Get : Life

Set Sale: Alo, Boutique Fabulous, Firefly Jewelry & Gifts, Runway Salon, and more

Katelyn Harding — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:07:00 GMT

Alo (58 JFK Street, Cambridge, 617.576.0948): ongoing, 25 percent and up off select Nicole Miller dresses; up to 75 percent off all shoes. Boutique Fabulous (1309 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, 617.864.0656): through May 6, up to 75 percent off select jewelry. Firefly Jewelry & Gifts (270 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.375.5885): through April 30, 40 percent off select jewelry. Runway Salon (11 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.375.0002): ongoing, $25 haircut for first-time clients. Twilight (12 Fleet Street, Boston, 617.523.8008): through April 30, donate an old evening gown and receive 15 percent off one item. Velvet Fly (424 Hanover Street, Boston, 617.557.4359): through April 30, 25 percent off all spring jackets and outerwear. Wish (49 Charles Street, Boston, 617.227.4441): through May 6, buy one pair of jeans, get a second pair half off.
E-mail sale news to style@stuffatnight.com.

Tasting Tuesdays at Lobby Bar & Kitchen

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:05:00 GMT

TUESDAY, APRIL 29
We don't usually have a problem ordering blindly off a cocktail list, but sometimes we find ourselves questioning exactly what we're sipping. So we've begun a little post-work education at Tasting Tuesdays, held approximately every two weeks at Lobby Bar & Kitchen (131 Broad Street, Boston, 617.261.5353). Running from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and a steal at just $25 per person, the events pair a thematic libation (tonight, rosé wines from around the world) with coordinating bites prepared by executive chef Donley Liburd. The evening is relaxed yet informative - only tipples with a story to tell make the cut - and we admit we get a cheap thrill out of drinking in "class." Call ahead for reservations (highly recommended due to space limitations) and visit www.lobbyboston.com for details on upcoming events; a tequila tasting, "Beer & Baseball," and a ladies' seminar on summery white wines are in the works.

Miss Coco Peru at Mantra

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:59:00 GMT

FRIDAY, APRIL 25
Mantra (52 Temple Place, Boston, 617.542.8111) has been many things: polished downtown eatery, well-heeled late-night lounge . . . and tonight, with an appearance by Miss Coco Peru, lively cabaret. The larger-than-life personality, who's appeared in the cult-classic film Girls Will Be Girls along with guest spots on Will & Grace and Arrested Development, puts on so much more than just a drag show. Her performance - part stand-up act, part song and dance, part everything else - is, in a word, absolutely fabulous. (Okay, two words.) Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7; admission is $20.

Soul Clap Thursdays at Whiskey Park

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:58:00 GMT

THURSDAY, APRIL 24 & MAY 1
Sometimes we find ourselves favoring the post-work-cocktails, home-by-nine routine. But for nights when we're looking to extend our evening into the wee hours, we've discovered a new weekly event that caters to city sophisticates: Soul Clap Thursdays at Whiskey Park (64 Arlington Street, Boston, 617.542.1482). DJs Eli Goldstein and Charles Levine, the two dynamic halves of Soul Clap, spin a mix of genres, the clientele skews toward urban professional, and the party runs from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. There's no cover charge, RSVPs, or guest lists, either.

The Kills at the Paradise Rock Club

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:56:00 GMT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30
She's from Florida, he's from England - at first glance, not much in common. But when Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince met in a South London hotel, the duo realized they were melodious kindred spirits. (Both went to art school and obsessed over the Velvet Underground.) Thus the Kills and their brand of gritty, edgy indie punk rock were born. Mosshart and Hince (a/k/a "VV" and "Hotel") play the Paradise Rock Club (967 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.562.8800) tonight at 8 p.m.; doors open at 7, and Telepathe supports. General-admission tickets ($12) are at www.ticketmaster.com or 617.931.2000.

Atmosphere at the Roxy

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:55:00 GMT

SATURDAY, APRIL 26
You've been shopping at Bodega for years and still feel smug about your underground urban wear. Why don't you talk the talk with some underground hip-hop to match? Masters of poetic lyrics and pioneers of introspective rap Ant and Slug of Atmosphere perform tonight at the Roxy (279 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.338.7699). And coming out to hear the thought-provoking prose of these Minnesota indie rappers will give you a chance to wear your new Karmaloop hoodie. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or 617.931.2000.

Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra at Scullers Jazz Club

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:54:00 GMT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23
As suckers for anything indie, we're thrilled that Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra is coming to town to perform tonight at Scullers Jazz Club (400 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, 617.562.4111). The 18-piece genre-bending jazz orchestra takes the music of the notoriously innovative (and, in the fashion world, iconic) Björk and presents it in downtown New York jazz style. Members of the groundbreaking band have performed and/or recorded with everyone from Dr. Dre to the Arcade Fire, making Bjorkestra a spectacle not to be missed. The show starts at 8 p.m.; tickets, which are $20 for the show and $65 with dinner, are available at www.ticketweb.com or 617.562.4111.

“Wedded Bliss, The Marriage of Art and Ceremony” at the Peabody Essex Museum

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:45:00 GMT

SATURDAY, APRIL 26 - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Even if the word "marriage" tends to inspire in you little more than a cold sweat, it's impossible to deny the cultural and emotional significance of the ceremony. (Relax, Mom: you're gonna have to wait a few more years for those grandkids.) The Peabody Essex Museum (161 Essex Street, Salem, 978.745.9500) explores those concepts and more with "Wedded Bliss, The Marriage of Art and Ceremony." The collection of more than 130 objects from around the world, all produced between the 18th century and the present, ranges from a traditional gown by Priscilla of Boston to the diamond nuptial crown of Russian Empress Alexandra to a Tiffany & Co. bracelet commissioned for a Civil War general's wife. Works by Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and Winslow Homer are also on display. General museum admission is $15 for adults; stop by on opening day for special events including cake-designing demonstrations and a screening of Monsoon Wedding. @

Independent Film Festival of Boston at the Somerville Theatre, the Brattle Theatre, and the Coolidge Corner Theatre

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:42:00 GMT

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23 - TUESDAY, APRIL 29
Since we couldn't swing the trip out to Sundance in February, we'll be sure to get our indie-film fix at the Independent Film Festival of Boston, with screenings at the Somerville Theatre (55 Davis Square, Somerville, 617.625.5700), the Brattle Theatre (40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617. 876.6837), and the Coolidge Corner Theatre (290 Harvard Street, Brookline, 617.734.2500). Highlights include We Are Wizards, a documentary about Harry Potter-inspired rock bands; Mary Stuart Masterson's directorial debut The Cake Eaters; and Eleven Minutes, which chronicles Project Runway winner Jay McCarroll's first fashion show post-Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn. Pass holders are invited to nightly parties with attending celebrities and filmmakers. With all this glamour, who needs Park City? To purchase passes and for a list of show times and locations, visit www.iffboston.org.

Spin at the Plaza Black Box Theatre

Heather Bouzan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:39:00 GMT

THROUGH FRIDAY, MAY 9
These days, political campaigns fraught with scandal have become pretty much the status quo. Of course, no matter how many times the shit hits the fan, the campaign manager's job never gets any easier. The Zeitgeist Stage Company's production of Spin (incidentally, the show's New England premiere and only the second production in the US) follows win-at-all-costs campaign manager Jerry, who's running the campaign of leading presidential candidate Henry Champlain. When a rival team threatens to go public with details of a sex scandal involving the candidate's wife, Jerry goes into hyper-drive and Champlain is forced to make a major decision. Part comedy, part political thriller, Spin closes out the company's season in the Plaza Black Box Theatre (Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.426.5000). Tickets ($35) are available at www.bostontheatrescene.com or 617.933.8600.

Andrew Haddad@Night: Man on the move

Erin Byers Murray — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:38:00 GMT

WHETHER ANDREW Haddad is cruising Newbury Street to check out how business is going at I-Boutique and Cafeteria (both of which he co-owns), hosting events with his promo company, or traveling to New York or Los Angeles for retail buying trips, he's almost always on the move. We caught up with him on his way to Miami for some R&R to find out where the Newton resident likes to spend his nights off.

@ 6:15 p.m.: I'm usually closing up the store and will take a walk down to the restaurant to see what's going on there. I might stop by Bar 10 for a drink afterwards.

@ 7:30 p.m.: I like to stop by home before heading to the South End for dinner. I love going to Stella. I think the whole atmosphere there is unbelievable. Everything - the service, the food - is on point, so I'm actually there two or three nights a week.

@ 9:45 p.m.: I'll probably go to Ivy or Mantra or Teatro after dinner, just to stop in for a drink.

@ midnight: I'll pass by Jer-ne inside the Ritz, or maybe Abe & Louie's, to grab one more drink.

@ 2 a.m.: It's late so I'm making my way home. My day starts at 10 a.m. so it's time for me to get some rest.

[Photo by Ian Barnard]

Set Sale: Alo, Betsy Jenney, Ku De Ta, Twilight, and Velvet Fly

Katelyn Harding — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:15:00 GMT

Alo (58 JFK Street, Cambridge, 617.576.0948): ongoing, 25 percent off select Nicole Miller dresses; up to 75 percent off all shoes. Betsy Jenney (114 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.536.2610): ongoing, 75 percent off everything in the "Betsy Jenney Bargain Basement" sale room. Ku De Ta (663 East Broadway, South Boston, 617.269.0008): through April 22, mention Stuff@night and receive 10 percent off entire purchase. Twilight (12 Fleet Street, Boston, 617.523.8008): ongoing, up to 50 percent off select merchandise. Velvet Fly (424 Hanover Street, Boston, 617.557.4359): through April 30, 25 percent off all spring jackets and outerwear. E-mail sale news to style@stuffatnight.com.

Talent Scout: Bless Mazarura of Bless by Bless Couture

Erica Corsano — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:44:00 GMT

VERY SELDOM does a clothing line inspire. (By "inspire," we're not referring to the rush that some of us get after purchasing a fabulous new handbag or viewing our favorite designer's latest runway show, but rather true inspiration.) But local designer Bless Mazarura takes the concept of clothing to a higher, almost karmic level. His Bless Couture collection, he says, goes "beyond fashion," adding, "Every garment is designed to inspire and is created as an affirmation to instill hope, faith, and love - the greatest of all."

After escaping poverty in his homeland of Zimbabwe, Mazarura came to the United States to start a new life, leaving his sick, poverty-stricken mother behind. According to Mazarura, fashion was her salvation: "As a child, I saw my mother suffer. She would sew cheap clothing with a 1975 Singer machine for a living, and it saved her life." Today his mother still lives in poverty in Zimbabwe, but Mazarura hopes that the profits from his line will help "save" her and others suffering in her region.

Part rapper-meets-rocker, part urban fashionista, Mazarura's line consists of high-end T-shirts, tanks, and sweatshirts emblazoned with emblems of hope, love, and faith. Each design is part of a limited-edition collection of only 50 to 100 pieces, and 10 percent of the company's profits are donated to help AIDS orphans and poverty victims in Zimbabwe.

We recently caught up with the local talent to find out more about his life, his work, and his inspiration.

Q: When did you first develop an interest in designing garments?

A: At six years old, I often sat beside my mother while she worked on her sewing machine. I would pick up all the leftover material and make my own creations, which weren't much, but I fell in love with creating clothing then.

Q: What inspires you to design your collection?

A: I am inspired by hope, faith, and love. Hope that I can give my mother, who still lives in poverty in Zimbabwe, a better life. Faith that I can make a difference in this world. Most of all I am inspired to design by love: my love for fashion and my love for the gift of life.

Q: How would you describe the type of person who purchases/wears your line?

A: A highly fashion-conscious individual who is brave enough to make a statement for love and social awareness. My line is also worn by many people who don't want to see their outfit on a mannequin or on others around them. My collection is limited edition - meaning no mass production.

Q: The fashion scene is often criticized for being superficial. How do you feel about the world of fashion as a whole?

A: That's a sensitive subject, but sometimes a fair criticism. I feel fashion should be supporting the millions of cotton farmers and laborers who make it what it is. We need to honor and compensate them. That is why everything in my collection is made under ethical trading and fair labor. However, on a whole, I think fashion is beautiful, positive, and empowering. It speaks of who we are as individuals.

Q: How do you feel about the fashion scene in Boston?

A: I think we really need to step the fashion scene up in Boston. We're only four hours away from what is arguably the world's fashion capitol, New York, but we are so behind. I think if we put the politics aside, in unity we could be unstoppable. After all, we have all the fashion lovers and resources a city could ever need.

Q: You say that your line is created to inspire and send a message of hope and love. Can an article of clothing really do that?

A: Yes, it's easy. My clothing communicates through the inspirational affirmations of hope and love printed on every single article. I also purposely include unique detail and noise that makes my clothing great conversational pieces, and in that conversation message, the story of love and hope will be discussed. Everyday I get a call or e-mail that starts with "I just love . . ."

Q: Where do you see yourself and your line in five years?

A: In five years my line will have changed the lives of hundreds of orphans. It is my mission and failing is not an option. I will be doing everything I love - including fashion and music. In five years I will have made a mark in the fashion world and people will be saying, "I remember reading about him in Stuff@night!"

Q: You donate 10 percent of all proceeds to charity. Which ones?

A: Mainly a charity called Mother of Peace in Zimbabwe. It's an orphanage for kids who lost their parents from AIDS. HIV kills a person every minute in Zimbabwe, and one in five children will be orphans by 2010. I can help change that. I also started my own charity called Bless By Blessing in Zimbabwe, which buys books for schoolchildren in rural areas.

Q: What does "fashion for life" mean to you?

A: I believe fashion is very powerful; it turns people into walking billboards of who we are and what we represent. My goal is to use the fashion medium to give life and hope to children, especially orphans, by spreading a message of love.

Q: Where can people find your line?

A: My line is currently available on my Web site at www.blessbybless.com, and I will be launching at local and national boutiques this summer. @

[Photo by Andrew Swaine]

Boston Bar Golf Invitational at Jose McIntyre’s

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:21:00 GMT

SATURDAY, APRIL 19
Here's another event to bring out the collegiate imbiber in us: the annual Boston Bar Golf Invitational kicks off today at 1 p.m. at Jose McIntyre's (160 Milk Street, Boston, 617.451.7498). After leaving "the clubhouse" (Jose's), you'll need to complete at least nine "holes" of the "course" - which means stopping off at nine storied Faneuil Hall drinking establishments, including McFadden's, Sissy K's, and the Bell in Hand. The goal is to finish an assigned number of drinks, accumulate bonuses, and avoid penalties, like spilling a drink or falling over. Visit www.bostonbargolf.com to sign up, purchase your scorekeeping T-shirt, and see a complete list of rules.

[Written by Heather Bouzan and Sarah Shanfield]

Beirut Night at the Kells

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:14:00 GMT

MONDAY, APRIL 14 & 21
Maybe it's been a while since you asked for a re-rack while sipping PBR in a dingy frat-house basement, but that doesn't mean you've lost any of your Beirut skills. For those nostalgic for their college pastime, head over to the weekly Beirut Night at the Kells (161 Brighton Avenue, Allston, 617.782.9082) and join Boston's only beer-pong league. If the game itself doesn't transport you back to those golden years, munch on some of your old late-night favorites; they've got chicken wings, pizza, and fried dumplings. Those who prove to have the best hand-eye coordination (especially after throwing back a few) will win a $50 gift certificate. Sign-up starts at 8 p.m. and games begin at 8:30. Go ahead, reclaim your title.

[Written by Heather Bouzan and Sarah Shanfield]

[Photo by Joel Veak]