Agent Provocateur has extended their 2010 collection with a couple of new ranges. To break it down there’s the Damsella, Gypsy, Minnie and Stephanee. Damsella is a black floral print range that features a bra with removable padding and scallop laces edges on both the bra cups and panties.
Agent Provocateur 2010 Damsella
The Gypsy and Stephanee ranges have a similar feel with light/nude silk and lace. The main difference is that the Stephanee has a sexier appeal with it’s contrasting black lace. The Minnie is a polka-dotted set that features subtle pleating at the lower edge of the cups and gathered frill at the top.
For today’s Women Making History feature we honor Dina Selkoe—one half of the husband and wife team that runs Karmaloop.com – the top online retailer of name brand and underground streetwear.
Of Russian nationality, Dina was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, a small country north of Iran once part of the Soviet Union. At the age of 4, Dina’s family emigrated to the United States where she was raised in Brookline, MA.
After completing high school in Brookline, where she first met Greg, her future husband and Karmaloop founder, during their freshman year, Dina received her B.A. from Boston University, J.D. from Harvard Law School and a Masters in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Dina and Greg began dating seriously after college and married in 2002.
If this isn’t a modern-day fairy tale, I don’t know what is! Read on…
Dina & Greg of Karmaloop.com
Greg Selkoe began Karmaloop in 2000 while the two shared the 3rd floor of his parents’ house in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. In law school, and during her early career as a lawyer, Dina was a major supporter of Karmaloop and assisted as much as she could with its growth – even taking mail to the post office on her way to class.
Soon after Karmaloop’s success, Dina Selkoe left her job at a law firm to begin working exclusively as the head of Karmaloop’s women’s department, quickly growing the department by 250% during her tenure. Dina gained expert knowledge at predicting trends in fashion and determining consumer buying patterns.
Dina, in a great mini, with Greg & friends...
In the past two years, Karmaloop has grown from an online retailer to a significant voice on streetwear trends with the launch of its blogs and KarmaloopTV. To continue the company’s growth, Dina is now the Creative Director of the company – partially overseeing the women’s buying department, sending a weekly email newsletter to Karmaloop’s growing roster of female customers, designing and overseeing the new women’s blog, conceptualizing and overseeing the women’s Look Books and other editorial photo shoots, and working with the lead designer to develop the look of Karmaloop’s new VIP program. However, Dina’s most significant long term project at the company is a new KarmaloopTV show called “Globaloop,” an international affairs and history program designed to educate young people and increase political and social awareness.
Same Sex Marriage, Parts 1 of 3: Same Sex Marriage
More on Dina below:
Women Making History: Dina Selkoe of Karmaloop
A Q&A session with Dina…
M.I.S.S.: What woman, besides your mom or grandmother, do you find inspirational?
Women in public policy/human rights – Shirin Ebadi, Aung San Suu Kyi, Madeline Albright, Hillary Clinton, Condi Rice (even though I don’t dig her politics- especially her affinity for Baby Bush Duvalier), and the three current/former female supreme court justices- Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor.
Women Making History: Dina Selkoe of Karmaloop
M.I.S.S.: You were originally a lawyer and now you are the Creative Director of one of the largest online stores. How did you make the transition?
I actually transitioned from lawyer to the women’s buyer (versus Creative Director) – I didn’t really have a plan and overall it was a good transition. I moved from doing boring work in a dull and stifling environment to doing something I loved in a super fun and stimulating environment with lots of people I liked around me all the time. Having an attorney’s anal attention to detail and organization definitely helped. I learned on the job, but, luckily, it all clicked together nicely.
Women Making History: Dina Selkoe of Karmaloop
M.I.S.S.: Karmaloop has many facets from retail to Karamloop TV. What’s your favorite Karmaloop project that you’ve worked on?
I love working on Lookbooks and my favorite recent lookbook is our tribute to Grace Jones … fun with mirrors! But my favoritest project these days is Globaloop, which is our newest show on KarmaloopTV. Globaloop is a political and current events program whose aim is to provide our audience with interesting information and stories about important global and domestic issues in an entertaining and concise way. I write and edit (actually, stand over the real editor’s shoulder) the pieces and host some of them. Globaloop is an amazing opportunity for me to get extra educated on a variety of topics while also hopefully helping others get a little info too. Recent pieces include a 3 part series on Same-Sex Marriage, US involvement in Afghanistan beginning in 1979, Burma and Shepard Fairey: Social Activism Through Art. Topics in the works include The Animal Rescue League, Philanthropist Bobby Sager, UNICEF, Darfur/Sudan and Iran. Globaloop also has a weekly news rundown hosted by my buddies Panda and Jose and a Pet of the Week adoption clip.
From the Karmaloop’s Global Journal: Shepard Fairey: Social Activism Through Art, part 1:
Women Making History: Dina Selkoe of Karmaloop
M.I.S.S.: Karmaloop has worked on interesting collaborations in the past including Puma. Who do you want to work with in the future?
Yes, love! We’ve had some great collabs with brands including Crooks and Castles, Hellz & Roxy Cottontail, Married to the Mob, BLVCK SCVLE, and currently have projects in the works with Han Cholo, Joyrich, Crooks and Castles and Android Homme. We are starting to do more collabs with artists and other creatives (versus strictly brands) – a bunch of the Karmaloop gang is going on a trip to Tokyo this April (reminds me, I need to book hotel) and we would love to do something with photographer Yasumasa Yonehara.
Women Making History: Dina Selkoe of Karmaloop
M.I.S.S.: How do you go about finding new brands to feature on Karmaloop?
I’m not really involved in actively seeking out new brands for the site now that I am no longer the women’s buyer, however, I always keep an eye out for cool brands and people/brands still send me stuff that I pass along to our women’s buyer, Jasmine.
Women Making History: Dina Selkoe of Karmaloop
M.I.S.S.: What part of being the Creative Director of Karmaloop is the most challenging and do you dislike the most?
Having so many diverse projects (from site enhancements and planning trips to document review and editorial stuff to Globaloop) makes juggling, timing and prioritizing quite tricky!! I honestly don’t dislike anything about my job –maybe feeling overwhelmed at times, but that’s to be expected – and I’m trying to get into meditation.
M.I.S.S.: Any advice for ladies who are just starting out in a career path similar to yours?
Try to get into an organization that you love or you’re whose general product/process you’re interested in and work your tail off – hard work and commitment pay off – they get you noticed and help your boss or colleagues know that they can give you more responsibility and more sophisticated projects and that they can rely on you. Once you have an organization in mind, don’t be afraid to reach out to people there even if you don’t know them – I get tons of emails and Facebook messages looking for jobs or internships and I always pass them on to the appropriate department here (unless I hire myself ).
Hot on the heels of the announcement of her deal with Iconix Brand Group Inc to bring her iconic style to the masses via Macy’s, Madonna has teamed up with Dolce and Gabbana to co-design several pairs of sunglasses. This marks the first co-designed project for Dolce and Gabbana and will be the first of many products to go on sale under Madonna and Iconix’s joint venture, MG Icon LLC.
With her status as the star of D&G’s current ad campaign, combined with her long standing friendship with the designers, its a wonder we haven’t seen these powerhouses pair up before. Unlike most celebrity collaborations, the duo ensures us that Madonna was very hands on. She edited Dolce and Gabbana’s 50 sketches to her liking which resulted in a broad selection of six amazing sunglasses bearing the logo MDG that will be sure to nurture the Material Girl in all of us. The collection will retail from $248-$289 and will be carried in all Dolce and Gabbana stores in addition to the Sunglasses Hut chain and select opticians beginning in May.
The Glamorous Life: Madonna does eyewear with D&G
Madonna, being the super woman that she is, did not just stop at co-designing the line but also is the mastermind behind the collection’s ad campaign. She enlisted photographer Steven Klein, who also
who also shot Dolce and Gabbana’s spring ad campaign to re-create the drama and sensuality present in film noir for the print ads, which are actually stills taken from a video that was shot in a studio in New York.
The brilliance of the campaign and the classic feel of the sunglasses can be best summed up in this quote by Stefano Gabbana…. “She’s the way people see her — a real star, admired, desired and spied.”
Be sure to check out the campaign when it hits newsstands in May and save up those tax returns to grab a pair of MDG shades before you scoot off on vacation this summer.
Edited by Jennine Jacob Do you get spring fever? Oh man… the itch to run around outside in flowery prints and frilly laces gets greater and greater each passing day. To heck with chunky sweaters! This week we have a load of great spring style posts, Holier Than Now checks out cape coats, if you’re strapped for cash Out of Order gives the perfect 45min spring skirt tutorial, so cute! And girly clothes not your thing? The Demoiselles has a great homage to genderbending unisex looks. I’ve been thinking of doing a couple of days in menswear myself. Well, as soon as I learn how to tie the half Windsor knot. There were so, so many great links this week, it really was hard to narrow it down to 2o. Check out the full listing of Links à la Mode here.
I’ll have to admit, I was a bit disappointed when I arrived at the Bryant Park Hotel to see that the re-launched Z. Cavaricci line did not feature high-waisted, pleated pants with multiple belt loops, a skinny ankle and the Z. Cavaricci logo at the zipper. I was hoping the brand, which debuted in the ‘80s, would reclaim some of the gaudy silhouettes for which they used to be so popular.
Instead, Z. Cavaricci is very different than it used to be. It is now a plus-size collection released in association with Torrid and sold exclusively in Torrid stores and online at www.torrid.com or www.zcav2010.com. The President of Torrid, Chris Daniel, explains how the brand has changed since its debut in the ‘80s: “Z. Cavaricci achieved iconic status as a result of the brand’s passion for innovation and leading-edge fashion. We are very proud to continue this tradition in a fresh way that will resonate with modern fashionistas.”
Although the styling and aesthetic of the clothes was not what I expected, and the clothes were not groundbreaking pieces, they still managed to be impressive from a design standpoint. The ladies of Coburn Communication pointed out all of the small details and features of the clothing, and stressed that the curvier customer was in mind during the design process. The designers took into account the “real-life” fit issues that plus-sized girls face and made the clothes to prevent clothing malfunctions. For example, there was a buttoned-up shirt that had side panels with buttons, allowing the wearer to “let out” the shirt if it becomes too tight. The cute biker-style black zip front drop waist skirt ($69.00) did indeed have a zipper down the front of the dress – but to avoid any accidental exposure, the people at Z. Cavaricci sewed on a non-working zipper. Comfy!! There were even several pairs of fantastic shoes that were specifically made for a girl with wider and longer feet. The Mia style was the best one for shoes….and only $59.00 bucks for some real leather boots! Seems like they don’t do that anymore.
Favorites of the line include the bubble print tank top ($39.00), the black zip-up jumper ($76.00), and the black nailhead vest ($46.00).
The ladies from Z. Cavaricci
Goodie Bag!
After Soles in the Goodie Bag…so great for weddings/parties!
At Chanel, no expense is ever spared and the Chanel Autumn/Winter 2010 Ready to Wear show was no exception. For starters, a 265-ton iceberg was imported from Sweden to the Grand Palais for the Chanel show. Sitting in a shallow pool of water and reaching 28 feet high, 35 ice sculptors took six days to carve the iceberg to form the perfect peaks and valleys. Needless to say, the room was kept chilly to keep the ice from melting and the tone was set for the show.
The show opened with what I would call polar bear costumes – full fur bodysuits. For PETA’s sake, all of the fur in the show was faux – and there was a lot of it! I have to say that I did not like these polar bear outfits at all. I think they look ridiculous and unless you are dressing up as a polar bear for Halloween, or are living on the Arctic Circle, I have no idea why or where you would wear these furry jumpsuits.
Thankfully, the collection did not just include fuzzy costumes. The highlight of the show – apparel wise – was the interpretation of tweed and knits to go along with the faux fur theme/cold weather theme. The tweeds had fur, lace, yarn and tulle – and some even had stone embellishments. The knits ranged from sweaters, dresses, and tights and looked cozy chic.
My favorite part of the collection was the accessories (no surprise there). Necklaces, cuffs, earrings and hair pieces dripped with metals, stones, yarn and faux ice. I especially loved the bracelet with metal and yarn fringe (pictured above). The boots looked like they had spats attached to them which I also loved. The fur boots – like the jumpsuits – I did not love, but I appreciated the cleverness of the “ice” heels. The highlight of the accessories were of course the handbags. From fur covered, to faux ice appliqued onto a bag with melting double CC’s the bags were exquisite. My favorite was a play on the famous Chanel quilted pattern that actually looked like ice cubes.
The hair was big, teased and a bit messy, perhaps evoking the static of hat head in the winter? I loved the eye makeup that was black and applied in a bit of a sporadic light, almost feather pattern. The rest of the face was kept pretty bare and nude, as well as the nails. As always, curious to see what the actual nail color will be – I’m sure it will cause a stir just like prior colors de jour.
It’s been a minute, but M.I.S.S. Paper Dolls is back with some beautiful collagey inspiration. Peruse.
New Start
My life is changing and so is the world green is my inspiration but that doesn’t change anything that goes on my feet – Elizabeth Robles
Change in Season
It’s getting cooler here in the southern hemisphere – starting to dig out my leggings and jackets in preparation! Think I’ll be doing lots of leggings and ankle boots this winter…
Katie x
High End Death Metal
Shoes and Jewelry
Featuring:
Gianmarco Lorenzi, Nicholas Kirkwood, Miu Miu, Paige Novick, Lanvin, Domnic Jones.
items can be found at farfetch.com and shopzoeonline.com
March Madness!
I love love love basketball! Since I was little, basketball has been my favorite sport. That’s why I’m super excited for march! Especially for my college ladies, reppin’ it hard on the court! Can’t wait to watch! – Aleta
French designer Jean Charles de Castlebajac (in conjunction with ODM Design), unveils their latest innovation: The UFO Watch. Available in four colors, the timepiece boasts dual time display, chrono counts, and EL backlight. In addition to the piece, JC/DC plans to make its mark at a pop-up store located at 10 rue de Vauvilliers in Paris, where Castelbajac will offer his Spring/Summer 2010 collection: Punkahontas and the Ducks.
The AR-15 Trigger Ring: daring fashion for the ladies!
Last Thursday, March 4th, the M.I.S.S. NYC family was lucky enough to attend the launch event for one of our favorite accessory brands, B-Side by Ken and Dana. Our contributors have gushed about the brand before in our What I Want for For the Holidays column, and we’ve celebrated B-Side’s fashion consciousness before when we previewed their Rights collection last spring. So, when we got invites to preview their latest collaboration collection–the GUN Reclamation Project–you know we were fighting over who got to be in the building!
Tough, militant-minded accessories are the theme for the Gun collection
Continuing their tradition of fusing creativity with relevant, timely causes affecting our nation, B-Side’s Gun Reclamation project takes the instrument of violence (a gun) and re-frames it as a symbol of non-violence. B-Side is committed to keeping guns off the streets of New York, and the brand will make a contribution to the NYC “Gun Buy-Back Program”.
A portion of all sales from the Gun collection will go to the NYC Gun Buy-Back Program
The NYC Gun Buy-Back program is a collaborative effort between the D.A’s office and the NYPD, who partner with local churches to offer $200 bank cards for any firearms turned in at day events the program hosts. Since 2008, the program has helped to take 5,700 guns off the streets. B-Side has a history of partnering with relevant foundations to expose urgent social concerns in New York City, and the Gun Reclamation Project is no different.
Innovative designs reclaim the negativity of the gun, embuing some positive creativity instead.
At the event, which was held at local NYC lounge Stay, we were greeted with B-Side gift bags stuffed full with great goodies (thanks guys!). After making our way past the bar (proceeds of the sales from the cash bar also went to charity! yay!), we headed to the back of the lounge, where the pieces from the collection were neatly laid out on a color blocked table top. We were able to pick up and try on the pieces, which were avaialable for sale at the event. The harsh, metallic toughness traditionally associated with weaponry is toned down in the collection, reinterpreting items like the barrell of a gun into wearable, innovative pieces. One of my favorites was the AR-15 Trigger Ring (pictured above), as well as the Smith & Wesson Firing Pin Earrings and Necklaces. Tough chic for the modern girl who’s accustomed to bringing her own intelligence to urban warfare!
Smith & Wesson Firing Pins
B-Side’s Gun Reclamation Project is currently on sale on the company’s webstore. Prices are resonable, and the cause is a must for everyone’s support. Check it out and cop yours today!
SYMMETRY is a new accessory line ready to launch for this fall. The dynamic duo behind the full-function pieces are Ted Byrnes and Gena Tuso hailing from Los Angeles, California. Each scarf has their own jewelry-like component and variety of placed grommets. My favorite part is that each scarf comes with their own toggles on either end that can connect to any of the grommets allowing the scarf to be customized any which way by the person wearing it. All of the grommets are reinforced with leather backing, ensuring longevity.
Every scarf for Fall 2010 is made of Wool for a warm, luxurious hand. All the plaids are Woolrich Wools (100% American made Wool), while the lighter weight wools are from Japanese mills. The other notions for the scarves are produced locally in Los Angeles, and the scarves themselves are cut and sewn in LA. Can’t get much better than that right?
Symmetry Accessories
Both designers have an affinity for scarves, their usefulness and versatility of an accessory. Symmetry is inspired by supporting artisans and craftsmen here in the States and are hopeful that they can contribute to honestly made products coming from artisanal producers.
These scarves are truly unique and versatile – they can work their way into most anyone’s wardrobe. The fact that they are of the highest quality fabric and notions only makes them that much more appealing. It’s really nice to see a brand do one thing well and not try to do too much. Symmetry launches in the Fall and we’ll keep you up to date with a list of stockists as we get closer to the release.
– Elizabeth Robles
