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.

CFDA x Barbie

The CFDA has teamed up with Barbie and Matel introduced a Barbie Basics doll, who wears a simple little black dress and can be easily accessorized and personalized by their owners with special accessories kits featuring such items as scarves, purses, shoes or jewelry.

Together with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, it has cooked up a special initiative to mark the launch of this special Barbie. For instance, the packaging of each Barbie Basics doll features a quip from a CFDA member about the little black dress.  In addition, 12 CFDA members have accessorized a Barbie Basics doll, and in some cases, customized the little black dress.

The participating designers include Isaac Mizrahi, Rachel Roy, Justin Giunta, Lorraine Schwartz, Alexis Bittar, Monica Botkier, Deborah Lloyd of Kate Spade, Albertus Swanepoel and Devi Kroell.

“Each designer expressed his or her individual style by transforming their original Barbie Basics doll into a one-of-a-kind masterpiece,” said Stephanie Cota, senior vice president of marketing for Barbie. “The use of unique materials, special fabrics and, in one case, real diamonds, demonstrate how to infuse one’s own style and personality by accessorizing.”

The special editions will be auctioned on eBay starting this Thursday through Feb. 7, with an opening bid of $100.

The entire net proceeds from the sale of these dolls will benefit CFDA’s educational initiatives and scholarship program. Barbie has been one of the largest donors to various CFDA initiatives, this being her latest charitable endeavor in aid of the organization. “She is the doll that keeps on giving,” Kolb said.

If you didn’t see our post for the Christian Louboutin post a while back take a peek here.

Source

Style Icon: Debbie Harry

Debbie Harry, the lead singer of the New Wave pop band, Blondie was a defining pioneer reveling in the 1980’s New York scene when fashion, music, art, and bustling downtown culture was fusing together to create a style that ultimately illustrated the decade.

Her friends included voyeuristic artist Andy Warhol and his protege; fashion whiz kid from Halston, Stephen Sprouse. Debbie and Stephen lived in the same apartment building in the Bowery section of NYC and they became great friends. He would construct all of her outfits from items in Debbie’s closet, thrift store finds, vintage gems, and in the end it was an unfiltered Sprouse creation.

At night they would have dinners and go dancing with Andy and Sprouse’s right hand man, now famed fashion photographer, Steven Meisel. Debbie credits Sprouse for tailoring her look and would wear his designs in music videos. He directed the video for Blondie’s ”Heart Of Glass” and the fabulous “scan line” dress that she is wearing, he made that from a photo he took of a television set. Much like Warhol’s Factory, Sprouse’s studio was full of models,  musicians, and art stars who fed off of each other.

In the eighties music videos were catapulting the careers of otherwise faceless bands. After Debbie Harry made it onto the screen with the disco crossover hit, ”Heart Of Glass”, Blondie arrived onto the mainstream music scene. This upset many of Blondie’s New Wave/Post Punk underground contemporaries, but the band responded with the statement that Debbie had always wanted to try different genres of music. Her popularity tended to overshadow the band, and even though she has done solo work as of late, she still credits her band for her success.

Debbie gets the Stephen Sprouse treatment

Debbie’s most identifiable feature is surely that tousled blond bob. I find her wide set angled (usually rimmed with black liner) eyes to be the most intriguing, or perhaps it’s the high cheekbones. In any case her entire look, tough yet physically stunning, is appealing to this day. Her style is completely rock star status; mixing prints and textures, bright red lipstick, and mini skirts. She’s like the fairy godmother of the punk princesses.

Some current Debbie Harry news:

-Barbie created a line of dolls called “Ladies of the 80’s” it includes Debbie Harry, Joan Jett and Cyndi, Lauper.
-Photographer Brian Aris compiled an exhibition of photos of the iconic singer currently on display in London. (BBC video)
-Currently she is on tour with Blondie with new music to come out this year!

Wildfox Coutoure Summer 2010 Lookbook

Wildfox Couture has dropped their latest collection, Summer 2010 to be exact, titled “Hello Dolly!” and styled after almost every girl’s childhood style icon: BARBIE! The look book features a multitude of shots fashioned after everyone’s fave California girl, sporting noneother than Wildfox’s latest tees. Amongst them you’ll find “Bathtime Doll,” wielding an ever-so-powerful hairdryer, to “Beverly Hills Doll,”  the bug-eyed sunglass-donning, floppy-hat wearing ‘doll’ in an uber-tiny skirt styled like many of today’s celebutants.

Wildfox Couture Summer 2010 Lookbook: Bathtime Doll

Let’s not forget the most important point detail here – the tees! These life-size ‘dolls’ sport some classic Wildfox designs, such as the fave basic heart tee – exactly what it sounds like. The U.S.A. Doll rocks a white heart on blue background, while the Bathtime Doll is outfitted in a trendy-yet-comfy oversized Wildfox No. 9 tank in none other than Barbie’s fave color – hot pink! If you’re a boho chic babe, opt for the Festival Doll look – an oversized sweatshirt emblazoned with a simple peace sign! If you’re ready to party, take after the Cocktail Hour Doll in a T-shirt dress with a cocktail icon.

Wildfox Couture Summer 2010 Lookbook: Hangover Doll

We’ve all had mornings where we’ve felt less than stellar – we’re talking about after those crazy nights out – and Wildfox feels your pain, which is likely why they’ve included a Hangover Doll shot in their latest look book. Accompanying these looks are two tees that perfectly describe that ‘morning-after’ feeling, one that simply says it all – “I’m allergic to mornings” – and a black tee with a silver skull design for those a.m.’s where we’re still feeling those cocktails but feel metaphoric at the same time. (Also included in the Hangover Doll look – a ginormous cup of coffee, also a necessity for those hard-to-get-out-of-bed mornings.)

Wildfox Couture Summer 2010 Lookbook: Ballerina Doll

One super-girly look we’re loving is the Ballerina Doll shots – who doesn’t love a tutu skirt? A candy pink sweatshirt with two delicious-looking ice cream cones on it, we love this look for a night out (paired with skinny jeans or a bodycon mini) or a laid-back girls night.

The shirts are slated to hit shelves in June 2010. You can cop them from online retailers such as Karmaloop, and for further info check out the Wildfox official site and keep up with the Wildfox blog, I Love Wildfox, for some serious outfit inspiration!

Barbie for Louboutin

Happy 50th to Barbara Millicent Roberts, aka Barbie.  Like Barbie, Me & You, your mama and your cousin too would all die and come back as a one eyed one horned flying purple people eater if it meant Mr. Louboutin would do the same for us on our born day. Here’s some extra information that is probably not useful unless you are in a wicked game of trivia. Barbie is estimated to have owned about 1 billion pairs of heels! A girl can dream can’t she? Well now, all of those other heels don’t mean a thing.

Barbie for Louboutin - Heel

“Barbie has a long history of working with various designers and artists who use Barbie as a muse,” said Stephanie Cota, senior vice president of marketing of Barbie brands at Mattel. “It was a natural for Barbie, not only with her fashion heritage, but also because of her passion for shoes. She has a billion shoes and we needed to do something special for her shoe collection.”

I read on BarbieCollector that:

Christian has designed not one, but three extraordinary dolls, the first debuting later this year (keep reading to find out how YOU can be one of the first in line to get the doll!). Barbie “traveled” to Paris to visit Christian for a year, exploring his favorite places and experiencing his fashion-filled life. Lucky for us, Barbie documents the experience in a gorgeous 2010 souvenir calendar diary, complete with stunning photography and colorful commentary of her French adventures. (You’ll have the opportunity to purchase one of these calendar diaries very soon!)

Only 2,400 of the first Barbie® by Christian Louboutin dolls will be available for purchase for just $150 in the online shop and in the catalog. There are only 7,700 produced worldwide.

Barbie for Christian Louboutin - Red Carpet

The only way to be in the know about when the doll goes on sale in the BarbieCollector.com online shop is to get on the VIP Pre-Sale list. Once you’re on the list, you’ll get an email alert when the first Barbie® by Christian Louboutin doll in the series goes on sale (soon!). This gives YOU one of the first opportunities to purchase the doll. PLUS, purchasing this doll gives you priority access to the VIP Pre-Sale list for the second Barbie® by Christian Louboutin doll, coming early next year.

On a side note, the diary, which comes with the jewel thief Barbie and is also sold separately for $40, is titled “My Year in Paris With Christian Louboutin.” Launching in December, it features photos of the doll shopping with Louboutin in his boutique, on a journey down the Nile, performing at the Moulin Rouge and in a cafe with a male doll that is decidedly not Ken.  However, Barbie and Ken are friendly, but just “friends.”

Barbie for Louboutin

Barbie for Louboutin

Barbie for Christian Louboutin – Red Carpet

Barbie for Christian Louboutin

Barbie for Christian Louboutin – Diamond Thief

Barbie for Christian Louboutin

Barbie for Christian Louboutin

Barbie for Christian Louboutin

Barbie for Christian Louboutin

Barbie for Christian Louboutin – Diary

Barbie for Louboutin

Barbie for Louboutin – Heel

Christian Louboutin Fall/Winter '09-'10... that red sole is so alluring

Browsing Christian Louboutin’s Web site is like dying and going to shoe heaven. OK, not really, but it’s the closest you’ll be able to get to heaven through the Internet. For the upcoming season (F/W ‘09-’10), Mr. Louboutin brings the heat with a to-die-for collection that’s so massive we won’t be able to recount every shoe here (although we really wish we could, but we trust you’ll give the site a peek anyways.)

We’d love to know what kind of creative juices are flowing through the veins of Mr. Louboutin because each piece is amazing and unique in its own way. For the upcoming colder months, Christian Louboutin presents a collection based on classical influences: think Victorian pieces with a modern twist. You’ll see a lot of lace, leather, and suede, all with modern influences and a fabulous Louboutin twist. In addition to these timeless fabrics, modern and trendy details also make appearances in the collection – think studs and zippers, which are both hot, hot, hot right now!

We’re drooling over every one of the Louboutin ankle boots. One of our personal faves is the “Nitoinimoi” ankle boot, shown in black here, featuring suede and leather with a multi-strap detail. Speaking of Victorian influences, the “Fifre” boot features a toggle-like closure. The Louboutin Web site even features a section entitled “Total Madness,” where you can browse three ultra-fabulous pairs of bedazzled sky-high heels. For those M.I.S.S. readers out there who heart their stilettos, Mr. Louboutin has dedicated a special section of his site to you, under the heading “Extremely High.” (Beware, though… The heels are in fact ridiculously tall, but nonetheless fantastic!) Overall, you’ll find plenty of lace, both in ankle boots and stilettos, as well as wedges and heels in both suede and leather. There’s even a section dedicated to python print, titled “Skins.” And finally a patent leather pink stiletto, very Barbie meets Rodeo Drive meets Paris Fashion Week. Who but Louboutin?

Louboutin Nitoinimoi bootie (far left) and Circus bootie (center)

We don’t doubt that starlets will be scooping all of Louboutin’s latest collection up by the bag full – we only wish we could do the same! Unfortunately the online shop is under construction, but you can use the Louboutin Web site to link to a Louboutin E-commerce retailer or to locate a Louboutin boutique near you. Go ahead, and begin your quest to shoe nirvana!

"Barbie Undressed"- Wundervoll Designs an Exclusive Lingerie Set

Wundervoll has designed a special lingerie set for BARBIE commemorating her 50th birthday. Wundervoll took inspiration from the retro era of the late 50’s and 60’s to created a signature look using fine silk jersey that is updated with reference to their Spring/Summer 2010 collection that features elements of African tribal art and art deco influence.

“The elegant design, subtle sexiness, and the fine details of this Wundervoll creation make for perfect “underthings” for Barbie’s special birthday,” says Wundervoll.

The Wundervoll Barbie will be presented to trade experts for the first time in connection with the “Barbie Undressed” exhibit at the Lingerie Show, BOUDOIR. The show starts today,  July 1st and continues tomorrow, July 2nd during Fashion Week in Berlin, one of the hottest fashion weeks for it’s innovation and groundbreaking creativity.

The exhibit can be viewed at the Galeries Lafayette from June 26th through July 18th. For all you Barbie fans who can’t make the Berlin show, no worries! The show is traveling to major cities like Moscow at the concept store, Cara and Co, Brussels at the concept store, Francis Ferrant, New York at The Train NY show, Milan at Biffi Milano, and lands in Paris at an exclusive charity auction.

Barbie has had quite the anniversary buzz celebrating her big 5-0. And who could do it better than the always glamorous lady herself? From fashion shows that have honored the four decade glam doll to deluxe items designed in admiration of her success, I have got to say being plastic pays off.

If you happen to be in Paris, France March 9th-28th check out Barbie’s birthday celebration at Colette. At this boutique will be all things that credit the bombshell’s success. If it’s anything like a Barbie dream world there has got to be lots and lots of pink oh and a delicious looking Ken!!

Exclusive designs for the Barbie collection by Jeremy Scott and products from Bless, Goyard, Azumi & David, and Uslu Airlines will be available.

Also listed for the anniversary is the release of limited edition products from designers selected by Colette- Married to the Mob, Bruno Frisoni, Alexis Mabille, Barbie Rocks of Beverly Hills, Jawbone, Domestic, and Linda Farrow.

Dylan’s Candy Bar sweets (btw, chocolate is my weakness) and special edition Le Baiser dessert by Laduree will make tasty treats for the celebration!

Guest can also enter the gallery of “Barbie and Ken” by Karl Lagerfeld. Images of Barbie and Ken (portrayed by model Baptiste Giabiconi) can be found here, and let me say they are so adorable. If you are one who has collector’s fetish, the photos in the gallery will be available for purchase.

Be sure to check out all the collabo’s from designers selected by Colette and Stila cosmetics.

Goodness, if I had the money and a passport I would book my flight TONIGHT!!!!

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Michelle Kwan says she’s a “relatively normal girl” just trying to do her thing like everybody else but this lady is next level! Every Tuesday, Michelle comes at the world with new beauty picks and tips in her column M.I.S.S. Michelle’s Beauty Picks and Tips of the Week. She is always on point, puts in the time and does the research to bring our readers the latest and greatest in beauty products and we are more than proud to have her as our first Women Making History 2009 feature!

Get to know a little more about Michelle:

I love all aspects of fashion and publishing, and until recently, I worked for Time Warner in advertising, getting my start as an intern at Surface and Intersection magazines. I’ve also worked in fashion design and marketing, with clients like Chanel and Jurlique as well. For M.I.S.S., I write a weekly beauty blog called M.I.S.S. Michelle’s Beauty Picks and Tips of the Week.

I love the artistic mediums of style and fashion, culture and writing; through which, my goal is to creatively help people enjoy beautiful and healthy lifestyles. I feel inner beauty, outer beauty, self-esteem, and self confidence are all very tightly and complexly interwoven, and play a critical role in the well being of women today. The beauty blog is intended to assist women in their beauty options and purchases as there are such an overwhelming amount of competitive products in the cosmetics market. My reviews are based on my personal experiences with each product, and I carefully consider all the following when I make my assessments: Quality, value, accessibility, and pricing. I like to use a variety of products ranging in price point and accessibility, for I think beauty is attainable at all income levels, and bearing in mind the troubled state of our economy, I recently started to integrate RECESSION BUSTER Tips and Picks to represent the more discerning consumer akin to myself. I particularly like the research involved in my D.I.Y. Beauty Tips, cause if you can make it yourself and make it naturally, AND for less money, you definitely should give it a go, plus it’s fun.

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We recently reported on the limited edition Barbie Loves Stila Collection for SS09. This limited edition collection is now available on-line at Sephora. There are four different sets available, 4 paint can sets and a Sephora exclusive Talking Palette eyeshadow set, each set runs $40.

Stila Barbie Loves Stila Talking Palette features four pretty in pink (and purple) wet/dry eyeshadows that create the classic Barbie eye look. The best part? It’s foolproof! It literally talks you through every step of easy application and there’s even an insert card with instructions on step-by-step makeup application, as well as information on Barbie through the decades.

Stila Barbie Loves Stila Paint Can – 1959 #1 Ponytail Doll

Stila Barbie Loves Stila Paint Can – 1959 #1 Ponytail Doll is modeled after the first Barbie doll—with striking red lips and black-rimmed cat eyes, this doll is the epitome of 1950s glamour. The three-pan palette contains eyeshadows, a cheek color, and matte red lipstick so you can create the iconic look with just one kit at your fingertips.

Stila Barbie Loves Stila Paint Can – 1971 Malibu Doll

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