Stuff Boston : fashion

Putting on a Show

Erica Corsano — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:09:00 GMT

Photographed and co-directed by Michael Diskin
Produced and co-directed by Erica Corsano
Styled by Liana Peterson
Models: Alanna and Renatta, Maggie, Inc.
Make-up: Robin Powers and Brian Brady, G20 Spa and Salon
Hair: Brady Brumfield and Alexander Maud, G20 Spa and Salon

Photoshoot location - The Beehive | 541 Tremont Street | Boston

The Great Escape

Erica Corsano — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:22:00 GMT

SLIDESHOW: 6 MORE IMAGES INSIDE

Photographed by Mitch Weiss • Directed by Michael Diskin • Styled and produced by Erica Corsano
Model: Leah of Maggie, Inc. • Makeup by Dani Wagener of Shu Uemura
Hair by Allison of Mizu • Fashion assistant: David Sebastien Wedemeyer

STORES:
Barneys New York, Copley Place, 100 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.385.3300
Saks Fifth Avenue, 786 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.262.8500
Stel’s, 334 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.262.3348
Twilight, 12 Fleet Street, Boston, 617.523.8008

>>Click here for the slideshow<<

BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO:

Behind the Scenes: Stuffatnight.com 2008 Year End Fashion from Boston Phoenix on Vimeo.

Power, Dynamic: Fall Fashion

webteam — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:11:00 GMT

Fashion always takes direction from what’s occurring in the world around it. Inspired by current events and historical references, this season’s fashion is no exception. Subtly chic but ever so powerful, it takes its cue from modern-day political divas, do-it-all celebrity moms, and the take-charge businesswoman.

>>Click here to view Stuff@Night's Fall Fashion 2008 slideshow.

PHOTOGRAPHED by TIM GRAY
STYLED AND PRODUCED by ERICA CORSANO
DIRECTED by MICHAEL DISKIN
MODELS: LAYLA and BRANDON of MAGGIE INC.
HAIR by KATIE MAHAN of THE LOFT SALON
MAKEUP by BRE WELCH of THE LOFT SALON
STYLING ASSISTANT: KRISTINA WELJKOVIC
SIGNS by LUCIANO PASKEVICIUS

Online, in style

Sharon Steel — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:50:00 GMT

The Internet has changed the hierarchy of the fashion industry. It may not have rendered it egalitarian in the truest sense — clicking through the latest Marc Jacobs show on style.com doesn’t quite compare to being front-row center, and thumbing through a glossy magazine isn’t exactly the same as producing it from behind the scenes — but that hasn’t stopped the women in the growing fashion blogger community from taking some editorial control into their own hands. Their playground is their blogging engine; their tools are their cameras and whatever’s hanging in their closets; and they fill every role themselves, from model and stylist to photographer and writer. Here in Massachusetts, we found four up-and-coming bloggers who live and breathe fashion with a passion that rivals that of any expert. Whether they’re posting from Cambridge or Jamaica Plain, on the subject of studded boots or their favorite boutiques, there’s something uniquely New England about each of their sites.

Kristina Wong, dreamecho (hello-dreamecho.blogspot.com)
Few young women who came of age in the 1990s made it through to the other side of teenagedom without seriously pining after the wardrobe of one Claudia Kishi — the most stylish member of Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitter’s Club series. To covet Claudia’s multicolored leggings, wild earrings, and mind-boggling collection of minidresses was practically a rite of passage. Kristina Wong remembers how that felt. “I loved reading about how she would construct these offthewall, colorful outfits,” says Wong. “In every book, there’d be a description of how one piece of clothing or an accessory would lead to another, or there’d be some iconic character from a movie whom she’d try to emulate.” Wong is enthralled by the “bewitching, knowing insouciance” of French New Wave actress Anna Karina, the “unconventionally glamorous” Chloë Sevigny, and the frumpy summer ease of Dirty Dancing. Yet it’s her childhood literary heroines — characters like Claudia and Harriet the Spy — who inspire her the most.

Wong, 25, comes from fashionable stock. Her mother studied and worked in the industry in New York; her influence is what led Wong to become as passionate about fashion as she is about her engineering career. Dreamecho is an organic outgrowth of that juxtaposition. Science collides with art and prose daily in this fashion and style blog, which Wonguses to showcase her ideas, obsessions, and everyday experiences. Put simply, it’s a close study of one girl’s fashion ideals. “The things that I value in life are the very things that guide the blog: selfconfidence, independent and critical thinking, imagination and creativity, earning one’s own way, living up to one’s fullest potential and living joyously,” Wong says. “That’s how I try to live and, hence, that’s how I approach fashion.” For more than a year, dreamecho has been a place where Wong can tap into and articulate her creative castles in the sky, then make those personal discoveries public.

One reader favorite, “dreamecho plays dressup,” has Wong parading her favorite new purchases in a variety of combinations where she “shapeshifts” a single item of clothing — an Urban Outfitter cardigan, say, or a Forever 21 skirt — into five different, wholly imaginative looks. Wong often writes about local stores in both Boston and her home city of Honolulu, with soliloquies on purchases she yearns to make. She also runs interviews with designers like Michelle Lau and pens essays on how one’s sense of style can mesh with one’s life philosophy. Recently, Wong published “Nocturne,” a self-produced and styled photo shoot of her posing in a variety of looks; light-saturated, unexpected, and equal parts whimsical and edgy, it speaks to Wong’s taste in both style blogs and consumer magazines. “I’m interested in editorials that awaken the imagination through scenery, lighting, modeling,” she says. “I’m looking for a coherent story. Something that takes me to another place.”

Dreamecho already has an international audience clicking through daily, but as Wong pursues goals in fashion styling and freelance writing, she’s simultaneously on a mission to inspire dressers on her home turf. “I’d love to see more people [in Boston] experimenting, not so much to be different for the sake of being different, but to see what really works for them,” she says. “I just want to see and connect with people in tune with themselves and therefore what they wear, whether it be gothic, athletic, preppy, functional, avantgarde, vintage, or some crazy mixture! If anything, I try to be an example of someone who follows her own heart.”

Francesca Zmetra, The Snail and the Cyclops (thesnailandthecyclops.blogspot.com)
Regular readers of Francesca Zmetra’s blog know she harbors a hardcore vintage addiction. One day she’s a flapper in fringe, her short pixie hairdo perfectly askew; the next, she’s channeling the luxe chic of a ’60s socialite or posing at the Fairmont Copley Plaza dressed like a mid-century schoolgirl. “There’s something to love about each era of the 19th century,” says Zmetra, 22, who goes by the nickname Effie. “Although I do think my cutoff point is 1969. Things get a bit wacky for me after that.”

Growing up surrounded by lace, antiques, and pink china dovetailed into Zmetra’s devotion to an “old, dainty aesthetic,” now also a reoccurring theme on the Snail and the Cyclops. Zmetra first began documenting her personal style online at the Flickr community Wardrobe Remix. She found herself writing little stories to accompany her photos and warmed to the fashion blog community immediately. “Instead of turning to the magazines first, girls are looking to their Internet pages,” she says. “For me, it’s more inspirational to look at real girls who can create a beautiful look entirely on their own — and on a budget! — and see that it’s totally possible to do something equally lovely [as] what a team of professionals can do.” On the Snail and the Cyclops, which she launched this past summer, Zmetra shares old family pictures and chronicles her Vermont thrifting adventures, her trips to LA and New York City, and weekends spent walking around Boston in T-strap flats and full-skirted dresses from Café Society and Bobby’s from Boston. “I like to remind people to surround themselves with some special little things here and there,” says Zmetra of her blog’s purpose. “I think the best thing about New England is its old, old history. There’s this strange feeling of something more to be discovered. I think the best places to go are the back roads for flea markets and barn sales. You just never know what you’re going to stumble upon.” Treasure-hunting and trolling for secrets — whether solely for her own pleasure or as preparation for owning her own little shop someday — is part of the old-timey-meets-modern charm behind Zmetra’s site.

The Jamaica Plain resident, who’s hoping to study fashion merchandising at Mt. Ida next spring, frequently posts about the preloved clothing she sells in her Etsy and eBay shops under her label Thirteen Eighty Five. But most entries hearken back to Zmetra’s childhood penchant for spending days exploring her grandmother’s attic. “I used to play dressup in ’40s crepe dresses and pretend to play the piano wearing all her costume jewelry,” Zmetra remembers. “She never throws anything away, so her house is a time capsule! I blame everything on her and those hot summer days waltzing around the house, listening to polka, and trying hard not to step on the hems of her dresses.”

Martine Séverin, Beyond Boston Chic (beyondbostonchic.blogspot.com)
Martine “Martini” Séverin describes her personal style as “everevolving and quirky, with a nod to the classics,” but it wasn’t until she spent a year in France that she first became seriously invested in fashion. “My French friends told me that I should always dress as if I were about to meet the man of my dreams,” she says. After she returned to Boston — Séverin was born in Haiti, raised in Cambridge, and now lives in Dorchester — she realized that only the French took this particular approach. “My friends in Boston helped me modify this axiom,” says Séverin. “Always dress as if you’re about to run into your ex.”

Her sartorial mantra in place, Séverin set out to find new outfit ideas to incorporate into her own closet. “Boston is a challenging place to be fashionable — the winters are brutal and the streets are cobblestone. It’s a bit more difficult to look cute and fashionable when there are four feet of snow on the ground,” she says, adding that the local student population’s affinity for pajama daywear combined with five months of winter is part of what has given New England fashion a bad rap. “My chic fellow Bostonians and I will have a lot to learn from each other this winter.” Beyond Boston Chic, Séverin’s sixmonthold Style blog, is the current vehicle for her selfeducation and a clearinghouse for what she considers the best of Boston fashion.

Fashion photography blog The Sartorialist is Séverin’s blog equivalent of a muse. It’s run by Scott Schuman, an amateur photographer who turned professional as a result of his site’s popularity among industry insiders and admiring lay fashionistas. Schuman photographs quirky-cute girls on bikes in Europe, unconventional hipsters and dapper senior citizens in Manhattan, fashion editors exiting various Fashion Week shows, effortless in their sky-high heels and sunglasses. “I’m definitely a groupie,” says Séverin of Schuman. “His blog always reminds me how important it is to take all aspects of an outfit into consideration. He helps to train my eye.” Beyond Boston Chic follows a similar, clean format of color snaps on a white background, allowing the images to speak for themselves.

And like Schuman, Séverin doesn’t limit herself to the classic side of chic. While she currently favors the ultrafemme tailoring of the late ’40s through the early ’60s as portrayed on AMC’s Mad Men, she isn’t afraid to shoot Bostonians working a different kind of silhouette. In July, she snapped a punk-rock girl in Harvard Square’s “Pit,” a tattooed dude hanging around McKenna’s in Dorchester, and a Second Time Around shop girl in a teal floorlength dress with rosette details. The 30-year-old-project manager and Harvard grad student loves the fact that style blogs have made fashion more transparent and accessible, and relies on the Internet and magazines to tell her “what’s hot and what’s not.” Still, in the end, Séverin says, “clothes are just clothes. They don’t define you. Wear what you want.”

Amy Lynn Chase, Punky Style (punkystyle.com)
When Amy Lynn Chase was in third grade, she hated wearing dresses. The last thing she wanted to do was rock a frock on class picture day. “I hid an alternative outfit in my backpack to change into at school. Boy, were the parents shocked when I brought those pictures home,” says Chase. “The outfit I chose was a neon parrot shirt, black leather mini skirt with neon parrotprint leggings, and LA Gear high tops. They let me dress myself after that.”

A credit manager by day and a bartender by night, Chase spends her free time selling vintage pieces online — when she isn’t blogging. She started Punky Style in 2005, back when personal fashion blogs were, as she calls them, “a rare and precious thing to come by”; she wanted to be a part of something that she felt was the future of the fashion industry. Chase points out that, much as trends on the runway are repeated in major fashion magazines, grassroots fashionblogger trends often reach similar exposure. “But I think it’s easier to relate when the trends are on everyday people,” she notes. “Bloggers are on the forefront of trends. They are way ahead of the magazines.”

Her own aesthetic changes with her mood — “today [it’s] expressive, unpolished, funky, carefree, and kinda quirky” — and Punky Style mirrors her free-ranging predilections. She’s posted about everything from DIY-ing a pair of spats (originally meant to be a recreation of cuffed sandals) to polished images of herself modeling pretty cotton skirts cinched high up on the waist. Chase also recently organized an ecooriented clothing swap for her readers, “Swap ’til You Drop,” at the Lucky Dog Music Hall in Worcester; she plans to hold another in the next few months. While she finds herself lusting after expensive outfits worn by such actresssocialites as Rachel Bilson, Lou Doillon, and Olivia Palermo, Chase still prefers to shop at thrift stores and cites her grandmother as her main style paradigm. “She always manages to accessorize beautifully even in her old age,” Chase says. “She taught me everything I know about being classy.”

The 27-year-old has always thought of Punky Style as more than just a fashion blog — it’s also something akin to a photo diary. A trip through her archives, she says, reminds her of former shopping excursions, weekends with friends, and past loves. “I would continue to blog even if no one were reading,” Chase says. “But if there was one thing I would want people to take from my blog, it’s that fashion is not a label or a price tag, and it’s way more fun when it’s not taken too seriously.”

Free Spirits

webteam — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:13:00 GMT

Summer’s flirty, fun fashions are ready for a road trip.

Click here for slideshow

Man up! 10 ways to be a better guy in Boston

Heather Bouzan — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:41:00 GMT

Yes, we realize you can down 12 tequila shots without puking, score any phone number you desire, and burp the alphabet backward. But how ’bout a little self-improvement once in a while? Keep reading for tips on how to be a better man in Boston (though we certainly won’t frown on the occasional selfish splurge or six-cocktail evening).

1. Learn something. Yes, your comprehensive knowledge of Seinfeld plot lines and baseball stats count for
something, but your material is getting a smidge tired. We’re not suggesting you load up on organic chemistry or advanced calculus classes after a long day at the office. Instead, immerse yourself in a subject you’ve long been interested in learning more about. Always felt you were a budding Picasso? The Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Avenue, Boston,
617.267.9300) offers art classes for guys like you — and yes, there are options for a variety of skill levels. If you’re the wordy type, try a one-night seminar or a weekend workshop at Grub Street (160 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.695.0075). Topics range from “Surviving the Slush Pile” (June 28 and 29) to “Writing Sex Scenes” (June 7). And for a more formal education, there’s always the namedropworthy Harvard Extension School (51 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617.495.4024).

2. Volunteer. There are so many opportunities to do good in this city — purchasing admission to some big-ticket charity gala, giving an hour a week through a Big Brother or Big Sister mentoring program, spearheading a campaign aimed at effecting positive change — that it’s difficult for us to single out one worthy group. It’s up to you to figure out what kind of time you’re willing to give (and yes, no matter how crazy your work schedule, you’ve got at least a few hours to spare each month). Then decide what kinds of skills you can bring to the table and how your personal interests and hobbies might translate into doing some good for someone else. Say you turned your English major into a lucrative finance job but you miss dreaming up quirky characters and intricate plot lines. Why not join up with 826 Boston (www.826boston.org), whose mission is to get young students writing? Totally nostalgic for your days as a highschool lacrosse star? Look into MetroLacrosse (www.metrolacrosse.com), which provides innercity youth with opportunities to play the game. If you’re feeling totally overwhelmed and aimless, try connecting with a broader organization like Boston Cares (www.bostoncares. com), which organizes hundreds of different volunteer opportunities each month.

3. Get yourself a good pair of shoes. Hint: girls can tell when your shoes cost under $30 a pair (and even the girls who love a good bargain won’t respect you for wearing them). Think leather, preferably from somewhere in Italy. Looking for some professional guidance? March yourself into the men’s shoe department at Saks Fifth Avenue (800 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.262.8500) and ask for Christopher Harrison. He knows exactly what he’s talking about when it comes to men’s fashion, and if you’re a pricyshoe novice, he won’t lead you astray. You might also peruse Harvard Square’s The Tannery (11A Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617.491.0810).

4. Take your mother to lunch. When it comes to appeasing Mom, a little effort goes a long way. Call her up (yes, use the phone) and invite her to lunch some Saturday afternoon. Wear something nice, don’t you dare arrive hung over, and put some thought into where you take her. We suggest peoplewatching from the patio at Stephanie’s (190 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.236.0990), taking in the fizzy pink-and-green décor of the Monday Club Bar at UpStairs on the Square (91 Winthrop Street, Cambridge, 617.864.1933), or tucking into something lovely and French at Petit Robert Bistro (468 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.375.0699; 480 Columbus Avenue, Boston, 617.867.0600). Be sure she orders dessert, and bonus points if you allow her to grill you about your job/finances/ relationship status/eating habits.

5. Remember your pleases and thank yous. Go that extra mile to express your gratitude and people will notice. Your mother will be proud. You’ll start to be known as that really nice guy who always says “thanks.” And knock it off with the f-bombs while you’re at it. This isn’t a pub.

6. Take a break from the weight room. We understand that assuming the Downward Facing Dog pose doesn’t go over well with a lot of men, but for your sanity’s sake, give yoga a shot and prove all the towel-snapping meatheads you usually work out with wrong. Two newish spots where we’d recommend getting your “om” on: North End Yoga (256 Hanover Street, Boston, 617.227.YOGA), a tranquil space you’d never expect in the middle of the city’s carboloading district, and South Boston Yoga (141 Dorchester Avenue, Boston, 617.292.0040), which incorporates green elements (it’s located in the übereco Macallen Building) into its practice. We promise you’ll emerge all calm and refreshed, no matter what your skill level. And worstcase scenario, you just spent an hour in a room full of athletic girls in spandex.

7. Clean up your act. A quick shower, a scratchy shave, and a few swipes of deodorant and you’re out the door. But now that you’re no longer sloshing around in puddles and rooting around in the dirt (on a daily basis, anyway), we think it’s time you step your grooming rituals up a notch. Get the grit out from under your nails with the Sports Manicure ($30) and Sports Pedicure ($65) in the Men’s Club at Emerge (275 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.437.0006). If you’re feeling a bit more daring, give the 60-minute Gentleman’s Facial ($80) at Spa Christine (699 East Broadway, South Boston, 617.269.0019) a go. If you’re not up for the challenge, at least spring for the indulgent Hot Lather Shave ($34) at State Street Barbers (1313 Washington Street, Boston, 617.753.9990), where the professionals surely do it far better than you do. For more tips (nothing scary, we promise), see this issue’s dedicated-to-the-boys Primp column.

8. Surprise her with flowers. And not because you screwed up and forgot some anniversary, like last time. Send them to her office just because. Jealous coworkers translate to a very happy girlfriend. And come the next social eventwith her colleagues, you’re a total hero. Keep Winston Flowers (various locations, 800.457.4901) on speed dial.

9. Learn your way around a nice bottle of wine. Nose-in-the-air wine snobs are a total turn-off, but a guy who knows a little something about wine — or at least expresses an interest and asks the right questions — is markedly more interesting than your average shotslugging dude. A formal education isn’t necessary, though the Boston Wine School (1354 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.784.7150) and the Boston Center for Adult Education (5 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.267.4430) hold unique classes that are as much extracurricular enjoyment as they are higher learning. You can also turn your schooling into an out-of-the-box date night with a wine tasting, like the “Wine Wednesday” dinners held at Sel de la Terre (255 State Street, Boston, 617.720.1300) every week. Or, even more informally, score a quick lesson as you’re grabbing a bottle to bring home for dinner: BRIX Wine Shop (1284 Washington Street, Boston, 617.542 BRIX ext. 1; 105 Broad Street, Boston, 617.542.BRIX ext. 2) is known for its knowledgeable staff, and the North End’s Wine Bottega (341 Hanover Street, Boston, 617.227.6607) is a good go-to when you’re looking to learn a little something about what you’re drinking.

10. Upgrade your frathouse-chic décor. Face it: those tackedup band posters and scratchy, stained sheets aren’t sending the right message to the ladies who visit your humble abode (though if you’re hoping to avoid a second date, maybe you’re on to something). There’s no need to pair floral prints and frilly doilies with your bigscreen TV and Pats memorabilia, but swing by West Elm (160 Brookline Avenue, Boston, 617.450.9500) for some basics. They’re known for classic shapes with an interesting twist, and their frillfree, quasiminimalist style is perfect for men. The arty Design Within Reach (519 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.451.7801; 1030 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.576.3690) and sophisticated Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams (142 Berkeley Street, Boston, 617.266.0075) are resources for larger pieces, and Vessel (125 Kingston Street, Boston, 617.292.0982) stocks accessories infused with quirky style. South End standby Lekker (1317 Washington Street, Boston, 617.542.6464) is the place to score place settings and other kitchen accessories, while men looking to add an ecoelement to their place should buzz over to Greenward (1776 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.395.1338). And remember: it’s all in the details. Go see Doug Palardy at Motley (623 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.247.6969); along with apparel, his store is stocked with all sorts of cool, guyfriendly knickknacks. And yes, we’ll even allow you a maximum of three IKEA (1 IKEA Way, Stoughton, 781.344.IKEA) purchases, okay? Choose wisely.