Bond No.9 Swarovski Stars

Here at M.I.S.S. we’re all about taking time to honor the women in our lives who’ve made a difference, and who’s more special than your own mother? Plus, you already know that we’ve got the scoop on the hottest products about to hit the market, so if you’ve been wondering how to show your appreciation to Mom this Mother’s Day, read on.

New York City’s own luxury fragrance brand Bond No. 9 is stepping it up double time this holiday. To start off, Bond No. 9 is offering a year’s supply of its fabulous perfumes for the very lucky winner of its Mother’s Day Raffle. To make the deal even sweeter, the winner of the drawing will get to select which Bond No. 9 fragrances she’d like to receive. The contest has already started (on Sunday, May 3rd), so if you’re interested, grab a pen and paper so you can jot down the details and make some moves ASAP!

Bond No. 9 Mother's Day

Participating in the drawing is easy: you’ll need to supply the name and contact information of the lady you’re entering. To do so, stop by any of Bond No. 9’s NYC locations - that’s 9 Bond Street, 680 Madison Avenue, 897 Madison Avenue, or 399 Bleecker Street. Don’t reside in NYC? No reason to worry. You can enter via any Bond No. 9 counter at Saks Fifth Avenue. (And remember, don’t rule yourself out - any Bond No. 9 customer is eligible, no purchase necessary! You and Mom can share, right?) Drawings will be entered into a hatbox, where the winner will be selected on the evening of Saturday, May 9th - literally, just in time for Mother’s Day. The winner will be informed of her good fortune on the same night as well. If your entry’s not selected as the winning ticket, still consider gifting Mom (or any other lady you wish to impart) with these fabulous scents: for a limited time, Bond No. 9 will offer 12 bottles for the price of 10, mailing one monthly to the recipient of your choice.

If you’re someone who’s all about planning ahead - and you’d rather not wait until Saturday night to find out whether you’re Bond No. 9’s lucky winner - there’s another gift option you should consider. Bond No. 9 understands that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and why shouldn’t a perfume’s packaging shine as brightly as Mom’s personality? The perfumer has partnered with Swarovski to deck out three of its best-selling scents to create Swarovski Stars: your favorite Bond No. 9 fragrances encrusted (completely!)  in Swarovski crystals. The glammed up editions include Nuits de Noho (sapphire), The Scent of Peace (amethyst), and Chelsea Flowers (topaz). The fragrances, available for a limited time only, will be sold in 50ml bottles and will retail for $550. Swarovski Stars launched just this month - brand new, but don’t sleep on them - we doubt it’ll be long before they’re sold out.

For more information, check out Bond No. 9’s official Web site, and act fast! Mother’s Day is rapidly approaching, and you won’t want to be left in the dust come Sunday.

Chanel N˚5

Saks Fifth Avenue and Chanel are celebrating the launch of the new Chanel N˚5 campaign today in an extravagant way that would make Coco proud.  The most iconic of Avenues - 5th Avenue - is being renamed Avenue N˚5 from May 2 - 10.

When Chanel N˚5 was first released, it made its debut on May 5th (5.5).  I thought that Mlle. was so clever to have the date match her signature fragrance.  Today, not only is Chanel N˚5 launched on the same day (eighty-eight years to the day), but renaming 5th Avenue - a street synonymous with fashion, luxury and elegance - is too clever!

“In our celebration of Chanel N˚5’s newest camapaign, we wanted to recognize Chanel’s longstanding relationship with Saks and engage our customer in the fragrance with a complete visual fantasy.  We are even more delighted that the city is joining us in recognizing Chanel.”  says Ron Frasch, President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Saks Fifth Avenue.

This is not just a marketing scheme - it’s official.  The City of New York has officially declared May 5, 2009, Chanel N˚5 Day.  To show their gratitude, Chanel and Saks Fifth Avenue and have partnered to create a new arts program P.S.5, the Ellen Lurie Elementary School.  The funds will be used to create after school programs & supplies and fund field trips to museums and cultural institutions.  This too, is completely true to Coco Chanel’s philosophy as she was an avid supporter of the arts.

“We are honored to partner with the city of New York and Saks Fifth Avenue to name May 5th ‘Chanel N˚5 Day,’” says John Galantic, President and COO of Chanel, Inc. “We are pleased to share the excitement of this iconic product with New York on this symbolic day in our brand’s history.”

If you’re in NYC you must check out the Saks Fifth Avenue - the windows and the interiors are getting a lots of visual treatment.  The 17 windows along Avenue N˚5 will feature still shots from the Chanel N˚5 film Train de Nuit (starting Audrey Tautou) along with pieces from the current Chanel ready-to-wear collection.  If I were in NY I would definitely take a stroll down Avenue N˚5 - while wearing Chanel  N˚5 on Chanel  N˚5 day.

I now have a new favorite holiday - HAPPY CHANEL  N˚5 DAY!!

As of late, it seems that every industry imaginable is putting on their ‘green’ cap and making moves towards becoming eco-friendly. When it comes to perfume, don’t be fooled by the brands that claim they were the first to institute a recycling program in efforts to make their users more environmentally-friendly. Bond No. 9, whose perfumes are each dedicated to different parts of New York, was the original brand to institute its recycling program in April of ‘07, a program that is still thriving today.

Feeding off of Mayor Bloomberg’s recycling push, Bond No. 9’s Laurice Rahme began a recycling program in 2007 to recycle not only empty Bond No. 9 containers, but any glass perfume bottle. Individuals are encouraged to bring their empty perfume containers to a Bond No. 9 New York store or to Saks Fifth Avenue. After donating your empty bottle, Bond No. 9 will recycle it. And remember, bottles are not required to be Bond No. 9 - you can bring in any brand’s empty bottle. For your good deed, Bond No. 9 will gift you with a refillable pocket spray. It’s a win-win situation for all parties involved, and you even get rewarded for your eco-friendliness.

One of my favorite fragrance brands, Bond No.9, introduces the newest scent in their roster of famous neighborhoods - Brooklyn.  Bond crosses the bridge with this unisex scent with romantic, sexy and distinctive top notes of cardamom and grapefruit. Many of the other elements of the fragrance get their inspiration from various Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Cypress-wood (from the Koi Pond in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden), Geranium Leaves (drifting along the DUMBO waterfront), Juniper Berries (Williamsburg martini), Cedarwood (Fort Greene antique shops) and Leather (evocative of Red Hook). On the cutting-edge of perfumery, Brooklyn also has what’s known in the trade as sillage, which is to say, it doesn’t cling to the skin, but rather diffuses, leaving a trail behind it - très sexy!

As always, the flacon is just as gorgeous as the scent it contains. The vivid colors of the graffitiesque handstyle letters are decorated directly onto the transparent glass - a Bond No.9 first! I can’t wait to get my hands on Brooklyn. I love that it’s a unisex scent as I don’t really like super-feminine flowery or powdery scents. With eclectic notes of cardomom and leather - two of my favorite scents - this is sure to be a scent that is as laid back and understated as the city it’s named after.

Brooklyn launches in March at Bond No.9’s four New York City boutiques and at Saks Fifth Avenue nationwide. The eau de parfum is available in two sizes: 100ml and 50 ml, and retail for $220 and $145 respectively.

There was no Yellow Carpet at the entrance but we were happy to find out that there was a Yellow Brick Road set up around the shoe department at Saks that led you around to view all of the Ruby Slippers. I couldn’t help but don red shoes to the event in the spirit of the occasion.  Check out photos of the scene and the Saks store windows after the jump . . .

From left to right:  Michelle wearing a Red Bootie by Paolo, Liz in purple Dolce & Gabbana and me in Red Satin Bruno Magli from The Goods!

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Here’s the last installment of the lovely Ruby Slippers we saw at the Ruby Slipper Event at Saks last Thursday.  Each pair was lovelier than the other, I definitely have my favorites but they really are truly beautiful in their own way and you can really see each designer’s signatures and themes come through in their Ruby Slipper interpretations.  Today’s designer’s include:  Stewart Weitzman, Rupert Sanderson, Sergio Rossi, Tibi, Tuleh, Valentino, Vivier, YSL.  Check back for pics of the scene at the party, the O.G. shoes and the Saks Fifth Avenue windows.

Stewart Weitzman

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More shoes from the Swarovski Wizard of Oz Ruby Slipper Event at Saks. The shoes are gorgeous - they can speak for themselves. Check out shoes from the following designers: Miu Miu, A. Testoni, Jimmy Choo, Gwen Stefani for L.A.M.B., Christian Louboutin, and Manolo Blahnik.  We also had a chance to speak with Enzo Vaccari from A. Testoni to learn a bit more about the inspiration and thoughts behind the design.  And, there are still more shoes so check back tomorrow!

Miu Miu

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A while back we posted about some preview sketches of the Swarovski Wizard of Oz Ruby Slipper Project.  On Thursday night, we had the pleasure of going to Saks and attending the unveiling of the Ruby Slippers designed by 19 designers including YSL, Betsey Johnson, Manolo Blahnik, Moschino and Christian Louboutin.  The event was beautifully put together and we have so much coverage (including photos of every single shoe) that we’ve decided to split it up into 5 posts - 1 for each day of the week - it’s that good. 

Sneak Peak of the Moschino shoe (my favorite!)

We’ll start off the way the event did, with the red carpet and the celebrity guests.  My only pet peeve was that the red carpet was not yellow, but we found out later that there was a “yellow brick road” leading you around to all the shoes so that made up for the lack of a yellow carpet at the entrance.  As you entered Saks, you were greeted by girls dressed as Dorothy and the air was filled with The Wizard of Oz songs as covered by other musical artists.

Betsey Johnson

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Nothing makes me feel better in times of stress than a good whiff of something calming. Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil was doing it for me for a while, and then some WTAPS incense, but after having received a special gift in the mail those all seem like child’s play. A few months back I received the most luxurious candle I have ever had the pleasure of seeing or smelling from Bond no. 9. Bond no. 9 is a fragrance company that’s not only based in NYC, but uses the city as it’s muse. All scents are named after neighborhoods in the city like Chinatown, Little Italy, West Side, and Wall Street to name a few. Those who know me know that I have a “perfume should be French” mentality but Bond no. 9 is one of the very few exceptions to the rule. Everything they do from their scents, branding, and packaging are impeccable. Their scents automatically convey a sense of luxury that so many brands miss the mark on. Bond no. 9 has also done some amazing collaborations, most recently with Swarovski and The Andy Warhol Foundation.

I’m digressing, back to the candle! The candle comes packaged in a gorgeous white and gold box - not just any box - one that feels like there’s something very special inside. And, there is! The name of the scent I received is “So New York.” Before I lit the candle I smelled it and the first thing that hit me was the scent of chocolate. I don’t know anyone that enjoys chocolate more than me so I was ecstatic to be able to enjoy chocolate in a different sensory way. There are also notes of bergamot, plum, bittersweet espresso (another favorite), Patchouli (don’t worry, there is nothing hippy about this scent), lily of the valley, peony, musk and precious woods. These scents all combine to make one of the most sublime scents I have ever smelled. It’s not only about the smell - these are the best quality candles you could find. The candles hold 16-20% perfume concentration which is very high for candles. They use the best wax and wicks in the business which adds up to about 60 hours of burn time (that’s long for candles!). The candle comes with an embossed gilt gold cover to make sure the scent doesn’t fade when the candle is not in use.

This is by far the most beautiful and best smelling candle I have ever owned. If you or someone you know is a big fan of scents, I highly recommend this as a splurge for yourself or a gift for someone special. You can purchase the candles at Bond no. 9 boutiques in NYC, Saks Fifth Avenue or online.

More pictures after the jump!

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Stills from the film The Wizard of Oz.  Sketches of the ruby slippers from left to right:  Jimmy Choo, Betsey Johnson, Moschino, L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani and Sergio Rossi.

Next year is the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, and to commemorate the anniversary Warner Brothers Consumer Products has enlisted Swarovski and 19 designers to design their take on Dorothy’s ruby slippers.  The designers include A. Testoni, Abaeté, Alberta Ferretti, Betsey Johnson, Botkier, Christian Louboutin, Diane von Furstenberg, Giuseppe Zanotti, Jimmy Choo, L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, Lisa Pliner, Manolo Blahnik, Moschino, Oscar de la Renta, Roger Vivier, Sergio Rossi, Stuart Weitzman, Tibi and Tuleh.  All of the designs will include Swarovski crystals and will be unveiled September 4th in the windows of Saks Fifth Avenue.  The shoes will take a tour and make several stops including Art Basel in Miami.  The ruby slippers will be auctioned off and the proceeds will benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.  The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies and I cannot wait to see this collection!  I hope they make their way to San Francisco!

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Images of Sketches: WWD & Business Wire