The Savvy Auntie brand is all about a movement, a phenomenon heralded by fabulous kid-friendly women everywhere as a celebration of modern, cosmopolitan aunthood.  A savvy auntie, simply put, is a woman who loves a child who’s not her own (which according to the book represents approximately 50% of American women).

The first installment is the perfect gift for the soon-to-be-auntie or newly-appointed auntie, who’s trying to get her bearings in this new role of aunthood.  Recently becoming a proud Auntie myself, I can see how this would have been a helpful guide while my sister was going through all of the things that becoming a mother entails.  Never before has there been a manual so detailed with the Aunt’s perspective in mind.  It gives you all the tips to better understand what to expect during the 40-weeks of pregnancy, and lots of How-To’s for when your niece or nephew arrives (like how to properly hold the baby, how to ’swaddle’ the baby, and the best-of-the-best in baby gear).

If you’re an aspiring savvy auntie or know someone who is, I highly recommend this read.  Buy it, here.

*The Real Housewives of New York join event planner Janine Just and Savvy Auntie herself at the Book Launch Party at Pranna which was sponsored by VOGA Wine.

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.

[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.

Since 2005, the School of Fashion at Academy of Art University in San Francisco has shown the collections of recent graduates during New York Fashion Week–an incredible exposure opportunity for these young designers on the rise.  This season, the run of show featured 7 collections and several emerging designers.

Standing in line, I met an impressive young lady from Maryland by the name of Nailah who was 13 going on 14 and the winner of a contest to win tickets to the show.  An aspiring designer herself (she started sketching at age 9), she won the contest based on an essay she wrote about her impending career.

First up was Jungah Lee, who used the faded colors of antique books as inspiration for the hand dyeing and painting of her latex and silk fabrics.  Her collection featured pale layers, pleated and manipulated with silk applique tops, dresses and skirts, designed to mimic warped and torn pages of old novels.

Cara Chiappetta found inspiration in femininity and examining how a woman is perceived. Her fabrics, which included rubber, silk, mesh, wool, and nylon, bonded to give her collection a very futuristic look, using lots of greys with a subtle polka-dotted trend throughout.  The garments included dresses, high-waisted trousers, and plenty of cut-outs with asymmetrical neck pieces.

Louie Llewellyn, the sole menswear designer of the bunch, teamed up with Xiang Zhang, a knitwear designer, to create their collection.  Louie used the disagreement between a hard and soft men’s wear silhouette as his theme, building woven pieces with sharp edges and then adding in softer fabrics in contrast.  Xiang used over 30 swatches to determine the final combinations that were used with a special knitting technique that took approximately 50 hours to finish each piece.  The look was knit pants layered with sweaters and hoodie-scarf hybrid accent pieces.

The next collection was a Print Collaboration, that was the masterpiece of a group of technical design, fashion design, and textile design students working together.  Womenswear, the pieces included several mismatched prints in browns, greens and blues, layered and tiered with various fabrics unexpectedly.  The models donned ankle socks and flat shoes, including 3 young girls in the show as well.

April Howard was inspired by the work of sculptors, decaying concrete and plastic of an urban wasteland–her pieces representative of discarded items.  The entire collection was made out of leather, in blacks and burnt browns, with a bunching and overlapped aesthetic.

Camilla Olson took her theme from her fascination with samurai arts, producing a collection based on women as rebels breaking the restrictions of historically constrained roles.  Soft silk chiffon dresses flowed underneath an outer ‘cage,’ which varied from look-to-look from cubed, to diagonal and straight across, mostly in black, white and neutrals.

Finally, Maria Korovilas, took the runway with a collection that incorporated metal encrusted pieces and detailing.  Bronze embellishments over nude dresses, and beaded shoulder pads over a chiffon dress with a peek-a-boo bead-encrusted train were the types of accents that tied the line together.  Lace embroidery and beaded body pieces also made their mark, all part of her hand beading which took over 600 hours to complete.

Amateur was not at all the overall feel of this show.  Based on the expressions and reactions within the crowd, expectations were exceeded and an incredible young crop of talented designers were revealed–all now boasting with one New York Fashion Week under their belts and hopefully many more to come.

Finale walk with each Designer and their Finale Look:

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

My Barbara Tfank coverage is live on JSD  (which you can read complete with full photo spread here or see the basic copy below!)

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Barbara Tfank debuted her Fall 2010 Ready-To-Wear Collection during New York Fashion Week at the alternative downtown venue, Milk Studios.

The collection, clearly designed for the Autumn months, featured an array of sleek feminine dresses and long coats in metallic jewel-toned hues ranging from olive green to eggplant, with hints of royal blue and teal.

Looks were form fitting, with the exception of a few empire waist selections, indicating a certain 1940’s timeless glamour and clearly a vintage inspiration behind her works. With an air of sophistication and class, the line leaves something to the imagination, shaping the female silhouette beautifully without making it impossible for the average woman to wear.

Offering her clients something unique and exclusively-theirs, Tfank began designing her own fabric patterns last year, a decision that she claims doubles the time it takes to finish the collection, but increases her overall satisfaction with her finished product.  Her muse is painter Raoul Dufy, which she describes as a “ray of sunlight on a gloomy day.”

The hair (done by Jean Marc for Ric Pipino), was loose and free-flowing, and the makeup was subtle with strong lips (done by Gregory Arlt for M.A.C.).

The event, which will also introduce their latest Public Service announcement, is also set to honor two recipients of the 2010 “Beauty Cares: Champion of Change” Award, including: Dr. Andrew Jacono (the National Chairman of Face to Face), a plastic surgeon who performs countless pro-bono reconstructive surgeries on survivors of domestic violence, and Violy McCausland, President and CEO of VMS Associates and a staunch supporter of women and children living in crisis.

Since, April 2008, Beauty Cares has been hosting the ‘Breakthrough Experience,’ a full day of transformation for survivors housed at Safe Horizon—a safe house for those who have escaped domestic abuse.  Designed to help reverse negative self-image and break the cycle of domestic violence, the participants experience hands-on nurturing with healing massages, expert makeovers with instruction, professional hairstyling, guidance from life coaches to identify their core strengths, totes filled with donated products for everyday reality, and gorgeous after-photos to take as a reminder of how lovely and loved they are.  Beauty Cares’ message is clear: you are beautiful inside and out.

Life-changing messages are collected from the women who go through the “Breakthrough Experience,” including the one from this woman who participated in the last event: “This [event] meant looking at myself in a different light, seeing my true natural beauty and learning that there is something better for me.”  The next of these events will take place on Sunday, February 28^th, during the day prior to the inaugural cocktail charity party where more of their bone-chilling experiences will be shared.

At the event, Beauty Cares will also be unveiling a powerful 60-second Public Service Announcement entitled “Make Under.”  Many women believe that being shoved, threatened, belittled or isolated does not count as domestic abuse. This viral video demonstrates that it’s only a matter of time before these behaviors escalate into dangerous violence, ending with the emotionally-charged statement: “It doesn’t have to get this far, to be considered domestic violence.”

The event, which will bring together local leaders in the beauty industry and beyond, will serve up champagne, delicious food, and inspiring stories, in addition to a live auction, featuring: one of Barry Gibb’s (from The BeeGees) electric guitars,  and gifts from Alto, The Four Seasons, Victor de Souza, a Yankees Stadium Private Tour, and more.  There will also be a raffle of several gift boxes, containing top beauty products valued at over $2,000.

To join in on this eye-opening evening, you may RSVP to 212-252-3399 or RSVP@BeautyCares.org.  Cocktail attire is strictly required and space is limited.

The event is located at: 15 East 18^th Street, Suite 301, New York, NY 10003, with cocktail reception at 6:00pm, award ceremony at 7:00pm, and live auction at 7:45pm. Cost is $150 per person or $1400 per 10 individuals (tax deductible).

For more information on Beauty Cares, please visit: www.BeautyCares.org.  To see the video, see www.YouTube.com/BeautyCares.

[Alyson Campbell for It's All Very PR]

My J. Mendel coverage is live on JSD  (which you can read complete with full photo spread here or see the basic copy below!)

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On the final day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, J. Mendel freshened things up by showing a ‘Presentation’ in the Salon Tent, a welcomed alternative to the traditional runway show. Here, we were able to get up close & personal with the clothes, and really see the fine details (of which there were many).

Not only could you take your time to really drink in and explore each piece within the collection, but the presentation-style set up also allowed for some mingling, photo opps, and champagne to be enjoyed–while lacking the stressful seating frenzy.

Because it is also so important to see how the garments move, the models took turns rocking the center runway and posing underneath an arch at the end for the photographers, while the other models stood on elevated light boxes like mannequins, posing for the onlookers.

Designer, Gilles Mendel, described the Fall 2010 look as “elements of nature brought to a downtown scene.” As seen throughout the week, layering and an unexpected blend of fabrics were also big here, as well as fur accents, which were a collaboration with Kopenhagen Fur.

Tweeds and furs were blended with crystallized landscapes, metallic embellishments, and gold thread linings. The looks were accessorized by louche hand-knitted mink skull caps, hoods and mittens, with jewelry by Christine McPartland.

The collection included wool and cashmere coats, cocktail dresses, skirts, and full length gowns which came in deep reds, Prussian blues and volcanic greens.

A stand out look that seemed to personify the overall collection was a dyed silver fox vest with a sequined panel along the back side of the vest, seen worn over top of a molten red satin face silk mousseline cocktail dress.

During the show, I had a chance to catch up with Ted Gibson of Ted Gibson Salon, who handled the hair for the show. It was definitely more of a slick look, as opposed to anything too feminine or soft. “I used L’Oreal Professional ‘Freezing Mist’ to create the sleek and sexy look,” Ted told me as he looked on at the presentation, “It’s all straight and down, but what you might not see is that there is a section of hair on each side, pinned back, with sleek hair flowing over top.”

This was Ted’s fourth and final show of this week, using 12 of his team members per show from both his New York and D.C. salons.

Makeup was handled by Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.  “The J. Mendel woman for Fall is strong and chic, and has an effortless and modern sex appeal,” said Wendy Rowe on behalf of Bobbi Brown Co. The  makeup, like the hair, was very polished and structured.

Shoes were all by Christian Louboutin, with the signature red soles accenting the looks. They were mostly all in the same ankle-boot cut except for a few slouched booties, that better complimented the short dresses with which they were paired.

My Christian Siriano coverage is live on JSD  (which you can read complete with full photo spread here or see the basic copy below!)

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The Season 4 winner of Project Runway , Christian Siriano, has quickly become a staple in the fashion community, causing more of a scene in the line-up at the tents than any of the other shows thus far, some with more veteran names than his. Fans (ranging from celebrities to industry,  and from press to local tastemakers) flocked into the show, anxious to see what Christian would be introducing for Fall 2010.

Christian, who once interned for Alexander McQueen while studying in London, had claimed McQueen to be one of his favorite designers, who undoubtedly has had an influence on his style. He creates wearable women’s wear, sophisticated lines, that have previously been picked up to retail at Saks Fifth Avenue in season’s passed.

Front row celebrities at the show included CariDee English (Top Model), Kristen Johnston (actress), Amber Rose (model), and Siriano’s boyfriend Brad Walsh, who was sandwiched by Mena Suvari (actress) and Kat DeLuna (pop star). Walsh, as always, produced the music that was used to highlight the runway show.

This season, Christian’s line was said to represent 1960s Euro women—particularly Parisian women—who got dressed (to the nines) every day.  The looks were accessorized by Christian’s new outrageous shoe collection for Payless, and blinged-out eye wear, designed by Kerin Rose.

Stong zip-front coats and trenches with feminine waistline detailing were the first looks out the gate, accented by wool and cashmere pieces. Pencil skirts and dresses (that were very wearable from 9-to-5 into night) came next, lots of black and grey with sparkle and hints of flare.

Christian is no stranger to formal wear either, revealing satin and silk dresses with ruffles running diagonally from shoulder to hip, in black, fuchsia and a rich royal blue, which was seen throughout the show and often paired with black.

My favorite look of the evening was a free-flowing fuchsia dress, belted in black, and over laying a silk pencil skirt in royal blue. The finale dress, though, garnered a reaction of shrieks and whistles from the crowd before the show officially concluded. It was a gorgeous fuchsia gown with an organza draped bodice and a scalloped tulle gown with a full train.

*Finale Dress

*Finale Walk

*Christian doing backstage interviews

*Mena Suvari (photo by John Simon)

*Christian Siriano’s boyfriend, Brad Walsh (photo by me)

*Christian Siriano doing backstage interviews post-show (photo by me)

My Backstage Interview @ the Christian Siriano show is live on JSD  (which you can read complete with full photo spread here or see the basic copy below!)

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Makeup for Christian Sirano’s Fall 2010 runway collection was conceptualized and designed by Polly Osmond, who worked with Siriano last season as well.

Backstage, we had a chance to catch up with Darcie Louise, who was spearheading the looks for the day. Using Christian Siriano’s makeup line for Victoria’s Secret, the look was characterized as “Modern Retro” with a major emphasis on the brows. Not strong, solid, abrupt brows though, cautioned Darcie. Instead, they were bold brows with a certain wispyness – using pencils and brushes to highlight the natural look.

On Siriano, Darcie says “He’s amazing, a great designer. I think he’s one of the up & coming designers to watch in New York, he’s definitely A-list right now.”

How to get the look?  Darcie walks us through the process:

• First, you need to begin with beautiful cleansed skin, that has been moisturized.
• Because it’s such a strong brow, for this look you begin with foundation first, followed by concealer and then power. The powder is used ONLY in the T-Zone area, because it is a medium matte finish, and you don’t want to do powder all over.
• Next is the brow, the defining piece.  To create this kind of brow, start by defining the brow and creating the brow. Then, use small strokes with either a pencil or brush to emphasize the small hairs.  It’s not about big chunks, but rather wispy individual hairs. Darcie recommends using the brow gel by Victoria Secret as needed as well.
• Next up is the lash: curl the lashes, and apply 3-4 coats of mascara, and apply mascara only lightly to the bottom lash.
• As for the cheeks, she encourages subtle blush contrast, nothing too abrupt.
• Finally, the lip is very strong as well.  It’s a creamy matte lipstick in fuchsia called “Lavish” by Victoria Secret.

Darcie walks us through the ‘look boards’ that Polly & Christian created together:

Hair for the Fall 2010 show was handled by Aveda and we also had a chance to speak to Antoinette Beenders, the Global Director of Aveda, on the vision. “The look is Parisian-inspired,” says Antoinette, “very classic with a wave to it.” Most of the looks would be up do’s, based around the wave, and there would be one look that was down, with the hair curled in waves and over to one shoulder.

They used Aveda’s “Air Control” and were also debuting another line called “Control Force” during fashion week, which is a 24-hour resistant spray, that will be available for the public on June 20^th, 2010.

(Video footage by yours truly, photo by John Simon).