La Vie is an exotic space nestled in the East Village that offers a French-Moroccan aesthetic with a full dinner menu created by Executive Chef, Momo Terien.  With its beautifully intricate hanging lanterns and intoxicating ambience, La Vie offers an escape for the après work and late night crowds alike.  Live entertainment including international music nights and belly dancers are featured throughout the week and the new dinner menu is now available for late dining, offered until 3am, nightly.  La Vie also offers one of the best happy hours in the neighborhood, including $4 sangria, $3 select beer, $6 well drinks, and $15 hookah that goes from 6pm-10pm, 7 days a week.

Guests of the Grand Opening event were treated to an evening of open bar, hookah, select hors d’oeuvres based off of the new dinner menu and an impromptu belly dancing performance that stole the show.

La Vie Lounge is located at 64 East 1^st Street, between 1^st and 2^nd Avenues.

GlobalFashionBrands.com will offer a unique opportunity for independent designers and retailers to create their own digital storefront, and savvy consumers the opportunity to shop locally for international brands.

“This is a natural extension of our existing portfolio,” states Nolcha’s CEO, Kerry Bannigan, “Unlike other shopping sites that focus on the big box retailers, ours caters to the independent designer, and the trend-setting consumer who wants to buy something that no one else is wearing.”

The new site will aggregate Nolcha’s design roster including menswear, womenswear, and accessory brands from around the world, and catalogue them through a personal shopping engine.  When shoppers come to the site, they will be encouraged to register and personalize their experience by identifying their fashion preferences.  Then, the platform’s “Personal Shopper” will present users with items based on size, price, location, favorite designers and looks that are relevant and on message with users’ tastes whenever they log in and view the “feed.”

The site is also heavy on the social component, allowing users to share the shopping experience with friends via Facebook Connect.  Other perks include their signature ‘Flash Sales’ of up to 80% discounts, the option to “follow your favorites,” and the  discovery of brands users may otherwise never know about, all in once place.

On February 11th, Nolcha held a launch party in association with American Airlines and Kiss, at the Ava Lounge at The Dream Hotel Rooftop in midtown. Guests were invited to join us for a celebratory cocktail courtesy of Don Q Rums, Reyka Vodka and Riazul Tequila.

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

Throughout the house, Nolcha had 4 designers from their roster on display including: Sarar, Ricky L Jewelry, Elly Clay and Anavaa Kisasa, which were nestled in among the antique scenery of this historical landmark building.

The kitchen was transformed into a beauty bar for the evening, featuring Paul Mitchell hair and makeup applications, and skin treatments by Miracle Skin, and a sponsored art deco bar by Belvedere vodka.

Simultaneously, in the speakeasy space downstairs,  the Fashion Director of Saks Fifth Avenue gave a runway presentation of the hottest Spring Trends for men & women this season.

*632 Hudson

*Anavaa Kisasa

*Elly Clay

*Ricky L

*Beauty Bar

*Me & Qianna Smith of Fashion Q&A

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

The showroom, dubbed: The Nolcha Fashion Lounge, featured 19 independent designers from around the globe including: Abreu Rios, Adolfo Sanchez, Ailin, Alberto Parada, Bodyrock Sport, Chabahll, Courtesan Studio, Daniela Vlad, Eva Evanovich, Helicopter, Pitusa, Ricki L Designer Jewelry, Rey, Rudy Wolff, Room To Roam, Show Me Your Mumu, Tammam, Vivienne Pash, and The Art of EMJ.

Womenswear and Accessory brands were included in the mix. Six of the 19 participating brands were considered eco/sustainable, keeping Nolcha Fashion Week ethical as always. Care For Kenya joined the design roster in partnership with Show Me Your Mumu, a collection of modern mumus and totebags with proceeds giving back to the women of Kenya.

Guests had the opportunity to book a Nolcha Style Tour appointment with Nolcha’s resident Celebrity Stylist: Jess Zaino of The Style Network, VH1 and Glamour.com. Zaino took participants through the showroom, introducing each of the brands, and highlighting the trends from each collection. Guests were also treated to The Beauty Oasis, a retreat for fashion week-goers to pamper themselves with Hair and Makeup touch-ups by Paul Mitchell and Nails/Lashes by Kiss.

In the evening, a cocktail party followed from 7pm-9pm: with complimentary spirits from Rekya Vodka, Riazul Tequila, and Don Q Rum.

*Ramona Singer of The Real Housewives of New York posing with Nolcha co-founder Arthur Mandel, and her new signature bottle of pinot grigio “Ramona”

*The designer of Icelandic brand, “Helicopter” posing with her collection

*The Beauty Oasis: with hair & makeup by Paul Mitchell and lashes & nails by Kiss

*The designers of Abreu Rios with celebrity stylist, Jess Zaino

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

On September 1st, 2010, Trey Morgan embarked on a philanthropic project entitled “30 Deeds, 30 Days” wherein for the month of September, he spent each day volunteering with a different organization (30 total) all while holding down his day job at Z100 and maintaining his relationship with his wife.

The idea behind the project was that we all talk about wanting to give back in some way, but more often find an excuse not to (too busy, too tired, too much work, etc). Trey was attempting to prove that if an everyday guy like himself can find the time each day, then we can all find a little time here and there.   While volunteering, Trey also managed to find the time to take photos, keep a blog, and post videos about his experiences each day. The culmination of all of this video footage was a documentary about the entire experience.

The event, which we titled “After The Final Deed”, took place on Thursday, October 21st at the P.C. Richard & Son Theater in Tribeca. The invite-only crowd began arriving at the venue around 6:30pm and were immediately asked to fill out and have their pictures taken with a sign stating the one deed that they would do today if they could. Guests had fun thinking up their deeds and then headed in for a cocktail reception with delicious beverages from sponsor Given Liqueur and treats including gourmet kettle corn from sponsor Divvies and delicious seasonal pies from sponsor Ivy Bakery.

With the documentary screening beginning around 7:30pm, the kettle corn from Divvies was a big hit and the perfect treat to enjoy while watching the movie. Divvies also supplied their famous choco-lot brownie cookies as a treat for guests, a portion of proceeds from the sale of the cookies go to FAAN (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network), an organization which Trey volunteered with in September.

Following the 30 minute documentary screening, Kathryn Wilson of Tonic.com (another event sponsor) hosted a live Q&A session with the man of the hour, Trey Morgan. Trey was engaging and charismatic as ever but also thoughtful and honest when answering audience questions. The night was filled with tears and emotion but also laughter and an incredible positive energy as guests shared how Trey’s mission affected them.  The night ended on a high note as everyone headed out into the night stuffed with treats and inspired to make a difference.

Check out these links for coverage of Trey’s 30 Deeds, 30 Days project:
Wall Street Journal
Tonic.com
TeenSpot.com
Red Rover Style
New York Gossip Gal
Halogen TV
AOL’s Good News Now
Global Shift
Encore Magazine
Betty Confidential
Look To The Stars
The S Report

According to Rosie herself, 90% of kids in NYC live below the poverty level. So how did this all begin?  RBK first brought a 20-week program of musical theatre (with various established teachers and experts) to the public school system.  To start, every 5th grader in the select group of schools took part.

Ever since, they have added new schools each year, and as of this year, the first group of kids who started in 5th grade are now seniors about to go off to college. Remarkably, 100% of the kids in the RBK program get into performing arts high schools, and it changes the entire trajectory of their lives. Says Rosie, “It’s pretty amazing what art can do, and sadly art programs are cut all the time. For many children, its a very depressing, scary reality.”

So the gala was all about raising money to keep these programs going, and to ensure that the arts are a prominent part of public school in New York City, a city so famous for its artistic culture.  The evening included a live auction that sold off all kinds of hot ticket items including a ‘walk on’ role on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (which I heard went for a clean $30K), a heart-stopping performance by the kids, on-stage appearances by Rosie O’Donnell, and an exclusive concert by Cyndi Lauper, featuring both her new stuff and the classics (Time After Time, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, and True Colors…yessss!)

Making the night even more exciting was the fact that AMP3 PR client and Z100 Radio Personality, Trey Morgan, included it as part of his “30 Deeds, 30 Days” project.  The idea?  We all ‘talk’ about how we want to give back, but there’s always an excuse (too busy, too tired, too poor), so Trey is attempting to prove that an ‘everyday guy’ can accomplish the unthinkable, all while maintaining his ‘day job’ at the station and his relationship with his (beautiful, newly wed) wife.  Let’s be honest, how do we choose between helping sick people, starving children or abandoned animals?  We wish we could do it all. For the 30 days of September, Trey is volunteering for a different charity each day, hoping to come out of the project feeling passionate about what he can do for his community long term, and hoping to inspire others to do the same.

For September 20th, Day 20 of his 30 Deeds – Trey volunteered with Rosie’s Broadway Kids.  Here is the footage of Trey chatting with Rosie O’Donnell.  Watch to see the breath-taking medley of Rosie’s Kids singing Cyndi Lauper’s greatest hits (@ 5 mins, 12 seconds), and first hand feedback from Rosie about the program:

Saying it best, Rosie tells Trey and the kids:  ”I was a kid at a public school with NO Mom and a troubled Dad.  It was a public school teacher who took me under her wing and loved me back to life.  She made me realize I was worth loving, and was the first person who said ‘I love you’ to me, and the first person who said ‘I love you back.’ Those are the words that every kid needs to hear every day of their life. I love all of you kids, and I’m so proud of you.“

This year, we exceeded our fundraising goal, bringing in well over $1 million dollars for this worthy cause. Kudos to Rosie for using her resources to ensure that theatre and the arts remain accessible to the talented children of New York City.

*Liza & I enjoying the gala!

*Cupcakes by the ‘Cake Boss’!

*Cyndi singing “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”

*Cyndi singing “True Colors”

[Special thanks to my friend Evan for Photos + Video.]

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

Now in its 9th season, Nolcha Fashion Week consists of four days of runway shows (both solo and collective), an eco-accessory exhibition, fashion business seminars, and special networking events.

The week, which showcases top-tier designers, includes a globally-minded and diverse group originating from Italy, Brazil, United Kingdom, Venezuela, South Korea, Russia, Sweden, Colombia, USA, China, Dominican Republic, among others.

Held at the posh Thomas Reuters building at 195 Broadway, the building’s Grecian architecture became home to Nolcha Fashion Week this season, where a series of 30 independent designers were selected to showcase their Spring 2011 collections throughout the week.

Day 1 at a glance: Monday started out with a collective show featuring: ELIZABETH KOSICH NEW YORK (swimwear), NKWON, KATRIN LIRANZO, and OLA STYLE and a solo runway show by bridal designer LIZ FIELDS.    The evening rounded up with another collective show, featuring runway designers:  NARCISS, SEGRETO LONDON, AFANADOR and accessories designers: ANA GUTIERREZ, ELLY CLAY, MARLA CIELO.

*Designer, Liz Fields with her models

Day 2 at a glance: Tuesday kicked off with a solo show by LUXXE, followed up by two more collective shows featuring: ALICE YIM, MARK PATITO; VIVIENNE PASH, and SEMPRELEI at 4pm and: DORA ABODI, PAUL AARRINGTON, STELLA SIMONA, and KABUKIU at 7pm.

Nolcha’s Ethical Fashion Preview and Accessory Exhibition ran in conjunction with the day’s shows, presenting 15 international designers who’s brands are all eco-sustainable and socially-conscious, including: ELENA GARCIA | GUNAS | SEMPRELEI | MIKSANI | NICOLE BRIDGER | TAMMAM | VELLA MODE | VICERRA | YALERRI | ZELE and accessories by ADHA ZELMA | BESSI & COMPANY | EVOLVE45 | M BRULEE INC and MALEKU JEWELRY.

*Ethical Fashion Collective – Runway Show

Real Housewives of New Jersey star, Teresa Giudice, made an appearance with her daughter Gia just in time for the 4pm show, in support of New York Presbyterian Children’s Hospital.   Teresa and Gia came to meet the winners from the hospital’s own Fashion’s Night Out event where two children from the cancer unit won the chance to attend Nolcha Fashion Week and sit front row with their favorite ‘housewives’ alum!

*NJ Housewife, Teresa Giudice with daughter Gia and Nolcha CEO, Kerry Bannigan

Day 3 at a glance: Wednesday night was a big night for all of the designers involved in Nolcha Fashion Week, as each had the chance to win a game-changing award.  Held amidst the luxurious Landrover Showroom on the West Side, the “Beyond The Runway Award” was up for grabs.  Throughout the week a series of industry judges attended the presentations in order to choose one deserving designer to win a business support package valued at $50,000 which included: Ernst & Young, legal by Orrick, branding consultation by MSLK, Website design consultation by Studio Light and retail placement with LooseButton.   After all 30 designers had the opportunity to make their mark, the winner was announced, an accessory collection:  MALEKU JEWELRY.

*Maleku’s booth at Nolcha’s Ethical Fashion Preview & Accessory Exhibition

Day 4 at a glance: The week came to a close on Thursday night with a Press and Buyers Cocktail Reception, held at the Nexus Showroom in midtown where Narciss, Gunas and Stella Simona got another chance to strut their stuff.

*Model, Designer and TV Host: Amber Lee Ettinger with the face of Derek Loves Shopping, Derek Warburton.

“Dress Up” will introduce a darker, edgier side of Amanda (think: less rainbows, more bondage!) in this fashion-inspired series.

“Dress Up”~where style & art intersect.
Kick start your Fall fashion senses with some canvas eye-candy.

Ward-Nasse Gallery
178 Prince Street
(between Thompson & Sullivan)
Sunday, August 29th
5pm – 8pm

PR Inquiries?
Alyson Campbell
AMP3 Public Relations
646.827.9594
alyson(AT)AMP3pr.com
www.AMP3pr.com

After a couple of failed attempts, I was finally able to lay on the mat and give it a try.  For the first 2-3 minutes, I concentrated on staying perfectly still so as to not poke myself with any unneccessary movements.  At the 5 minute mark, though, the sharp spikes gave way to a tingling sensation.  I’m told that that is the blood circulating, leading to the better delivery of nutrients throughout the body and the release of endorphins and oxytocin (also know as “the happiness hormones”).

Now, as I interact with editors and bloggers of all shapes and sizes, I am not surprised to hear about their fear of this spiky concoction.  Time after time, they come back to me and tell me that despite their fears, they are now in LOVE with the effects.  And what’s great, is that the “effects” seem to be different for everyone.  To each their own!

Here are some reviews of the mat:

Glamour Magazine

Vital Juice

Elephant Journal

Real Simple Magazine

LVC Magazine

Gay List Daily

Maxim Magazine

Style Network

Healthy Living Examiner