Welcome to heaven!

Photo by Eileen Blass of USA TODAY.

Welcome to heaven!   

Okay, maybe not exactly. But yesterday’s taping of the 2013 Victoria Secret Fashion Show did bring a mass of Angels to NY. Unfortunately for us mere mortals not lucky enough to snag a Karlie Kloss-embossed ticket, we will have to wait until December to see the real thing.   

Until then, here are some highlights from yesterday’s taping that have us at the edge of our seats, and half way to the gym… 

Photo by Getty Images for Victoria's Secret.

Brazilian native Adriana Lima is the longest-serving Angel in the show. The 32-year-old mother of two has been with Victoria Secret since 2000, walking in every one of the lingerie company’s fashion shows during the time.

Photo by Eileen Blass of USA TODAY.

VS Angel since 2010, Candice Swanepoel dons this year’s Fantasy Bra, designed by jewelry company Mouwad and worth an estimated $10 million.

Photo by Eileen Blass of USA TODAY.

With guest performer Taylor Swift singing “I Knew You Were Trouble,” the act Snow Angel features Angels walking through a winter wonderland, complete with fake falling snow. 

Photo by Eileen Blass of USA TODAY.

What could make this heavenly occurrence even better? After weeks of rumors stating otherwise, the current face of Burberry’s beauty campaign Cara Delevingne took the VS stage for the second time. Remaining true to her British roots, Delevingne walked in the set British Invasion carrying a soccer ball. Or should we say football?

The years best workout inspiration, I mean, the 18^th annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will air Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.

xoxo,

pearls & spikes

Mad About Plaid

With the wooly weave of Scottish tartans decorating designers latest collections, plaid feels just right for the fall and winter seasons. But how do you wear this trendy, bold print without looking like one of Vivenne Westwood’s punk devotees with a Cher Horowitz twist?

Luckily for those of us mad about plaid, the ways to wear tartan go far beyond ‘80s grunge. With the right pieces, this fall staple will quickly become the most chic, adaptable item you’ve purchased in a long time.

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Whether making your routine run to Central Market or enjoying a Fire Box at Katy Trail Ice House with friends, it’s time to break free of your “go-to” leggings and tee uniform. Add some schoolgirl-rock to your day by pairing a fitted denim jacket, fresh kicks and your favorite tote to your tartan mini. 

xoxo,

pearls & spikes

R.I.P. Condé Nast Internship Programs

If you’ve been dreaming of an internship at Vogue, you can bid those dreams farewell. In a pretty surprising move, Condé Nast, one of the nation’s largest magazine publishers and home to Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Glamour, is eliminating the media conglomerates internship programs starting in 2014.

Two interns at W and The New Yorker sued Nast this past summer, claiming they were paid below minimum wage. Although the suit is still pending, WWD speculates this is the reason for the publisher’s decision to nix internships.

The decision brings up a lot of issues and questions. Will other companies follow Nast’s lead? Interns do a lot of lower level work at magazines (like handling samples – a disheartening, time-consuming, but important task), so who’s going to do it now?

Vogue’s decision could have much bigger implications for the industry in the long-term. Many leaders in the fashion industry parlayed their internships into amazing jobs – so, if the internship model disappears, will it be trickier to navigate the system and network? Time will tell… 

xoxo, 

pearls & spikes

Trick or Treat

Depending how “into” the holiday you are, preparing for this whole Halloween thing can be kind of overwhelming. On one end of the spectrum, you have committed types who live for concocting pop culture referential and cleverly punny DIY costume. And on the other end, you have the more passive participants who prefer last-minute all-black “sexy cat/witch/nurse” options. If you fall into the latter category, maybe consider these easy costume solutions that are both festive and low effort – and totally cool to wear the other 364 days of the year.

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xoxo, 

pearls & spikes

Karl Lagerfeld To Host Chanel Metiers d’Art Show In Dallas

Karl Lagerfeld to host Chanel Metiers d'Art Show in Dallas, TX.

Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld’s Metiers d’Art shows have become known for their extravagant settings in exotic locations – think Versailles, Paris, Venice, Moscow, and even the ruins of Lithlinglow Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland.

And what destination is next on this grand scale list? Dallas. As in Dallas, Texas. Reported by WWD and confirmed by Vogue, Chanel’s Dallas Metiers d’Art show will take place Tuesday, December 10, 2013 in Dallas.

Chanel's 2012 Metiers d'Art Show was presented within the walls of the majestic Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queens of Scots.

"To do the opposite, next time, I will go to Dallas," announced Lagerfeld. "You know why? First of all, I love Texas. I love Texans. There's another reason. When Chanel reopened, the French press was beyond nasty. The only press that understood it immediately was the American press - so I think it's a nice thing to go there." 

Launched as homage to the label's workshop, Chanel's 2011 Metiers d'Art Show in Paris featured a unique blend of Bombay-Paris theme in costume and ambience.

Explaining how he selects the locations for the extravagant shows, Lagerfeld said he tries to find a connection referencing a significant detail or geographic place in Chanel’s own histoire. Entitled The Return, the upcoming collection will be inspired by Coco Chanel’s US success in the 1950s.

In a way, Texas makes sense. Everything is bigger here, right? And no one does fashion bigger than Lagerfeld. Maybe we’ll finally get to see Chanel’s take on the cowboy boot and hat.

xoxo, 

pearls & spikes

Isabel Marant x H&M Lookbook Leaked

Attention all ankle boot wearing, tie dye loving bargain shoppers who can't get enough of that Parisian chic bohemian meets masculine mix! Part of the highly anticipated Isabel Marant for H&M lookbook leaked TODAY on The Fashion Spot, and I am pleased to say it is even more amazing than I expected.

From an embellished jacket to an awesome peacoat and pointed-toe pumps, it features all my Marant dream items and more. There are slouchy dresses, printed and leather skinnies, herringbone heels and wool menswear-style overcoats... Do I have you drooling yet?

You can get your hands on the full capsule collection - which will feature both clothing and accessories for men and women - in H&M stores on November 14.

xoxo,

pearls & spikes

Technology Meets Fashion

You don’t normally associate Google, with its durable search engine and nerdy office complex in Silicon Valley, CA, with sophisticated fashion magazine Vogue and its sleek New York newsroom. But the two have recently joined forces in a 12-page futuristic fashion spread in Vogue’s infamous September issue featuring Google Glass Expedition.

Google Glass is a hands-free, head-mounted device that can be worn by users as wearable computing eyewear, according to Natalie Thompson of Google. The device looks like a pair of normal eyeglass, but “the lens of the glasses actually have an interactive, smartphone-like display with voice command support as well as Bluetooth and wireless connectivity,” she said.

With groundbreaking features literally changing how people see things, Google Glass is a hands-free device that allows users to live in the moment instead of juggling between their phone, tablet and computer. But as Google enters the market of wearable technology, the biggest challenge does not revolve engineering this futuristic product. Instead, the challenge lies within the task of making their product stylish to the public.

“While it is fascinating that this may mark the beginning of a technology that changes how we interact and process information, I couldn’t help but feel like character from a science fiction movie,” said business analyst at Apple, Inc. Lissa Steppe after demo-ing Glass.

With co-founder of Google, Sergey Brin, recently reporting the prototype design represents a near complete model; Google must erase any “dorky” connotations from their product’s name before its official release to the public. What better way to build a fashionable reputation than decorating the pages of Vogue?

Featured against a variety of retro-futuristic backdrops in a spread called “The Final Frontier,” Google Glass makes it’s high-end fashion editorial debut. Shot in Lubbock, Texas against a 110-ton steel house, model Raquel Zimmermann’s sleek chic demeanor displays the forward-looking accessory in a trendy and modern light. Aligning its product not only with the fashion world but one of its most sacred texts, Google hopes to replace its “sci-fi” standing with a more fashionable reputation to generate consumer appeal.

“The Vogue September issue has become a cultural touchstone ahead of New York’s Fashion Week,” said Chris Dale, communications manager for the Glass team at Google. “Seeing Glass represented so beautifully in this issue is a thrill for the entire Glass team.”

xoxo, 

pearls & spikes