Giovanni Rufino/The CW

My Favorite Red Carpet Marchesa Looks:

Olivia Wilde at the 2011 Golden Globes

Getty Images

Sandra Oh at the 2009 Emmy Awards

Jason Merritt/Getty

Reese Witherspoon at the 2008 Country Music Awards

Getty Images

Lucy Liu at the 2010 Tony Awards

Marchesa

Sandra Bullock at the 2010 Academy Awards

Getty Images

 Vera Farmiga at the 2010 Academy Awards

Getty Images

And here’s a peak at my favorites from the Fall 2011 collection:

Photos: Amanda De Simone / GoRunway.com

What are you favorite Marchesa looks?

BEST

Jennifer Lopez — Because who doesn’t love a hot Latina mama dressed as a disco ball? Seriously, she is too hot not to include. Damn, girl! (Wearing Emilio Pucci)

Selena Gomez — Nice to see the Disney crew all grown up. She looks impeccable without being overdone. (Wearing J. Mendel)

Lea Michelle — As much as her bubbly personality, immense talents, and unimaginable successes rub me the wrong way, Lea Michelle looks fab. (Wearing Romona Keveza)

Julianna Hough — Great pattern and a very flattering cut for her. She looks young and fun! (Wearing Malandrino)

WORST

Ciara – Just no. It looks like she’s auditioning for the role of Wonder Woman. (Wearing Pucci)

Hayley Williams — I love Paramore and this alterna girl’s look. But last night? Something went wrong, very wrong…  (Wearing Jeremy Scott)

Natasha Bedingfield — There’s a lot going on with this dress: floral pattern, beading, and sheer. Too much, in fact. And her pinned up ’20s hairstyle doesn’t help. (Wearing Abed Mahfouz)

Jordin Sparks — She’s young and beautiful So why does she look stiff and dowdy in all that satin? Plus, its wrinkled! (Wearing Zang To)

OTHER

Rihanna — She’s beautiful, and often on the cutting edge of style. And yet, here we are looking at what appears to be a toothpase Halloween costume. (Wearing Jean Paul Gaultier)

Rotating shoe display

GIANT shoe wall sculpture

Cascading shoe sculpture

Located on 59th Street and Lexington Avenue, the store carries a variety of brands within the Jones Apparel Group, including: Nine West, Rachel Roy, Anne Klein, Joan & David, Chelsea Crew, and more. They also stock beautiful bags, purses, and scarves. The selection is well-edited and the staff is extremely friendly. I sincerely recommend checking out this or any of their eight U.S. locations.

And if you’re wondering if I found shoes to take home with me yesterday, I did! I found the perfect black boots in my size AND on sale. Game, set, match.

I’ve already written about the fur-bulous SpiritHoods that have been popping up all over the place, and now it seems the outrageous animal trend is here to stay. On New Years Eve, rapper Lil’ Wayne was the first celebrity to sport the product of designer Jeremy Scott’s collaboration with Adidas: sneakers with an entire teddy bear on top. Including arms. These kicks come in pink for the ladies and a light brown for the guys, and will retail for $328 when they hit stores this Spring. While at first I thought the shoes childish, at second glance I realize these shoes are actually ridiculous cool, as long as they are worn with a heavy sprinkling of attitude.  

Animals are also trotting their way onto bathing suits, as evidenced by the “We Are Handsome” one-pieces worn by Diane Kruger and Rihanna recently. Both ladies rocked the Amazon panther-print, but you can also chose from the Arabia horse-print and Yosemite eagle-print styles. All available at Net-A-Porter for about $375. I would personally love to hit the beach with these festive suits. 

 What do you think – will you say “yay” or “neigh” to this animal trend???

The Cross Armor Body Chain, $198

Ashley Tisdale

The Chainmaille Body Chain, $225

The Chandelier Body Chain, $175

The White Body Chain, $150

Amanda Thomas also designs necklaces, rings, and bracelets,  but her body chains are truly stunning. What do you think – would you rock this style??