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 ).

Thanks, Dina!

• Check out the site’s lookbook for 2010:

http://www.karmaloop.com/lookbook/10/grace/lookbook.asp

• Sign up for the Karmaloop Ladie’s Email:

http://www.karmaloop.com/LADIESEMAIL.ASPX

• Stay up on Karmaloop via the links below!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/karmalooprepcode
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KARMALOOP
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/MYKARMALOOPBOSTON
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25423499@N04/

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).

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

How You Like Me Now?

by Lady Lexx

La Chanelphile: Chanel Paris-Shanghai Accessories

Image Source

Chanel has Shanghai on the brain for 2010. First there was the Chanel Shanghai boutique opening, then there was the Chanel Métiers D’Art Pre-Fall 2010 Paris-Shanghai collection. We know Coco Chanel was infatuated with Shanghai and would have loved to have traveled there. But I wonder if that was the only inspiration for the Chanel Shanghai collection – could it be that it was timed to coincide with the upcoming World’s Fair Expo in Shanghai in May, 2010. Whatever the reason, the accessories are amazing!

After the success of the Chanel Paris-Moscou Matryoshka doll purse, Uncle Karl has created a similar purse for the Shanghai collection. The matching drop earrings are adorable – I wonder if he used these little ladies on any other accessories? Lagerfeld also reinterpreted the classic 2.55 bag with large sequined palletes in red and jade.

La Chanelphile: Chanel Paris-Shanghai Accessories

Image Source

My other favorite bag is Chanel’s rendition of the classic takeout box – with leather chain strap and all! The Chanel cuff is also especially beautiful and is reminiscent of Chinese pottery and vases.

This is just a little glimpse into the details of the collection and I can’t wait to see more!

Re-posted from La Chanelphile

March is officially Women’s History Month and we’re excited to announce that for the third year in a row, throughout the month, we will be featuring yet another group of outstanding ladies who are “making history” in their respective fields including fashion, design, music, art, media and much more.

We will also be remembering the notable forces that came before us with our “Women Who Made History” series. Last year’s features included, Judy Blume and Peggy Guggenheim, just to name a few.

At M.I.S.S., we try to focus on women’s history all year long. We encourage you all to explore our site but more importantly our interviews section, where you’ll find the Women Making History series archived. Each unique feature is filled with insight and inspiration just waiting to be taken in! Consider this a place to gather strength, courage and wisdom to help you move forward gracefully into whatever the future may hold.

You can also view the line-up of ladies we featured in 2009 by visiting Women Making History: The Year in Review ‘09.

We hope you’ll join us all month long and beyond! Happy March!

Les Trompe-L'oeil de Chanel - Temporary Skin Art/Tattoos

I just received a package in the mail and was excited to see that it was my set of Les Trompe-L’oeil de Chanel, better known as the Chanel Temporary Skin Art/Tattoos. The tattoos made their debut a few months back at the Spring 2010 Chanel Ready To Wear presentation.

The set includes 5 sheets with a total of 55 designs. Each trompe-l’oeil references a classic Chanel motif – pearls, the double C’s, and chain links with woven leather. Traditional tattoo references also include sparrows and cherry blossoms.

Les Trompe-L'oeil de Chanel - Temporary Skin Art/Tattoos

I love this set, though I will confess, I bought Les Trompe-L’oeil de Chanel purely as a collector’s piece – I won’t be using any of these temporary tattoos. I like to keep my skin canvas blank, but if you don’t want to commit to a real tattoo, then what it doesn’t get better than a Chanel temporary tattoo.

I was on a waiting list to get Les Trompe-L’oeil de Chanel but it may not be too late to get yours. Try contact Ruby at the Chanel at the Encore in Las Vegas and tell her Gabriella sent you!

View the full set of Les Trompe-L’oeil de Chanel on LaChanelphile.com.

While designing for Streets Ahead belts, Southern California native Ana Cacao gained knowledge and a keen eye for fashion and trends in the leather accessory market. Ca*cao is a new novelty cuff, bracelet, and clutch line consisting of colored leathers, mixed studding and funky hardware. The Ca*Cao collection serves up some of the best accessories that are sure to add a fun touch to any look.

Trendy gals will especially love this line, Ana’s got just about everything covered; hardware, bows, zippers, and roses crafted out of fine leather. The price point won’t hurt your pockets, items range from $24-$38 for cuffs and  $89-$130 for clutches. The beauty of accessorizing is that adding key items that stand out can totally change up an outfit and make it feel new again.

Did some digging and you can purchase some of the collection at Sway boutique. If you really love the line, talk to your favorite local accessory boutique, Ca*Cao, is represented by the LUXE Showroom, which can be found at the tradeshows or can be contacted online.

I’ve tipped off store owners on lines I love before and next thing you know, you will have a stockist in your neighborhood! Savvy shoppers unite!

Tatty Devine Spring 2010: Cocktail Umbrella

Here at M.I.S.S., we’re always sure to bring you the latest and greatest from UK-based jeweler Tatty Devine. We’ve fallen hardcore for the brand’s jewelry and unique pieces, and we’re happy to bring you the newest collection from the brand for Spring 2010. (If this is your first time reading about Tatty Devine, here’s a M.I.S.S. refresher: we’ve written about Tatty Devine’s Nameplates and hairstylist Charlie Le Mindu’s residence at the boutique.)

M.I.S.S. is loving Tatty Devine’s latest collection, particularly the presence of mini-themes and thus variety throughout the collection. Starting with some tropic influences, Tatty Devine brings an assortment of cocktail umbrella accessories. We love the bright, summer-y colors on the Cocktail Umbrella Barrette (£45.00) and the delicious pink hue of the Cocktail Umbrella Brooch (also £45.00) and Cocktail Umbrella Pendant (£27.00). Opt for a more wallet-friendly option in the Cocktail Umbrella Ring at £15.00. Want to match your man? Then go for the Cocktail Umbrella Cufflinks (£21.00).

Tatty Devine Spring 2010: Pandora

One of our favorite trends of the new collection is the homage to the flappers of the roaring ’20s. Bob haircut have been sported on multiple starlets (Rihanna, Ginnifer Goodwin, etc. etc.), but if you’re hesitant to chop your locks opt instead for the Pandora pieces, which feature the head of a woman in a chic, bobbed flapper haircut. Bearing sultry red lips, the Pandora is available in a large and small brooch (£36.00 and £21.00, respectively), as well as a large and small necklace (£39.00 and £21.00).

Tatty Devine Spring 2010: Lace Doily

The Lace Doily pieces are ladylike and trendy, while simultaneously universal to withstand the test of time and other passing trends that may be considered ‘out’ by next week. For a Valentine’s Day-appropriate accessory (without the cheesiness factor), scoop up the Lace Doily Heart Barrette (£33.00) or the Lace Doily Heart Brooch (£27.00). Channel your conservative – yet stylish – side in Tatty Devine’s Lace Doily Collar Necklace (£96.00). Also available with the Lace Doily Heart detail are drop earrings (£30.00), a pendant necklace (£21.00), stud earrings (£24.00) and the ever-popular cocktail ring (£15.00).

One trend M.I.S.S. is diggin’ in Tatty Devine’s latest collection is the appearance of hand silhouettes. We’re jonesing for the Pearl Hands Earrings ’cause come on- who doesn’t love pearl anything? A few pieces that caught our eyes: the Pop hands Barrette in glitter, a gold glitter-encrusted hand silhouette retailing for £30.00; and the Pop Star Hand Brooch (£69.00) and Necklace (£72.00), which we can only guess is a tribute to a recently deceased pop icon.

If, for some strange reason, these few pieces haven’t caught your eye, Tatty Devine still has more to offer: the Senorita pieces, hand fan-shaped pieces with exquisite detailing. The Senorita Fan Brooch exhibits an eye-catching blue pop with its ribbon detailing (£69.00), while the drop-down Senorita Fan Earrings (£54.00) speak volumes when worn without any other jewelry. If you’re wondering about Tatty Devine’s nameplate necklaces you’ve seen previously, not to worry: for Spring, you’ll find a ‘Senorita’ nameplate necklace, retailing for £21.00.

All pieces are now available via Tatty Devine’s official Web site. For further info, check out Tatty Devine’s blog, The Tatty Devine Diaries.

Samma Jewelry

We all know the easiest way to freshen your wardrobe on the regular is to change up your outfit with some statement jewellery. And Samma Jewelry is just the kind to get you noticed!

Samma Jewelry

Named after the Swedish word for “same”, Samma is designed by New York based artist Hanna Sandin. Having studied a BFA at RISD, and exhibited work in galleries in Paris and New York, Sandin’s extensive experience in sculpture is evident in her jewelry. Pieces are hand-crafted and made from materials like woven metals and cast pyramids, with a strong geometric focus.

Available online at La Garconne and Shop Standing Up.

Samma Jewelry

Samma Jewelry

Samma Jewelry

Samma Jewelry

Samma Jewelry

Lately I’ve been trying to think of ways to spice up some old over-sized shirts I’ve collected over time. Shirts I’ve received through concerts, clothing swaps, hand-me-downs, and those gruesome moments of getting a stain on the bottom half of a shirt I can’t bear to throw away. Luckily, I’ve been noticing a trend with cropped tees like the one in the Roxy Spring Lookbook which inspired me to make just that.

Then I thought, what am I going to do with all that extra fabric left over? Good thing the weather is still cold in January, and we can never have too many scarves/necklaces. Yup! We’re killing two seasons with one stone (or well, t-shirt).

Note: This is a money saving tutorial, so climb up your attics, rummage through your boyfriend’s closet, and bring some old shirts to life! No need to spend that pretty penny you’ve been working so hard for.

Supplies Needed:

• T-shirt (preferably a size or two larger)
• Scissors
• Ruler & Fabric Chalk or a Pencil (you can always eyeball it if you’d like)

Your Supplies

Making a crop tee is pretty fool proof, it’s actually the extra embellishing that can throw you off.

To Make The Cropped Tee:

Put Your T-shirt On To Measure Where You'd Like To Crop It

Put on your tee of choice and fold it up based on where you’d like it to be cropped. A good estimate would be about 7-8 inches from the armpit area; this will make the tee go down to your waist. Mark your cutting point with fabric chalk or a pencil.

Line It Up and Cut!

Lay the shirt on a flat surface and outline straight across. You can also just fold the shirt horizontally starting  from the point marked and cut across without having to draw on your shirt.

Cut Around The Neckline To Add Pizzazz

Your basic cropped tee is done! To jazz up the neckline, you can cut it into a boat neck (cut 2-3 inches from the existing neckline) to get that sexy off the shoulder look.  Or you can cut along the existing neckline leaving about 1-2 inches attached to the entire shirt (the parts not cut can land anywhere on the shirt, get creative!). Add more pizazz by cutting the sleeves shorter or folding them up a la Not Bad For a Girl.

Tada! Cute Cropped Tee!

To Make the Fabric Necklace/Scarf:

Line Up and Cut The Remaining T-shirt Fabric

Take the leftover fabric from your cropped tee and lay it flat. With a ruler and pencil, draw horizontal lines about half an inch apart and cut across (You can cut all the way through to separate all the strands or stop at the seam to keep them all together). Don’t forget to cut off the bottom seam, that part’s not cute.

Grab The Strands, and Stretch

Once you finish cutting all the strands, you may begin the best part. Grab a couple strands and start pulling! But not too hard because you might cause them to rip, just enough so that they start to curl.

Drape Around Your Neck However You Like!

After pulling all the strands,  start looping them around your neck however your heart desires. If you played around with it enough, I’m sure you’ll be able to find over a hundred ways of wearing the thing. To make it more of a scarf, just get more old tees to layer until you’re warm and ready to go.

Enjoy!