Reality HUNGER GAMES: Meet Your Gamemaker
Hello Katniss Everdeen! This week’s Entertainment Weekly revealed our first look at Oscar-nominee Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, the beloved heroine of Suzanne Collins’s bestselling book The Hunger Games.
They nailed it. Stunning good 
looks. Awesome warrior braid. A sense of longing behind her scary death eyes. All check.
For the uninitiated, The Hunger Games is the story of a not-too-distant dystopian future where children (called tributes) are forced to compete in a yearly, nationally televised arena death match. In publishing speak it is a little The Giver meets The Most Dangerous Game meets Gladiator.
But maybe a major blockbuster film is just the wrong way to go here. Call me a little morbid [sick? unbalanced? ], but I know what would speed up the production timeline AND bump up the entertainment factor…turning The Hunger Games into the greatest REALITY TELEVISION show ever. (A reality show based on a book with a death match reality show at its core—so meta, right?)
So move over Lenny Kravitz and Stanley Tucci, here’s my all-star reality cast. Remember, in the end there can be only one victor.
Let The Reaping begin.
Tribute: Padma Lakshmi
District: Top Chef
Mentor: Katniss Everdeen
Training Notes: She can pretty it up for the cameras, but this fire starter will destroy you for undercooking that scallop. She eats brains, ears, and livers for breakfast…who’s to say she won’t eat yours? Weapon/Skill: Knife throwing
Tribute: Richard Hatch
District: Survivor
Mentor: Haymitch Abernathy
Training Notes: This guy basically invented alliances. While your mom was cheering for that plucky runner-up chick, Richard was playing all sides and was doing it naked. Weapon/Skill: Manipulation
Tribute: Richard Blais
District: Top Chef
Mentor: Peeta Mellark
Training Notes: Dude looks like a lump of bread dough (tears, always second guessing his choice of protein?!) but deep down he’s got what it takes to send the competition to the garbage disposal of life. (Plus he clearly hearts Padma and alliances help in the arena.) Weapon/Skill: Knowledge of edible plants and liquid nitrogen
Tribute: Nigel Barker
District: America’s Next Top Model
Mentor: Gale Hawthorne
Training Notes: First he’s telling you to “smile with your eyes” then BAM your cast out like Tyra’s old extensions. Don’t let the tall, handsome, British act fool you—world-renowned photographer Nigel Barker is a killer lone wolf. Weapon/Skill: Charm and general badassedness
Tribute: Mondo Guerra
District: Project Runway
Mentor: Prim Everdeen
Training Notes: Lovable, kind, funny—Mondo seems like a bit of an underdog here in a dystopian death match. But don’t count him out. This scissor-wielding crowd favorite has an ax to grind after losing Project Runway. Speaking of…has anyone seen Gretchen lately? Weapon/skill: Camouflage
Tributes: Snookie and The Situation, Speidi, the Kardashian sisters
District: The Jersey Shore, The Hills, Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Mentors: The Career Pack
Training Notes: These tributes have been groomed since birth for this, their finest televised moment. Reality veterans, this pack of “career tributes” will roam the arena shrieking, tanning, eating, and posing as a team. But when food supplies are gone watch the fake nails come out. Weapon/Skill: Sheer determination. Good skin.
In the words of Effie Trinket, may the odds be ever in your favor!
Our Favor!te Things 2010: Kateri Benjamin
Favor!te Film: Tie between The Kids Are All Right and The Social Network
Favor!te Album: Vampire Weekend’s Contra 
Favor!te Book: Patti Smith’s Just Kids
Favor!te Designer: Mondo from Project Runway – He deserved to win but Gretchen needed the money more, so I’m ok with how it turned out. 
Favor!te TV show: 30 Rock. Always.
Favor!te Blog/Website: Racked.com posts the most interesting fashion stories
Favor!te Twitterer: @McNallyJackson gives good book tweet
Favor!te You Tube Video: “Many too small boxes and Maru”. This is perhaps the best video demonstration of cat psychology that I have seen in a while:
What do you want the most as a holiday gift? iPad!
Our Favor!tes of 2010: Carrie Kania
Favor!te Film: The film I haven’t seen yet, Somewhere.
Favor!te Album: Pandora: the “New Order” channel
Favor!te Book: You can’t ask me that – I love all my children.
Favor!te Work of Art: Olympia Le-Tan’s handbags http://www.olympialetan.com/
Favor!te Designer: It was the year of McQueen 
Favor!te TV show: Project Runway never fails to amuse
Favor!te Blog/Website: Ours, silly.
Favor!te Twitterer: @ Karl_Lagerfeld
Favor!te You Tube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfi4X13fGCU
Who do you most want to smooch on New Year’s Eve? Sad Keanu
What do you want the most as a holiday gift? All of this: http://www.viviennewestwood.co.uk/
Reserved for the Most Daring Fashionistas
You either love them or you hate them, but either way, you have to admit they’re pretty fierce: Christian Siriano for Payless runway shoes have finally landed in stores and online. Three designs are available and while they may not be your style, it’s pretty cool that you can own the exact heels from the Project Runway alum’s Spring 2010 runway show for only $79.99. They look like Alexander McQueen’s towering claw heels from his Spring 2010 collection:
(for which YourItList’s Joseph has already expressed profound love), so you can make them your personal tribute to the late designer. Check out the three designs below and buy them (if you dare!) at Payless.com.
Cut It Out Ankle Cuff Pump ($79.99)
All Done Up Mary Jane Pump ($79.99)
To the Point Printed Platform Pump ($79.99)
Get your “Project Runway” Game On!
Have you ever watched an episode of Project Runway and thought, “I could design a much better outfit than any of these hacks!?” Now you can prove it with the new Nintendo Wii Project Runway game, on-sale today.
How it works: Players receive their challenge (ex. haute couture, hip hop clothing, rock star fashion, newspaper dress, or school uniform), and design looks with pre-selected clothing items which they customize by color, length, fabric, and accessories. And just like on the show, players design the makeup and hairstyle for their model, who struts down the runway rocking the look. And if you have the Wii Balance Board, you can even walk the runway along with your model!
The best part, per WWD.com, is that after the runway show, ”pithy comments from judges Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia emerge on the screen. (They might say, “Where was the glamour? Where was the vision?”) Designs are then scored with stars. At the end, in the parlance of Klum on the television show, the player is either “in” and continues with the game, or “out” and must try again with another game”.
If you think you have what it takes to face the judges, pick up the game for $39.99 at most mass retailers. But if you’d like to brush up on your fashion rules first, check out one of Nina Garcia’s three fabulous style books for an insiders guide to what’s hot and what’s not.
Nina Garcia answers some questions
Buy the entire Nina Garcia Collection below:
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Your It List has had the honor of hosting Nina Garcia as she guest blogged about her new book The Style Strategy. If you can’t catch the final episodes of the latest Project Runway season, Nina’s collection of style guides are without a doubt the next best thing. Below, Nina took the time to answer some of our questions about her style, her books and how to look your best and paying less!
Your new book, The Style Strategy, is about shopping while saving money. Is that even possible?
Of course it is! You don’t have to spend a fortune to look fabulous, or sacrifice style when you’re on a budget. The Style Strategy is not about doing without; let’s be clear on that. It’s not about feeling deprived. It’s about realizing that you can get the same euphoria that buying high-end brands may give you by simply reworking the clothes you already have, or finding great bargains and turning these items into the perfect expression of your personal style. This past year has reminded us all that we MUST be conscious of the money we spend. And being practical while remaining stylish is the ultimate chic.
What was the inspiration for this book?
My absolute favorite new mantra is: Shop Smart, Stay Chic, and Make it Last! This mantra has fueled every single page of this book. The sense of accomplishment you get from knowing you’ve truly lived by this mantra, and look great while doing so, is the best feeling in he world. Every shopper should be armed with a strategy. This book guides shoppers through a strategy that works.
Why do you think women will respond to the advice in this book?
If we ladies are anything, we’re resourceful. Long before we earned our own paychecks, we were in charge of stretching pennies for the entire family in order to create and maintain a warm, comfortable home. Through the ages, we’ve seen it all. No era has been without its crisis. And women have always been a tremendous part of the glue that holds everything together while working through such a crisis. Our ingenuity and flair for survival has saved the world many times over. But our ability to beautify the world as we save it is what really makes it all worthwhile. I think women innately know solid advice when they read it, and they will appreciate the fun spirit frugal fun and pampering that line this book.
There are a lot of interesting facts and history in The Style Strategy. What made you decide to include such information?
I want people to know some of the specific moments and ideas throughout history that women have exhibited incredible ingenuity and flair in the name of looking great. When going through a rough economic downturn, sometimes it’s easy to forget how good we have it in comparison to other periods throughout history. I truly admire the women who lived through the American Civil War, the Great Depression, and World Ward II. They were really tough, and so creative. I want to honor them by writing about the great strategies they came up with, and all without the help of huge discount stores and sample sales that we’re so used to.
What is one piece of advice you would impart from the book?
There is so much wonderful information to choose from! But if I had to pick just one, I would say that a good rule to follow when out shopping is to never buy anything unless you have at least three items in your closet that it will go with. A smart shopper always creates options for herself.
You include great quotes from celebrities in this book. Do you have a favorite?
I have the hardest time narrowing down the many quotes I find through my reading. There are so many brilliant people in the world, saying such thought provoking, inspirational things. But if I had to choose one quote that specifically applies to the message I convey in The Style Strategy, I would have to choose one by the legendary designer, Vivienne Westwood, who said “Buy less, choose well, and mix it all”. That pretty much nails it. I simply elaborate on how to do just that.
There’s a real social component in The Style Strategy. On more than one occasion, you encourage readers to gather as often as time allows, share saving tips, clothes, advice on what looks good, and even go so far as to show how to throw a good “swap party”. What’s your aim in including this in the book?
It’s so easy to feel deprived, and even a bit isolated, when you are forced to financially tighten your belt. I want to remind women that community, friends, and family are important, and such a vital part of getting through difficult economic times. And of course I love any excuse to have a party. We’re all in this together, and there are few things more uplifting in life than playing dress up with the girls.
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With her signature eye for style, Nina Garcia is best known for her appearance as the unerring, formidable fashion judge on the hit show Project Runway. An elite authority in the industry, she has worked in fashion houses and in fashion media, with everyone from Marc Jacobs to Elle magazine and Marie Claire. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of The Little Black Book of Style and The One Hundred. Originally from Colombia, she now makes her home in New York City.
Nina Garcia talks Style
We are thrilled to have the amazing Nina Garcia as a guest blogger on Your It List. The new season of Project Runway has just debuted and Nina’s new book The Style Strategy hits stores this week. Her latest book is filled with smart shopping strategies for style on a budget, interesting fashion tidbits and lists of bargain fashion musts.
Photo by Barbara Nitke
I am a working mother and a wife. I am a sister and a daughter. I am a student of fashion and a shopper of everything. Each experience in my life fuels what I do, who I am, and, more important, who I see myself evolving into as tomorrow dawns.
I have goals. For myself, for my son, for my family, and for the people who listen to what I have to say about fashion and style.
Every day I plan, I organize, I schedule, I strategize. And the most important thing I’ve learned is that while no amount of planning fully prepares one for life’s inevitable speed bumps, knowing that I’ve built a strong foundation enables me to negotiate such bumps with assurance. I must problem-solve at a moment’s notice. And sometimes even change course altogether in order to adapt to whatever circumstances are thrown in my path. I have to be quick. I must embrace spontaneity while always keeping my feet on the ground. I must have unwavering trust that I’m making the right decision. If I even begin to doubt myself, I crumble, and nothing gets done. Or rather, nothing gets done correctly.
It is with this goal in mind—of imparting my strategy for achieving this level of self-assurance and confidence, while also economizing—that I decided to write this book. As I look at the women around me—on television, in the news, and throughout the world—I realize that although different circumstances may rule each of our lives, we share the core elements of who we are. We’re survivalists. We’re nurturers. We’re women.
An essential aspect of being a woman is not only taking care of everyone around us, but also taking care of ourselves and each other. We figure out new ways to look and feel gorgeous. Sharing our notso-secret tips with each other is probably the easiest, and definitely the most fun, way we care for ourselves. As women, it is in our nature to reach for perfection. And although perfection may not be 100 percent possible, getting close is. In fact, I see women getting closer to perfection every day.
I witness this striving toward an aesthetic ideal in the wonderful designs I handle as a fashion director. I see it in pristine garments, astute styling, and impeccable tailoring, among many other examples of the craftsmanship I’ve come to adore. But I also see perfection embodied in the women walking down my street. Fearless, creative, stylish women who inspire me.
But getting there is a process. It requires a strategy. Taking command of your style and staying chic is but one step in this process— an important one, mind you, but not the only one. Shopping smart and saving our hard-earned money is another very important step. And although it can be a challenge, being practical while honing your style can also be a damn good time. Trust me.
The Style Strategy by Nina Garcia
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With her signature eye for style, Nina Garcia is best known for her appearance as the unerring, formidable fashion judge on the hit show Project Runway. An elite authority in the industry, she has worked in fashion houses and in fashion media, with everyone from Marc Jacobs to Elle magazine and Marie Claire. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of The Little Black Book of Style and The One Hundred. Originally from Colombia, she now makes her home in New York City.
