MEET MARIE-LISE!

New York based artist Marie-Lise Lachapelle draws from her artistic heritage and innate passion for creativity for her diverse jewelry collections.

Born and raised in the leafy suburbs of Montreal, she credits her parents for her artistic ambitions. Her entrepreneurial father is also a talented sculptor, and her mother is a painter and former high fashion model.

Marie-Lise's passion for jewelry design began in 2003, soon after moving to New York City. While working as a fashion stylist she started introducing her own creations, which quickly gained favor among celebrities, models, and fashion editors. She launched her first collection in 2005.

Marie-Lise continues to create innovative and stunning pieces. From her signature leaf and lacquered flower collection to her more delicate fine jewelry line she uses nature's most exquisite resources. Her pieces can be customized in sterling silver, gold vermeil, and 18-karat yellow, white, or rose gold. She uses natural semi-precious and precious stones. The combinations are endless.

She approaches each piece like a sculpture, taking from various eras and cultures. Marie-Lise gets her inspiration from the city, love, life, and her travels. She is constantly evolving and learning. Whether working on her own collection or designing original pieces for a client her aim is to create distinctive and contemporary art.

Visit: www.marielise.net

OH HEIDI!

Heidi Klum wows crowd at Victoria's Secret show

NEW YORK — Heidi Klum and her post-baby body led the parade at the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show, which returned to New York with some fresh faces after four years on the road.
The lingerie retailer inducted five more women into its "Angel" ranks — a designation reserved for top models — in front of a packed house Thursday night at the Lexington Avenue Armory. They are Emanuela de Paula, Chanel Iman, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lindsay Ellingson and Candice Swanepoel.
But Klum, who gave birth to a daughter five weeks ago, was the audience favorite in her purple corset covered with a half gown with poufs of tulle. She emerged from the huge, castlelike set to applause.
Musical guest The Black Eyed Peas — especially Fergie, its only female member, who wore a black, jeweled bodysuit — was another crowd-pleaser. She came out later in a green corset gown.
Of course, fashion really is secondary here. Victoria's Secret always puts on an elaborate production (this time with a choir, acrobatic dancers and a giant polka-dot dog balloon) and fuels hype about its models. An online model search started earlier this month and is now down to two contestants, one of whom will be chosen by the public to appear in the televised version of the fashion show that CBS will air Dec. 1.
"I could watch this online, but it's a fun scene," said Russell Simmons from his front row seat. "This show is always fun and a great production."
"It's always a spectacular," agreed costume designer Patricia Field. "Victoria's Secret does that extra thing I like."
Klum, who normally wears the most elaborate outfits, only appeared once so it was former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover girl Marissa Miller who had the honor of wearing a $3 million, diamond-encrusted bra.
Splashy jewels, it seemed, were one of the themes of the show with many models dripping in diamonds, crystals and other bling — while others wore faux fur stoles over their bras and panties. Thigh-high boots were the other must-have accessory.
Outfits fell into one of four themes: Star Trooper with breast plates and body armor; Pink Planet, which had a hippie vibe; the ethereal Enchanted Forest; and Romantic Journey that featured a lot of lace.
Compared to previous years, the overall collection didn't seem as skimpy, although Miranda Kerr wore an itsy-bitsy black thong get-up that might have to be edited out of the TV show.

(Source: Associated Press)

QUEEN OF TALK TO SAY FAREWELL

Oprah will be saying her goodbyes to her 24 year run of her famous and beloved talk show in September 2011. It bears mentioning that there have been announcements and reports that the Queen of Talk would hang it up in the past; in 2002, her plan was to end the show in 2006.
Word is, however, that Oprah will say tomorrow that she is ending her syndicated show in 2011 to focus on OWN, her cable network. Assuming she means it this time, what does this mean for talk TV?
As I say, I'll believe the end of Oprah as a TV broadcaster when I see it. Oprah may be ending her syndication deal, which is rough for her syndicator, CBS TV Distribution. (The New York Times says she is not bringing her show to cable.) But if Oprah Winfrey decides at any time henceforth that she wants to have a TV show, are you going to refuse her one?
That said, it would make a certain sense for Oprah to hang it up while she's still on top. Her ratings have been declining—with syndicated TV at large—in recent years. She has shown over and over again that she's still relevant and can drive the national conversation, as when she hosted Sarah Palin this week and drew her biggest ratings in two years. But if she doesn't want to ride the declining ratings of syndicated TV to the bottom, this would be a good time to make her cable move.
That would, of course, leave an Oprah-sized hole in the daytime firmament for someone to fill: Dr. Phil, Tyra Banks, a player to be named later, etc. Oprah has so dominated daytime for the last couple decades that the daytime audience could be ready for a new star to show up.
Or stars. I'd have to doubt whether any single person can have the wide impact in so many areas that Oprah did. For starters, forget TV: the end of her book club deprives publishers and authors of their biggest outlet, a forum that can break a book nationally in one shot. (She suspended her club for a while earlier this decade, giving publishers palpitations.) She's had effects in pop culture, in spirituality, in product placement and arguably even in politics.
Oprah—if we are entering a post-Oprah era—could be another Johnny Carson or Ed Sullivan: one of the mass aggregators whose like we just won't see again. It could be that the next Oprah will be several Oprahs, specializing, spread across several shows. In the meantime, we'll have to see what she announces about her future plans: for all we know, some of those next Oprahs may just be working for her.

Source: Time Magazine

WARM COAT. WARM HEART.

Drop Off Coats at "GMA's" Times Square Studio or at a Burlington Coat Factory Store.

Many adults and children across the country struggle during the winter months because they are unable to afford proper cold-weather attire. With so many people struggling financial because of the recession, your coat and clothing donations matter this year more than ever.


"Good Morning America," together with retailer Burlington Coat Factory and the nonprofit organization One Warm Coat, once again want to help those in need with its 3rd Annual Warm Coats and Warm Hearts Drive, which kicked off November 1st.

GET VINTAGE!

LONDON — Sporting skinny jeans and a whisper-thin vintage blouse, Kate Moss doesn’t look like a traditional boardroom-bound tycoon. Then again, the supermodel, who oversees an expanding empire of products bearing her name, has made a career out of breaking with convention.

Her arrival on the fashion scene two decades ago brought a new notion of beauty to the fore. Now, she aims to bring her business acumen to the table, too.

“I want to know what goes on behind the scenes, as well, and how to be successful at that part of the industry,” said Moss, who took up residence in Claridge’s, the plush Art Deco hotel here, for a day recently to promote her latest fragrance, dubbed Vintage, which was introduced in Europe earlier this month. “I’ve got some good teachers.”

According to Stephen Mormoris, senior vice president, global marketing, at Coty Beauty, a division of Coty Inc., which holds Moss’ fragrance license, she is eager to track her fragrance portfolio’s performance and discuss how to drive its sales, which now amount to $100 million at retail annually. Vintage is the latest of three Moss fragrances. The first one, called Kate, was launched in 2007. The second, Velvet Hour, made its debut in 2008. A limited edition fragrance, called Kate Summer Time, was launched in March.

As well as overseeing her fragrances with Coty, Moss’ business interests also include a fashion line with Topshop and a hair care brand with hairstylist James Brown. She is keen to take a stake of the makeup market, too.

“I’ve been modeling for 20 years,” she said, adding she estimates she has spent six years in makeup chairs. “Somebody can do my makeup; I don’t even have to look in a mirror to know what it looks like because I just know by what it feels like on my face.”

Mormoris said Coty may look into having Moss create special color cosmetics collections for its Rimmel brand, which she also fronts.

While Moss continues to appear in myriad advertising campaigns — from Yves Saint Laurent to Longchamp — she seems just as comfortable behind the scenes.

“It’s fun for me,” said Moss. “I still model, and I enjoy doing that, as well. Working on the creative process is really interesting for me because I do know what I like, so it’s fun for me to realize that it becomes part of you. It’s not just putting your name on something; it’s about being very involved in it.”

Indeed, she’s hoping 2009 will be a vintage year for fragrance. Vintage, her latest scent, bowed in Europe earlier this month; it will hit shelves in the Middle East in December, and in Asia, Latin America and Australia early next year.

“We believe Vintage will be the biggest Kate Moss fragrance, as it touches what Kate is all about,” said Mormoris, adding he expects the scent will generate first-year sales of $40 million at retail worldwide.

The fragrance’s genesis — Moss’ love for vintage fashion — has much more humble origins.

“I couldn’t really afford designer clothes when I was young, so I just went to secondhand shops,” said Moss, adding among her most treasured possessions are dresses by Madame Grès and lamé pieces from the Thirties. “It wasn’t called vintage then, it was called ‘secondhand’ when I was 15.”

(Source: WWD)

FROM UNGARO TO MOUAWAD

LINDSAY LOHAN has landed another fashion gig just days after designer EMANUEL UNGARO called the work the actress did for him earlier this year (09) a "disaster". The French style guru hired Lohan as a style consultant for his company in September (09) and debuted her first collection during Paris Fashion Week last month (Oct09).
 
But the star's hard work was panned by critics who dubbed her creations an "embarrassment".
And, earlier this week (beg09Nov09), Ungaro spoke out about the actress' disastrous efforts, complaining he was powerless to prevent the deal going ahead because he sold the fashion house in 2005.
He said, "Lindsay Lohan's collaboration was a disaster."
 
But that hasn't stopped jeweller Pascal Mouawad from signing her up as a new style partner.
Lohan tells U.S. news show Access Hollywood, "We’re doing something with a friend who owns bebe. We’re doing a collection for them and we’re also going to be doing some other things."

While on the red carpet for the Nu Pop Movement watch launch at Kitson in West Hollywood Thursday night, Lindsay Lohan announced an upcoming collaboration with jewelry designer Pascal Mouawad.
Mouawad and music producer Jermaine Dupri teamed up to produce the Nu Pop Movement watch collection which includes colorful, oversized cases with funky designers. Lindsay is holding some of the watches in the pictures. You can check out the collection here too.

KNIT WIT

Few things are as versatile as a cardigan, and this one will get you through winter in style. Right now, the temperatures are dropping across the states, so even though we are thinking about spring's fabulous fashions, we can't wear sleeveless just yet--- say hello to your new best friend (and Must Have) the cardigan.

No matter what you're style, there is a cardigan for you. It's all about how you style it too. Chunky jewelry, a bold striped scarf, or a wide belt over the sweater, can make any knit cardigan a fashion DO. 

Not sure what cardigan will work on your body type? Fear no more, here are a few tips to determine which cardigan will work for you!

PETITE. Stick to fine knits that don't overwhelm. Remember it's about balance. Also, embrodiery can definitely flatter your tiny frame. Avoid chunky cable knits, they will drown you.

CURVY. Women with a fuller figure must proceed with caution when choosing a sweater to prevent adding bulk. Detailing or shawl collar can make the eyes go upwards and take attention off the hips and thighs. Belts are also key for girls with curves, enhance your lovely lady lumps and create a waistline!

PEAR SHAPE. Textures are your friend. Think ribbing and vertical woven knits that fall in the middle of your bum to avoid creating width visually. Avoid large pockets or a sloppy drape!

BOYISH.  Stripes or Bust! If you are bustless and have no hips, patterns are your new bestie of the season. Try trims like furs, laces, or studs, embellishments can create the illusion of shapes. Wrap cardigans work great and can really rev up a curveless shape.