Daily Stuff : Boston Fashion Week

Dirty Water TV and STUFF Magazine

webmarketing — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:28:00 GMT

NESN's Dirty Water TV partnered with us to cover Boston Fashion Week 2009. If you missed the premiere last night on NESN, you can check out video below on all our after parties and all the hottest fashion shows. It was a week full of fun and we love re-living it! Here's your Fashion Week fix to tide you over til next year.

VIDEO: Daniela Corte 2008 Collection live at Fashion Week Boston

Erica Corsano — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:27:00 GMT

Argentinean designer Daniela Corte presented her showroom collection at the Mandarin Oriental during Boston Fashion Week 2008, proving that timeless elegance with a little Latina flava makes for one hell of a look. Get the inside scoop from Stuffatnight.com style editor Erica Corsano, ogle the pictures, or just press play and watch the video highlights below!

Emerging Trends at the Jorge Hernandez Cultural Center: Boston Fashion Week Day 8

Erica Corsano — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:35:00 GMT

Thank God it was Friday — the final day of Fashion Week. I’m not going to lie: knowing it was almost over had me feeling some pretty mixed emotions. As much as I had thoroughly enjoyed (and was really proud of) the newly transformed, fashionable Boston, I was ready for some serious R&R, and was okay with going back to a more subdued, only half-fashionable city.

I woke up early to blog (it’s all about you, people) and check out the schedule of events for the day. This was it: one more day. I gave my liver and sore feet a pep talk, threw on a little DVF dress and Reiss pumps, and headed off to Living La Vida Moda, Daniela Corte’s luncheon and fashion show at Sel de la Terre. Although long and slightly disjointed (check out my full-length review of the show here), it proved to be a worthy-of-praise event, and let me tell you, a little midday glass of Champagne can do wonders for a hangover. It gave me the little kick I needed to go back, blog some more, and get ready for my last night of Fashion Week party-hopping.

As I stared at the schedule of events for the day, my eyes got blurry and my head started to spin. There were so many damn events, but only one of me. I based my selection on Web sites and event descriptions and gut feelings. But here are some events I didn’t make it to:

Stilettos to Smiles at Gypsy Bar actually looked a like a fun event for a fabulous cause. And they were doing a date auction, which made this lonely little fashionista go “Hmmm.” But alas, it was on the other side of town, so it got nixed from my list. (But not from our photographers' list: click here to check out the pictures.)

I also missed a show put on by Drea Designs, but judging from the pictures on her MySpace page, I’m sure it was ghetto fabulous without me. It’s a Man’s World Image Consulting and Astor & Black Custom Clothiers threw a bash at Saint. Fine suiting, booze, and free styling tips for dudes — I’m pretty sure that would equal a room full of potentially cute boys. Wait, must focus, must remember that only very bad things happen at Saint — like making out with sports players and getting carried out by a friend’s boyfriend. Saint is like an energy vortex to hoochie-mama hell, where good girls get wild and cheeseballs get laid.

The high-ticket Fashion Exposé 2008 was scheduled for the Taj but got moved to the Marriott, confusing the hell out of guests who showed up to the Taj and were told that the event was cancelled. I’m actually not sure if the show ever went on, but I’m sure glad I decided to skip it — the last thing I needed was more confusion and drama in my life.

I was bummed to miss The Art of Fashion, the Mass College of Art and Design’s Meet the Designers Reception. It was all the way in Natick — yes, Natick. Enough said.

Local designer Nigel Ramsay created a “Fashion Lounge” at Vlora and there was a Meet the Designer Event at Luna Boston. We divided and conquered on the latter. Stuff@night staff writer Erin Souza hit this girl-fest filled with manicures, cupcakes, and cocktails and got to chat with Andrew Cotton, creative director of LA-based celeb-fave handbag line Linea Pelle.

I, on the other hand, started off my evening off at This is Not Fashion, a photo exhibit and kick-off event for photographer David Alsdorf at Turtle in the South End. Guests crammed into the tiny store to get a look at Alsdorf’s odd but beautiful photography. The collection uses hand-drawn and photographic superimpositions to “comment on the depersonalization of fashion models.” I didn’t really connect with the profound meaning of it all, but I was impressed with his photography style.

After a quick pit stop at B&G to re-charge and slurp down some Island Creek oysters before the next event (I was hoping that the hottie surfer boys came with the order, but no such luck), I headed over to Emerging Trends 2008, put on by a company called Synergy Events and held at the Jorge Hernandez Cultural Center in the South End.

I strolled into the event past a very, very long line of people and headed straight for the bar. What’s this, you say? The bar doesn’t open for another hour? What? Why? I was so distraught and confused that I had to sit in an empty auditorium for an hour waiting for a very late fashion show to begin.

In fact, the whole thing just seemed unorganized and poorly run. Event reps were easy to spot with their Synergy lanyards hanging around their necks, but none of them really seemed to know what the hell they were doing. Here’s why: as I chatted with some of the guests that had trickled in, I learned that most of the Synergy production staff were volunteers. A waitress dying to turn fashion insider here, a retail wannabe fashion photographer there. These Synergy people were pretty brilliant: let’s gather up all of the people that are dying to get into fashion and/or entertainment and make them our unpaid staff.

Here’s the un-brilliant part about that, kids: lack of experience. About the only person I encountered who really seemed to know what she was doing was Topaz Boutique creative director Stacey Jethroe.

The show finally began about an hour and a half late. Z-list reality-TV-star emcees, blaring booty music (to which the ever-so-fabulous Bobby Garnett, a/k/a Bobby of Boston, boogied down in his seat — as I’ve said before, this man has carte blanche to dress like a pimp and get down when he damn well feels like it), bright spotlights, and clubby lighting equipment — it all set the tone for what I was sure was about to be a very cheesy waste of my time.

And then something unexpected happened: interesting, well-made, wearable looks started making their way down the runway. (What? No bright-orange spandex and hoochie mamas?) First up was designer James Martinez, from NYC via Texas. He showed futuristic blazers and jackets with exposed zippers and built in iPod pockets — so cool. The next couple of mini shows (designers each showed four looks) were also impressive. Sadly, the designers weren’t local, which was sort of a bummer, but they did put on one hell of a show for the crowd. Still, there were a few serious fashion misses, including a poorly constructed, all-white collection. Futuristic and kind of cool — but so not practical for this season.

Bobby and his team did a tribute to men’s vintage looks, sending down adorable models decked out in old-school garb. It was completely and totally on-trend, with collegiate boys, oversized coats and wide-legged pants, riding boots and capes — so chic! Well-edited and well-styled, the show made me want to go vintage shopping immediately. It may have been my favorite of the night.

By and large, most of the designs on the runway were impressive, and the event was worth the wait. Synergy, if you get your act together and step the quality up a notch and the cheese factor down a notch, you just might be on to something.

— Erica Corsano

VIDEO: Sam Mendoza 2008 Collection

Erica Corsano — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:18:00 GMT

For those of you who couldn't make it into the Liberty Hotel for Boston designer Sam Mendoza's runway show, you can watch the video highlights below. Also check out Stuff@Night style editor Erica Corsano's blog entry on the show here, and click through photos of the best looks here.

Living La Vida Moda with Daniela Corte at Sel de la Terre: Boston Fashion Week Day 8

Erica Corsano — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:42:00 GMT

MORE PHOTOS: Living La Vida Moda with Daniela Corte at Sel de la Terre [SLIDESHOW]

I think Daniela Corte is one hot little tamale, and her jam-packed Friday fashion show luncheon, at the new Sel de la Terre at the Mandarin Oriental, proved that there are a lot of people who feel the same. The Argentinean hottie and MILF extraordinaire presented her current showroom collection at the midday soiree — and showed us that combining timeless elegance with a little Latina flava makes for one hell of a look.

Buzzing fashionistas filled the space, including sweet-as-can-be Chanel director Mary Nobile-King (with her fab new hair cut); photo-snapping Tina Sutton in her iconic black-and-white outfit and bright red lipstick; the geek-chic James Hannon, director of the School of Fashion Design; and Boldfacers.com founder Lisa Pierpont, looking stunning in a Daniela Corte red twist dress, black fishnets, and patent-leather Manolo Blahnik Mary Jane pumps. (Hey Lisa, I’m a size nine and sharing is caring.)

My table included the Globe’s Christopher Muther, Boston magazine’s Alyssa Giaccobe, Elan Sassoon (yes, as in Vidal’s son), Habit owners Pam Santorelli and Leila Moore, and events guru Bryan Rafanelli (who snuck out early — there are fabulous events to be planned in this city, people!).

Before taking my seat, I snuck backstage to find a calm Daniela Corte with Maggie models, a hot-hot-hot Colombian beauty queen, and stylist-turned-model-for-the-day Lauren Franz, all dolled up by MAC makeup artists and hair stylists Seth Selman and Giovanni Cudia, who will both work at the soon-to-open Mizu Salon, headed up by Elan Sassoon and head stylist Charles Maksou. (Maksou, by the way, has his very own publicist now. Nice lady, but a here’s a little advice for her: you can’t tell a journalist what they have to write about; you can make suggestions and craft an intelligent, well-researched pitch that actually makes sense for the publication you are pitching.)

Okay, glad I got that one off my chest. I headed back to my seat to eat the deeeelish gluten-free first course that the lovely folks at Sel de la Terre created for me. Another restaurant that appreciates the difficulty that comes with having a food allergy! (Nebo, Via Matta, Scampo also get kudos for that.)

Enough about food and back to fashion. Corte started the show on a super-high note with what appeared to be a series of themed mini collections within a collection. Models strutted their stuff through the restaurant and posed for a live photo shoot with photog Eric Levin.

There wasn’t an evident overall theme to the show, which took us through a bunch of different trends inspired by various time periods. Corte started with flamenco tiered ruffle dresses and moved on to brightly colored print numbers reminiscent of the Met’s recent superhero exhibit. Made with high-quality materials, the dresses looked completely wearable — it was clear that this collection was designed to be sold, not just for the runway effect. Corte, who’s come a long way in her career, has finally mastered the craft of making clothing that not only looks stunning on the rack, but is also flattering to various shapes and sizes. This is no easy task.

Next up were ’70s-inspired loosely draped sleeveless blouses with mini buttons trailing down the back, paired with ultra-chic, high-waist, wide-legged trousers. Then Corte went back to basics with simple Calvin Klein-looking monotone jersey cut-out dresses in dark blue and gray, followed by sweet, 1950s-inspired wrap dresses and sexy Sterling Cooper secretary looks.

After that things took a geometric turn with sexy sweetheart-top strapless dresses in muted colors with strategically placed bright color blocks. And then we went back to classic, with ladies-who-lunch numbers and roomy bell sleeves. Next Corte went back-to-school cool with berets, leggings, and pin-striped blouses, and then ... is your head spinning yet? Mine was. I’ve mentioned the important looks, but there is no way I can even try to explain some of the random numbers that went down the “runway” towards the end of the show — some of which were last season’s looks that have been sitting in Corte’s showroom for months. I’m talking Starship Enterprise uniforms and slightly trashy black-jersey evening dresses that reminded me of long-gone cheap-chic retailer Rave. Anyone? Anyone? Shit, I’m getting old. (Insert shameless plug for my Studio 54-inspired 30th birthday party on October 25 at Achilles.)

Yeah, so the show took a turn for the worse and went from fabulous to frenetic, slightly all over the place, and just way, way, way too long. Did I mention this show was long?

Daniela, you are a fierce designing diva who is making fabulous waves within the fashion community in Boston by creating wearable takes on high-fashion trends — and we love you for it. Here comes the “but”: when all eyes are on you, only showcase the best of the best, and only show current pieces. Less really can be more.

— Erica Corsano

Fashion Exhibition at Avanti Salon: Boston Fashion Week Night 7

Erica Corsano — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:47:00 GMT

Avanti, September 19. Photo Credit: Bill Downey

MORE PHOTOS: The Fashion Exhibition at Avanti Salon

At about 8:30 last night, my feet started to throb, my eyes glassed over, and I wasn’t forming coherent sentences anymore. But as much as my trusty companion Mike and I were ready to call it quits, there were a few more events to attend.

The first, a collaborative effort by local designers Kristina Kozak, Yuna Yang, Nirva Derbekyan of Nirva, and CinSummer.com founder Christan Summers, was a designer showcase at Avanti Salon. I arrived to find a swarm of people waiting impatiently outside the building. I made my way to the front of the line and asked the security guy if I could head upstairs. After calling someone and disappearing for a few minutes, he finally let me up, where I found a group of frantic, sweaty organizers running around trying to finish setting up.

At this point, I was not impressed. Then I started poking around some of the CinSummer trunk show baubles and checking out Nirva’s dresses (both on models and hanging along the wall). I had been to one of Nirva’s shows a couple of years back at Saint and although the designer herself is super-sweet, her runway show was not. It was another example of the art-and-crafts-ish, unfinished designs that new and inexperienced designers often create.

But these pieces didn’t resemble the work of such a designer. In fact, not only were they finished, they actually looked wearable and saleable. Aside from an awkward yellow number with a maroon apron tied around it and a tweed Chanel-wannabe shift dress with a gray silk bow, Nirva’s pieces were well-made, on trend, and totally splurge-worthy. She’s come a long way as a designer, and it shows. Stand-outs included a strapless taupe party dress with Marchesa-like rose-shaped gathered fabric at the top (it reminded me of a piece Sarah Jessica Parker would rock the red carpet with) and a tan ruffle blouse paired with a mint-green pencil skirt.

As for the trunk-show jewelry, I could have bought every piece. It was a well-edited selection of dainty personal items and funky baubles hand-picked by Christan Summers herself.

Other mentionables from the evening included samples from Kristina Kozak’s handmade shoe collection, and Ki Bar, a new bar-service venture from local bartender Jennifer Murphy. The Ki Bar itself was sort of cool, with pleasant service and flowers in my girly cocktail. It seemed fitting for a fashion event.

And then I opened their marketing packet. Yikes. What was this? Bar service for yoga conferences? Their tag line is “Awaken your brain.” Um, yeah, I don’t know that vodka awakens anything in my brain, but it does make for a killer hangover.

To quote from Ki Bar’s mission:

“The secret to healing your body, mind and soul lies in the energy of ki. When you transform this energy, you will bring about a fundamental shift in your physical and mental behavior and habits. Inspired from the energy that connects the body and soul, we believe that you will achieve ki through the awakening of your brain.”

Really? Are we really comparing getting tipsy to a spiritual experience? Ki Bar, you had me with that floral, fruity drink and cool set-up, but you lost me with your wacky mantras. About the only thing that awakens my soul in relation to a night of drinking is a stiff cup of coffee and a cold shower.

— Erica Corsano

StuffAtNight.com presents Fashionista at Macy's: Boston Fashion Week Day 7

Erica Corsano — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:07:00 GMT

SLIDESHOW: FASHIONISTAS AT MACY'S [59 IMAGES]

On night seven of Fashion Week, I headed over to Macy’s in Downtown Crossing. The promotions team at Stuff@Night had pimped me out to emcee and give style tips at their Fashionistas event. I have to say, there are a million worse things in life than being forced to shop and drink — or is it drink and shop? Who’s counting, anyway?
The event brought together an interesting mix of industry and common folk. Gianni Mazzotta from Peroni beer, one of the event’s sponsors, flew in from New York for this and other Fashion Week festivities. (A side note: I’ve known Gianni for eons — we share a cousin and have encountered each other at many an Italian family function, where adorable little old ladies from the old country pinch our cheeks, the men play bocce ball in the back, and the fashion is all very Sopranos.)

I wanted to calm my nerves before announcing the show, so I had Phoenix VP Mike Bornhorst grab me one of the yummy little Absolut (another event sponsor) concoctions. Funny thing about me: shove me in front of a camera or on the radio and I’ll own it. Live crowds, not so much. And thanks, Brady Bunch, but envisioning everyone in their undies just doesn’t work for me.

I managed to stop my hands from shaking long enough to get up on stage, thank the sponsors, and announce the first of two shows. Styled by the über-talented Lydia Santangelo, the show was colorful, funky, and fun, and the models (I think mostly from Maggie) looked adorable and totally rocked the runway. I was taking many mental notes for my own personal shopping list. There was a time when the thought of shopping at Macy’s downtown made me cringe. Downtown Crossing is dingy (thankfully the city has big plans to clean it up) and just not my cup of tea. And to be honest — I always am — the selection just didn’t seem contemporary enough. But the retailer has completely stepped up their game recently. Their “Impulse” section, where my “editor’s closet” was stationed, had a really fun mix of French Connection, Ben Sherman, Matty M, BCBG Maxazria, and more. I went home with a cream-colored fringe top from French Connection. Actually, I didn’t go home with it; I put on in the car to wear out to the next event — and may have excited (or offended) a few parking-garage attendants in the process. Sorry, guys, a fashionista’s gotta do what a fashionista’s gotta do ...

— Erica Corsano

Frette sneak peak: Boston Fashion Week Day 7

Erica Corsano — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:25:00 GMT

I have no clue what day it is, but I do know it’s almost over. Fashion Week, that is. That’s not to say that I’m not thoroughly enjoying myself this week, but my liver and I had a chat last night, and it’s not happy with me.

Day seven of Boston Fashion Week had me once again running around like a madwoman and trying hard to form coherent sentences while doing it. I woke up in the outfit I wore to bed the night before — no judging; I know you’ve all done it. Thankfully, I’d remembered to cleanse and moisturize my face before I went to sleep. (Insert shameless plug for my sister’s beauty line, Terme di Fontecchio Umbria, sold at the Beauty Mark on Charles Street. Hey, a girl’s gotta help her family out.)

A quick shower and a few gobs of under-eye concealer later, I was out the door and on my way to PR pro Lynne Kortenhaus’s incredible home in Charlestown for a Frette press preview. (Frette is set to open this fall in the new Mandarin Oriental.)

It was slightly more civilized than my prosecco-and-Campari-drinking, party-hopping Fashion Week evenings have been. I arrived at the same time as a normally very sweet local editor. She was not happy, and boy, did it show. Maybe she was having a bad day, who knows — but I do know that a martini straight up can turn that frown upside down. Anyway, on this day, the devil did wear Prada — or was it Valentino?

But I digress. Back to zillion-thread-count sheets. Lynne’s home had been transformed into a showroom for all things Frette. $1800 sheets, a $4000 cashmere blanket — oh God, they were all so soft, I just wanted to touch them ... maybe roll around in them ... maybe roll them up when no one was looking and throw them out the window for my accomplice to catch and run away with. (Sheets? What sheets? Lynne must have had the beds stripped before we got here.)

Even if the ultra-lux linens are out of your budget, thankfully Frette, like any smart luxury brand, also offers small accessories, candles, and room sprays while you work your way up to the $6000 mink throw. A girl can dream.

Sam Mendoza at the Liberty: Boston Fashion Week Day 6

Erica Corsano — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:03:00 GMT

SLIDESHOW: SAM MENDOZA RUNWAY SHOW

Sam Mendoza has the potential to be the next Esteban Cortazar or Zac Posen. Really. I can remember attending one of Cortazar’s first shows a few years back. The crowd was packed with NYC socialites and Naomi Campbell was in the show — but the clothing was just so-so and not properly finished. It looked hand-done in an “I’m being crafty in my basement” sort of way. Cortazar has since learned about finishing and quality and is now the designer charged with the task of breathing new life into the house of Ungaro. It’s all very impressive.

I’m retelling this little tale because I see the same creative genius in the young Sam Mendoza. His show last night was the talk of the town, and anyone who’s anyone in the industry was there — and then some. After a cocktail party on the fifth floor of the Liberty Hotel, guests made their way downstairs to the main ballroom. I found my seat and took a look around at the wine-sipping crowd, some buzzed and all very anxious — there was just so much hype surrounding the fall/winter debut of Boston’s darling young designer. Sitting nearby were Boston Common’s Anna Levitan and our very own Mike Diskin, who were quickly becoming front-row runway buddies; Rachel Baker and Max Buccini, who were on the show’s event committee; FB’s Alex Hall, wearing a fierce vintage (I can use the word vintage when referring to the ’90s, right?) Dolce suit; PR maven Kerry Landry in a sexy-not-trashy little black number with a lace-up back that exposed her bra — H-O-T; Red Sox gal pals Kelli Pedroia and Tiffany Ortiz; and the list goes on and on. Bravo, Sam, to you and your mentor and employer, Stil’s Betty Riaz, for gathering such a crowd.

Inspired by Sam’s trip to India where he visited his college roommate’s family (who were seated in the front row at the Liberty), the show itself was pretty fantastic. The models, made up of BU buddies and Dynasty models, “worked it” well. The hair, done by the I Soci team, was perfect in a messy-meets-luxury-meets-hot-and-smelly- streets-of-India sort of way. And the makeup, by Shu Uemura, also fit the glam-gal-walking-the-streets-of-Bombay bill: the models’ muted lips gave dark and smoky feather-fluttering eyes the spotlight.

Sam’s brother David and his fellow-RISD-student friend created ankle bracelets made of beads and bells to accompany the looks (and almost cause a major runway accident; Lisa Baker and I came to the rescue, brushing remnants of a broken ankle bracelet off the runway), and Luna Boston provided slightly-too-geometric-looking shoes for the affair.

And then came the clothes. I cannot stress enough what a creative genius this kid is. But — and I know you could feel the but coming — he needs to unleash his full potential by going to New York, Paris, or Milan to work for and learn from one of the great fashion masters. And I think he might secretly know it, too.

The looks were interesting, and some were pretty unique, but they just weren’t perfectly finished, and I couldn’t actually see go into production and be sold at stores. Not to mention the fact that the entire collection had a spring/summer — not fall/winter — feel to it.

The first two looks (blue and yellow sashed mini-dresses) were forgettable. Then came some bright colors and streets-of-Bombay-meets-structured looks that I really liked, especially one dress in particular, with a white/crème-ish top, thin silk brown belt/bow, and pink-and-white-striped pleated bottom. For those of you who don’t know anything about sewing, inverted pleating is hard to do, and this was really well-done and very well-finished.

One of my favorite parts of the show was a very public salute to Sam’s mother in the front row, who flew here from Houston to cheer her son on. That not only showed class, but also an appreciation for family and roots.

Note to Sam: your humble nature, paired with your innate ability to see all of the colors our world has to offer, is what is going to make you a great designer — and if properly trained, potentially one of the greatest designers to come out of this city.

Esteban who?

— Erica Corsano

A Night Out With Mary Alice Stephenson: Boston Fashion Week Day 6

Erica Corsano — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:44:00 GMT

MORE PHOTOS: MARY ALICE STEPHENSON AT SAKS' FALL WANT-IT TRENDS

Cab to Saks Fifth Avenue: $10.

Hot pumps from Intermix: $300.

Seeing Mary Alice Stephenson dial her old BU pal Manos the nightclub lord from Mike Diskin’s phone to make plans to go to Underbar later: fucking priceless.

Yuka Okajima, move over: I may have a new girl crush. Don’t get me wrong — I still want to have tea and meet your family in Japan. But at the moment I’m just slightly smitten with the ever-so-fabulous Mary Alice Stephenson.

MasterCard welcomed the style expert and fashion’s resident babe to Saks Fifth Avenue at the Pru last night for an informal fashion show of “Fall’s Want It!” trends. It wasn’t really an event, per se — it was more of a style-ambush PR stunt. But it was kind of cool nevertheless. Mary Alice picked out unsuspecting shoppers and paid for their loot (with a MasterCard, of course) while photographers caught it on camera. Me, me, me! Mary Alice, pick me — I really need this Pucci dress! I guess I was disqualified for being there to interview her. Damn it, I should have gone incognito. Bitter. Very bitter.

Moving on. When I first approached her before the style ambushes began, Mary Alice greeted me with a huge smile (BTW, are those veneers or just some serious whitening?) and said, “Oh my God, you look so cute, great outfit.” My heart stopped. This woman has seen models like Gisele naked, and she was digging my look. And so the girl crush began.

We got to chitchatting about peeps we know in common from my New York days, and I discovered she went to BU. Wait, I went to BU. It was all just too fabulous to take. She told me about her days partying at BU and mentioned a man named Manos. Mike Diskin (who I forced to be my photographer for the night) chimed in, “Hey, I know Manos” (of course he does). “He’s a promoter in this city; I have his number in my phone.” Mike flipped to this dude’s number on his contact list and Mary Alice proceeded to call the nightclub lord, who invited her to Underbar later.

I loved that a TV personality and style guru to the stars was making plans — on Diskin’s phone, no less — to hang out with a nightclub promoter later that night, after she was done being glamorous, doing interviews, and ambushing unsuspecting Saks shoppers. Truly priceless. Thank you, MasterCard.

Once her plans for later were made (p.s.: she asked us to come with her), I asked the sparkle princess a few questions. I knew the various PR ladies surrounding her would have liked me to ask a bunch of softballs about the “Want It” trends and gush about how fabulous it is to have a MasterCard, but my card is probably not nearly as fabulous as hers. And anyway, I’m much more interested in her life, her BFF Liv Tyler, and getting her contact information so we can hang out in Brooklyn. (Did I mention that I’m dying my hair blonde and getting a bob cut and veneers? Single White Female’s got nothing on me.)

Q: Which celebrities do you currently style?
A: I do red carpet for Michelle Monahan. She’s eight months pregnant but just wore this incredible Lanvin dress for her movie premiere. I also style magazine covers for Harper’s Bazaar and have worked with a lot of different celebrities, like Jennifer Lopez and Liv Tyler.

Q: What’s the story with Liv? People say you’re BFF. How did you meet?
A: We are really good friends. She is a fantastic, normal, real person. I styled her for a Harper’s Bazaar cover and that’s how we met. Then I started styling her for the red carpet. When we became really good friends it was hard to be her stylist. You have to work hard at being professional.

Q: What’s your best TV gig ever?
A: CNN is great, but I have to say it was this show I did: America’s Most Smartest Model is by far the best. It is a fun, kooky spoof. I believe the models I have worked with — Tyra, Gisele, Heidi — they are so smart. I wanted to debunk the myth that models are dumb.

Q: Have you had any Devil Wears Prada moments in your career?
A: Oh, I’ve had many — but I’ll never tell you about it, honey! I will say that everything you do, you have to do with style, authenticity, and grace. There’s an old school and a new school in fashion. Some of the old-school editors broke ground for people like you and me. They are stars and responsible for some of the incredible imagery coming out of this century. When you are striking and good at what you do, you have to be powerful and strong, and that takes a lot of strength and energy and being able to deal.

It’s a kinder and gentler fashion industry now. This used to be a very insular biz and now, thanks to TV and the Internet, editors are being put in the spotlight and have to like to do everything and be more versatile. There is enough to go around for everyone.

Q: What about when Nina Garcia wants a dress and Anna Wintour wants the same dress?
A: When Anna wants a dress, Anna gets the dress. But let’s talk about Saks and fall trends!

Q: Okay, okay: tell me about this list and some of your personal picks for fall.
A: You and I know a lot about fashion, but the average woman coming in off the street has so much coming at her. The list makes it easy for real women. It’s really helpful. I personally like the statement necklace. It’s an easy, fast way to update your look and create a “wow moment” around your neck. I also love the romantic blouse. Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana all did them. It doesn’t have to be puritan — just super feminine.

Q: How do you feel about fall’s return to elegance?
A: I’m happy that fall is all about glamour and elegance. The runway can get vulgar. Fashion is about real clothes and accessories, not a strip of fabric.

— Erica Corsano

VIDEO: La Perla 2008 Collection

Carly Carioli — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:02:00 GMT

In case Erica Corsano's wrapup and John Nikolai's photos weren't enough for you, here's runway-side video of LaPerla's 2008 collection, from the InterContinental Boston last weekend. Check back soon for more Fashion Week Boston video.

La Perla at Intercontinental: Fashion Week Boston Day Two

Erica Corsano — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:59:00 GMT

Boston Fashion Week; venue:Intercontinental Hotel

LA PERLA FASHION SHOW: 24 PHOTOS [CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW]

Day two of Fashion Week brought an interesting mix of events — and a breath of fresh air. I started my evening at the InterContinental Hotel’s steamy and elaborate La Perla fashion show, partly conjured up by local photographer Arturo.

The evening began with a cash bar, live mini orchestra, and photo exhibition. The crowd was an interesting one, to say the least. Event-goers were a mix of devoted yogis (the event’s proceeds will go to yogaHOPE), reps from sponsor Otis & Ahearn, attractive and well-dressed couples, and a few — and there really is no other way to phrase this — hoochie mamas. Excess cleavage, tight mini dresses, and fuck-me pumps were scattered among the otherwise classy crowd. In fact, two of these “ladies” (hanging on the arm of a pimped-out, bedazzled gentleman friend) were ousted from the front row by the host Arturo himself. Drama.

Overall, guests were classy and seriously stylish, including publicist Nicole Kanner, in a black Susana Monaco tube dress and wooden beaded necklace. She also made one of the smartest wardrobe choices of the evening: pairing her simple dress with flat gold strappy sandals. Brilliant. Apparently her feet were beat from the previous night’s fabulous FB soiree and Achilles Project after-party. Smart, smart girl — my throbbing feet were jealous.

After spotting a few photo-worthy looks (and drool-worthy Louboutins), I headed into the ballroom to find my seat: front row between my favorite trash-eating friend, Stuff@night creative director Mike Diskin, and the vivacious Anna Cheshire Levitan, fashion-editor-at-large at Boston Common. I knew it was going to be a fun night.
Before the show actually began, there was an incredible opera performance by a stunning Boston Conservatory student and a student pianist, followed by a teary speech by the yogaHOPE founder Sue Jones. Okay, full stop for just for a second. We didn’t get the connection: opera, yoga, and hot lingerie. Not to mention the fact that although my heart really goes to Sue Jones, and I fully support and believe in her incredible cause, the speech was a tad bit long and had most guests squirming in their seats. Her story was touching and I cannot stress enough how much I respect this woman and her organization. But the speech, well, it was all a little too much and made me feel like I was at a self-help meeting rather than a luxury fashion show.

When the show finally did begin, I was pleasantly surprised. It was well-produced (bravo to producer Mary Garthe Associates), well-styled (except for the occasional loose strap or two) and one of the best runway shows I’ve seen in Boston (second to last winter’s incredible Ferragamo show at the Institute of Contemporary Art). Sure, the models (from Dynasty) weren’t all New York or Milan runway material, but these girls strutted their stuff, looked hot doing it, and had every man (and surely some women) in the audience fantasizing.

At one point I looked over to see Glen Kelley (publisher of Boston Common) taking notes. I joked with my row mates that it could have been a note to himself: “Get model number four’s number before I leave today.”

And why not? These girls looked sexy, classy, and beautiful. Kudos to Pini Swissa and his hair and makeup crew, and also to the La Perla team — I really did love the looks. Just three notes to the stylist: the shoes were not luxurious or fabulous enough to go with the incredible lingerie; a little double-sided tape would have held up loose straps; and spray-on concealer does wonders for hiding blemishes, stretch marks, and scars.

Other show-goers include photographer Eric Levin (who was probably thinking that his Barstool Sports girls could use a little La Perla), Intercontinental GM Tim Kirwan, and the dapper Roy MacDowell of the MacDowell Company, who’s totally dreamy. And for all the folks I didn’t know, thankfully I had the simply adorable Intercontinental PR coordinator Abby Shoolman by my side to fill me in on the who’s who, what’s what, and where’s where. Thanks, Abby!

— Erica Corsano

READ: FULL BOSTON FASHION WEEK COVERAGE

Fashion Week Friday: Achilles After-Party

Erica Corsano — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 23:33:00 GMT

Thank you, Greek gods of Fashion Week, for keeping the alcohol flowing and getting the post-FB crowd sloshed, which provided for some delicious tales for us to gossip about.

Achilles was definitely the after-party to attend last night. Sorry, Rocca, but your no-DJ, wine-sipping, elbow-rubbing soiree could not have been as fun and juicy as this party, complete with drunken public make-out sessions, happily-married editors talking dirty, and gushing gals throwing themselves at the hunky Island Creek Oyster boys (who looked like hottie little surfer dudes with long hair) and their two handsome leaders. Even the Boston Ballet crowd made an appearance and got their drink on in a major way, proving that they are not prim, proper, or boring but actually the life of the party. Local designer darling Jess Meyer and her boyfriend Tim Pappas were also there; Jess was looking adorable and sported what I believe to be an alcohol-induced perma-smile. Well done, darling.

And as always, the local hipster kids added fashion flavor and plenty of dancing. Hey DJ, thanks for playing all of our pop favorites and oldie-but-goodies — that’s the kind of music anyone can dance to, multi-colored sneakers or not.

— Erica Corsano

READ: FULL BOSTON FASHION WEEK COVERAGE

Fashion Boston Anniversary Party: Boston Fashion Week Day One

Erica Corsano — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 20:16:00 GMT

Fashionistas, socialites, and a few fashion freaks flocked to FB’s one-year anniversary party last night at the Seaport World Trade Center. The event, filled with local scenesters, media folks, and, of course, Boston’s notorious party crashers, featured food from some of the city’s top chefs, MAC makeovers, Lux Bond & Green bauble try-ons, and a live fashion photo shoot.

>>NEW BLOG: FULL BOSTON FASHION WEEK COVERAGE

After convincing the stress cases at the door that I was on the guest list, I walked in to find a bunch of ladies lined up to try on a fur coat and get their picture taken in a luxury Buick on a red carpet. Really? I guess it was an attempt to make everyone feel fabulous, or to fill the other half in on what it’s like to actually own the luxury goods featured or advertised in the publication.

Not really into the photo opp, I moved on — or, rather, tried to move on — and got caught in a wind tunnel that totally messed up my hair. (Damn it — I worked hard on that “messy” wannabe-Sienna-Miller look!)

Once past the wind tunnel, with drink in hand (thanks to my adorable friend Matthew), I gained my composure and stood close to the entrance to gawk a bit, find my favorite style subjects, and take it all in. And I mean take it all in — including the beefy topless boys walking around in their undies. Not really sure what their purpose was, but some of them were really yummy to look at.

Aside from the scantily-clad hired help and slightly tacky fur try-on, the event had good mix of things to do and see. Kudos to the FB team for the live photo shoot. The average person doesn’t get to see all the hard work that goes into producing a shoot (cue the little violins in my head). This shoot, set to run in their October issue, actually welcomed guests to jump in and work it for the camera; one lucky winner will actually be pictured in the spread.

As for the party-goers’ fashion, I give the crowd a B+. There were some truly stunning looks, and I would have said A- if it weren’t for the weird costume-y looks scattered throughout the room. I’m talking flapper-inspired get-ups, homemade theater-worthy numbers, and bright fishnet tights and feathers everywhere. People, choose one — not all — of the above when attending the style event of the season! The only man who’s allowed to show up in costume is the vintage pimp himself, Bobby of Bobby of Boston — and he did. So fabulous.

Guests worthy of mention included Stil owner Betty Riaz and her husband Ali, who busted a move on the dance floor with the Stil staff, noting that “You were, like, five when this song even came out.” Okay, I must admit I didn’t know who Samantha Fox was, but I thoroughly enjoyed “Naughty Girls (Need Love Too).”

Other notables include PR mavens Joanna Roffo, Nicole Russo, and Kate Shamon; Tony Nunziante from the mayor’s office; style icon Marilyn Riseman; the adorable BMag ladies Rachel Baker and Sascha de Gersdorff; and an extra-bubbly Maria Lekkakos with her hunky BF Marc Harris. Lekkakos told me that I look like Drew Barrymore. I was hoping for her to say Salma Hayek, but hey, I’ll take it. Thanks, Maria — if you ever get tired of your hunky boyfriend, let me know … maybe he has a thing for Drew look-alikes.

From Fenway to the Runway: Boston Fashion Week Day One

Erica Corsano — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:44:00 GMT

Let me just start off by saying that I am completely and totally obsessed with Yuka Okajima, wife of Red Sox pitcher and equally adorable Hideki Okajima. She is just the sweetest thing to happen to American baseball since — whatever, I don’t have an historical point of reference — let’s just say EVER. She is so incredibly adorable. We met at yesterday’s seventh-annual “From Fenway to the Runway” event, held this year at the Natick Collection. The yearly luncheon is a favorite among local socialistas and brings in a ton of cash for an incredible cause: the Red Sox Foundation.

So what exactly happens at this ladies-who-lunch, invite-only, expensive daytime soiree? Hosted by Liz Brunner of WCVB-TV Channel 5 (who, by the way, has killer arms), the event is an informal runway show featuring the wives and significant others of Red Sox organization gents, plus a live auction.

>>NEW BLOG: FULL BOSTON FASHION WEEK COVERAGE

Okay, back to my new obsession. Yuka, I promise not to send you countless e-mails or use the cell phone number you gave me — that is, once you accept my invitation to have tea and go shopping together, become my best friend forever, and take me to visit your friends and family in Japan.

Ms. Okajima was a total stand-out in the fashion show, wearing a bright purple sweater dress, a diamond dragon broach, and gray suede boots. She strutted her stuff with a confident but cute demeanor, looking adorable, so adorable . . . have I mentioned that she is adorable? Okay, I’m sorry, enough about my new girl crush. Moving on . . .

Other stand-outs included Tiffany Ortiz, in an über-ladylike little blue belted number, Brooke Shields-esque flowing hair, and a killer necklace from Tiffany & Co. A few words for Tiffany O: stick with this politician’s-wife-chic look; you were truly stunning, and I’m sure it’s a style even the hip-hop dressing, gold-chain wearing Big Papi can appreciate.

Anna Delcarmen, wife of pitcher Manny Delcarmen, also looked stunning in her gemmed Paul Smith dress from Stil. And let me also just give a huge shout-out to the adorably pregnant Ashley Papelbon: you work it, girl, in those five-inch killer pumps and your cute little bump. Note to God: let me look that good preggers!

Lunch itself was slow and mediocre, the room was way too bright, and sitting at a $350-a-VIP-ticket event in a mall food court with gawking onlookers is not exactly my cup of tea. Clearly event organizer Kortenhaus Communications was trying to do a good thing for its other client, the Natick Collection, but this event is much more fun in a private venue — sans the uncomfortably bright sunlight and mall audience. Lastly, Kortenhaus, when you run an event, try not to look like you’re nervous and miserable — it makes the rest of us feel uncomfortable. I love you, but just a little advice.

My last and final comment about the daytime charity soiree: Kelsey Hawkins — longtime sweetheart of my personal sweetheart, Jacoby Ellsbury (you lucky, lucky girl) — and I had a chance to chat while her beau’s autographed base was being auctioned off. The bids started at $2000; she looked stunned that anyone would pay that amount for a white plastic square, whispering, “Oh God — that’s crazy,” under her breath. I agreed — I’m just not a fan of signed sports paraphernalia, even from my baseball sweetheart.

— Erica Corsano