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

Naomi Campbell’s Fashion For Relief™, a spectacular charity fashion show and auction, is back for 2010, taking center stage at this year’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on the evening of February 12^th at 7:00 PM. The star-studded runway show and auction will be held in aid of CARE to raise crucial funds towards rebuilding Haiti’s healthcare system for mother and children. American Express Cardmembers will have exclusive access to purchase tickets before the general public for $100 and $150 starting TODAY, February 5 at 10:00 AM at Ticketmaster.com.

The runway show will be hosted by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and will feature internationally recognized designers, celebrities and VIPs. All the donated garments will be auctioned online at NET-A-PORTER starting February 15th. The donation is tax deductible and 100% of the event ticket sales will benefit CARE.

Naomi Campbell says, “I am deeply saddened by the recent tragedy in Haiti. So many have been killed and severely affected by the earthquake – women and children in particular are most vulnerable in disasters. Fashion is universal, personal and touches everyone. Our aim is to use this season’s catwalk shows in New York to reach people and help raise crucial funds to help save the lives of women and children.”

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience all while supporting an extremely important cause that will directly build up Haiti’s Healthcare system. If you are in the NY area and have the cash to drop to help out this unfortunate disaster, please attend.

Chanel Set of 3 Enamel Brooches with Glass Pearls

Chanel launched a site with an array of “Lovely Chanel Gifts” just in time for Valentine’s Day. The site has a cute slot machine featuring all of the products that have a bit of a Valentine’s Day theme. Karl must have tattoos on the brain because not only did he release Chanel temporary tattoos, but one of the earrings are inspired by the classic heart tattoos. From heart charms on the quilted lambskin classic flap bags to enamel brooches and charms on chain necklaces, all of these gifts are a great way to profess one’s love (in fact, any Chanel gift is a great way to show some love). The products are available at Chanel boutiques and you’ve got about a week to start dropping hints.

View the rest of the collection on La Chanelphile.

Barbie Basics Model No. 9 by Betsey Johnson

A few weeks back we showed you a sneak peek of the CFDA X Barbie dolls that 12 CFDA members designed for the launch of the Barbie Basics Collectors Edition line celebrating the one item every woman should have in her closet, the  “Little Black Dress”. I put on my own sparkly LBD and went down to Openhouse Gallery for the Tweet Up event to shmooze with some other bloggers and witness the unveiling the 12 dolls.

The line of  Barbie Basic dolls each sport their own distinct silhouette of the “Little Black Dress” fashion classic and represent a variety of hairstyles, facial features and skin tones and can be customized to represent your own personal style with 4 different chic accessory packs. The packaging of every doll also comes with a randomized quote about the “Little Black Dress” from 80 different CFDA members like Diane Von Furstenberg.

These designer dolls are currently being auctioned off on Ebay, through February 7th, with proceeds directly benefiting CFDA education initiatives and scholarship program.

Barbie Basics Model No. 11 by Devi Kroell

While at the event I learned some pretty cool facts about some of the designer dolls. While some of the designers were inspired by the the LBD that their doll came with, some accessorized, some embellished the dress and footwear, and some created their own dresses entirely. Rachel Roy’s dress design was made from material from her Cruise 2010 collection, while Lorraine Schwartz embellished and accessorized her Barbie with 6 carats of diamonds worth $10,000. Kate Spade’s design was inspired by Lady Marmalade, a piece in her Holiday NY collection.  Devi Kroell recreated her amazing broken mirror mosaic as a pair of boots for her doll. And Monica Botkier designed and embellished her dress with her daughter.

This collectors edition of Barbies are available in stores en masse, and are available for just $20. The Barbie Basics collection edition will also continue in the future, posing the question “What is the basic?” I’m interested to see what they come up with next.

You can follow @BarbieStyle  on twitter and check out her blog – All Dolled Up, where CFDA designer Justin Guinta (who was at the event) has posted a guest blog about his designer doll. You can also check out a lot more up close and personal photos I shot of the dolls on Flickr.

Little M.I.S.S. Frustrated sez: Click THIS!

I watched the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards this past Sunday night, not because I really wanted to, but because my cable has been shut off and there’s only so much Family Guy I can take on a weekly basis. Like many (or maybe it was just me) I was admittedly impressed with the performances, a little underwhelmed by the fashion, and completely caught off guard with the award recipients. Well…specifically one award recipient. As we all know in this day and age how talented you are doesn’t always outshine how pretty you are or how easily you take your clothes off. Talent doesn’t pay the bills anymore, and apparently it doesn’t win you any awards either. Taylor Swift is all of 17 years old, has sold out numerous venues, made appearances in movies, and has messed around with that one Jonas brother, and while yes she has a bit of talent, I’ll be damned if that talent is worthy of the Grammy Awards highest honor: Album of the Year.

First off, lets take a look at the people she was up against, specifically the powerhouse combo platter that is Beyonce and Lady Gaga. In that threesome alone Taylor didn’t stand a chance. If we were going off record sales, endorsements, showmanship, lace front wigs, and glittered headpieces, there would be a different winner. Personally I think Lady Gaga deserved that award more than any of the nominees. She’s changed the face of not only music, but fashion, and performance, and whether you love her or love to hate her, you KNOW that (insert dirty word here) puts in WORK.

Aside from the Lady Gaga’s and Beyonce’s who seemed a little more deserving, I can’t help but think of one name who made this possible for Taylor. The one arrogant ass wipe that made her star shine a bit brighter. Can you guess who I’m thinking of? KANYE WEST. The now infamous MTV Video Music Award moment that shocked millions, made it to daytime, prime time, and the 11 o’clock news, and caused Kanye to go into hiding, has obviously given Taylor Swift the sympathy she needed to win Album of the Year. Yes, I said it: SYMPATHY. Lets be honest for a moment shall we? How much exposure was Taylor getting BEFORE Kanye snatched a mic from her hand and shouted from the rooftops Queen Creole had the greatest video of all time? Now lets examine how much sympathy she received in the aftermath. Can you see what I see? Hell, I’m not the only person who’s sitting on a laptop wondering about this travesty. There are polls dedicated to gathering public opinion on whether or nit Taylor was deserving enough of Album of the Year. POLLS! Kanye Shrug for sure.

I’m in no way shape or form a Taylor Swift hater. I have her album. I’ve vibed out to her song ‘Forever & Always’ many times, especially when I find myself having a self loathing emo moment. I even enjoyed her episode hosting Saturday Night Live. No, I am no ones hater, but I am a consumer, and avid music listener and lover, which I feel gives me the balls I need to say she didn’t deserve that award. There were people who sang better (and on pitch), had better sales, and a put in work this year. They didn’t win an award because someone ripped a mic out of their hand and made them cry. But then again that’s just my opinion. Right?

M.I.S.S. Techcessories: Sony Ericcson Aspen Is Not A Mobile Ski Resort

Sony Ericsson’s Aspen is notable for a couple of reasons.  First, it’s the latest phone in the GreenHeart line of eco-friendly phones introduced last year.  Second, it’s one of the first phones to come out rocking Mictosoft’s updated Windows Mobile 6.5.3.  Now you can finally accomplish that dream you’ve always had of multitasking while helping the environment.

A business-friendly candy bar style phone in the same vein as any number of Blackberry’s or Samsung Jack’s of the world, the Aspen features a thin, sleek, and angular design, an integrated  QWERTY keyboard, a crystal clear 2.4-inch QVGA TFT touchscreen LCD, 3.2 megapixel camera, A-GPS with Google Maps, 3.5-mm audio jack, Wi-Fi, and a microSD expansion slot.  Under the hood, Windows Mobile 6.5.3 (say that three times fast) provides for a more touch friendly Windows experience, Support for multitouch can now be enabled, and gestural actions like flicking and panning are now a lot more responsive.  It really comes in handy when you need to dig through menu’s trying to check your email, surf the web, keep up with all your social networking sites or listen to music.

You’ll be able to pick one up in Iconic Black or White Silver sometime in the next few months.  Price and exactly where these will be dropping has yet to be determined.

Don't Be a Square!

Listening to a soundtrack from a Quentin Tarantino movie is as vivid an experience as watching one of his movies. The director, who worked with producer (and Wu-Tang member) The RZA on the soundtracks for both Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and Kill Bill, Vol. 2, always manages to weave an eclectic mix of tracks together into one cohesive story. The songs are so expertly paired with the material in the script that you can virtually see each scene in your head as each song unfolds. Below are some oF my favorite tracks from both Kill Bill movies, Pulp Fiction, Grindhouse, Reservoir Dogs, and Jackie Brown. .

M.I.S.S. Gold Star: Ron!

Name: Ron Simms Jr.
Astrological Sign: Virgo
Hometown: Washington, DC
Location: Yonabaru Town, Okinawa JAPAN
Short Bio:

Ron Simms Jr. is M.I.S.S.’ resident gadget guru and the man behind M.I.S.S. Techsessories. He enjoys long walks on the beach, skateboarding, spending hours at the local arcade beating fools in Tekken, and all you can eat shrimp time at Red Lobster. Lobsteritas, cheddar bay biscuits and popcorn shrimp are his vices. Originally from Washington, D.C., he now lives in Okinawa, Japan where he teaches English to bad ass kids who would much rather flip him the bird, call him a hobo, or try to give him unwanted enemas (true story).

M.I.S.S. Gold Star: Ron!

M.I.S.S. Department: Writer
Favorite M.I.S.S. Column/s: M.I.S.S. Techcessories (naturally), The World According to M.I.S.S. (so I can learn about whats going on outside my tiny little island)…

Blog: Black In Japan – http://perfectchaosrei.livejournal.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/blackinjapan

M.I.S.S. Gold Star: Ron!

M.I.S.S. Paper Dolls @ FIFTY24LA: Shin Tanaka

Artist: Shin Tanaka
Best Known For: Combining both origami and urban art, making paper his own canvas.
Main Site: http://shin.co.nr/

M.I.S.S. Paper Dolls @ FIFTY24LA: Shin Tanaka

Paper Dolls Flyer

”Paper Dolls” features new works on display at FIFTY24LA Gallery from January 14, 2010 through March 3, 2010.

Opening/Downtown LA Art Walk: Thursday, January 14, 2010
Second Opening/Downtown LA Art Walk: Thursday, February 11, 2010

FIFTY24LA GALLERY
125 East 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014
213.623.4300
Tuesday – Saturday 12 to 6

Shades of the Season

Jill Stuart’s Spring 2010 collection offers up quite a healthy selection of dresses that would please both the romantic vintage shopper and hard edged glamour girl about town. Short dresses, heart-shaped rompers, and updated little black dresses round out the collection to please the younger set of fashionistas. Celebrity fans of the line include style mavens like Rachel Bilson, Nicky Hilton, and Kim Kardashian.

The collection was inspired by style icon, Cher, and the over-the-top glamour of the 80’s. Bright floral prints have been spotted on some unlikely sportswear pieces lately like Made Me’s leather jacket covered in red roses and Doc Marten’s floral print combat boots, both items had the ladies of the streetwear market abuzz with the “I NEED IT!” mentality. Stuart updates the key spring trend by styling it with a statement jacket and pairing with stacked lace up wedges.

Statement jackets come in all shapes and sizes. Make it modern with a bright color that compliments your skin tone or hair; that way you can interchange it with different items in your closet. Exaggerated shoulders are fun to wear, but if it’s too much for you, then try a cropped style that sits right at your waist or above. Stacked wedges are the easiest shoes to walk in, pretty much fool-proof and you never have to worry about busting a heel, not a good look! Deena and Ozzy and 80%20 offer some great selections.

Make a floral print edgy with a statement jacket

Laser cuts, studding, and ruching speak to the more edgy customer and offers a refreshing contrast to the girlish florals, at least to someone like me, whose closet is predominately black mixed with girlish accessories. Stuart offers metallic micro mini’s, studded leather jackets, asymmetrical black dresses, and super cute rompers. Perfect for an unmistakable outfit for going out at night.

The mesh detailed dress and the one shouldered epaulet dress are definitely standouts. The heart shaped tops really make the strapless pieces of the collection stand out. It feels modern and looks more comfortable. I hate pulling up a strapless top all night, even worse, watching other people do it. Especially great for the ladies with a smaller bust-line, the heart shape gives the body a more womanly look.

It's all in the details: studs and cutouts give these sportswear pieces an ultra cool edge

Find Jill Stuart stores near you to view more. For all my cosmetic queens, Jill Stuart’s cosmetics that were once only available in Japan are coming to the States in March! You can find them at her stores, or keep a look out online for details.

The look book was shot by the wonderfully talented photographer, Lizzy Sullivan. Sullivan also contributed to the M.I.S.S Paper Dolls art show.