Yes Virgina, You Do Have to Work the Day After Christmas.

Disclaimer: This article was originally writen for Examiner.com, to view it in its entirity please follow the link to that page.

You were a good shopper this year, you purchased everything well in advance to avoid the traffic jams and long lines at your local mall, yet somehow due to an oversight, you were forced to come out on Christmas Eve and exchange a sweater that you bought two sizes too small. It took you an hour to find a parking spot and fifteen minutes to find the appropriate size, and now you are faced with a long line and a seemingly apathetic sales associate standing between you and an evening by the fire. She is moving slow and has an attitude that would trump both Ebenezer Scrooge and The Grinch on a bad night. Before you give this girl a piece of your tired and stressed out mind, take two seconds and remember that her sour mood has nothing to do with you trying to make an exchange and get a price adjustment without a receipt, and everything to do with the effects of a down economy on her ability to escape adolescence and move into the adulthood she was promised when she got her degree. Read the full article...

H&M Comes to Cumberland Mall

This article was written for Examiner.com. To view it in its entirety go to Examiner.com, don't forget to check out more of my examiner wirtings and tell a friend.

At Cumberland Mall the red carpet and velvet ropes were rolled out for shoppers as they counted down the minutes until they could experience H&M’s newest location in the greater Atlanta area. While they waited, the first hundred customers in line were treated to an Access to Fashion gift pass valued from $10-$100. At 12pm the doors opened and unleashed a tidal wave of hip, fashionable girls and guys onto the staff who was eagerly awaiting their arrival. As an additional treat to shoppers, stylist Gretta Monahan, a regular on the Rachel Ray show, was on hand to give style tips. One lucky shopper received a personal style consultation with Gretta, complimenting their personal style with the latest trends at H&M. Go to Examiner.com to view the rest of the article.

Brad and Ange for Asprey

This article was written for MissOmniMedia.com, therefore all words and images are property of that online publication. To view the original article in its entirety at MissOmniMedia.com. To view more of my writings for MISS, go to MissOmniMedia.com/author/anastasia/.

There’s a new announcement, almost every day, that a different celebrity is taking a spin at designing a line of something. The newest celebrity designers are globe-trotting, do-gooders, Brad Pit and Angelina Jolie.


Hollywood’s hottest couple is designing a capsule collection of jewelry and accessories for high end jewelry company Aspery. The limited edition collection, titled The Protector, is obviously inspired by the serpent, who Angelina believes to be a protector of her family after receiving a serpent ring during her pregnancy with Shiloh.

The collection will go on sale later this week at Asprey’s London, New York, Beverly Hills, Tokyo, and Dubai locations. Prices start at $525 for a silver baby spoon with a serpent handle. Also featured in the collection are silver gifts for the little ones including a picture frame, tooth box and an egg cup. For everyone else, there are serpent rings and pendants made of gold and micropavé diamonds.

All net proceeds from sales will go to Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, which was co-founded by Jolie in 2006. The charity raises awareness and funds to educate child victims of war, conflict and natural disasters. Jolie told WWD that “These are the children who most need a safe place to learn, a place to heal, a place to learn reconciliation, a place to build a better future and a place — to just be children. Yet the education for these children is often forgotten. Tens of millions of children and adolescents in conflict are not in school.”

The collection looks awesome and the fact that all the money goes to help educate children is exactly the kind of thing I expected from Brad and Ange.

Huate Plate

Disclaimer: This article was originally written for Xposure Magazine. To view ithe original article go to Xposure365.com.

According to WWD80’s icon, Cyndi Lauper, and pop’s newest princess, Lady Gaga, have just been tapped by MAC to be the latest faces of the MAC AIDS Fund. The campaign, entitled “From Our Lips” will break on Febuary 25. Each lady will have a Viva Glam lipstick shade named after them, that will retail for $14 each and will be available in North America on March 18 and globally throughout the month. One hundred percent of the proceeds will be donated to the MAC AIDS Fund. Considering both ladies are huge advocates for Gay rights and both are known for their outrageous style, MAC couldn’t have picked better.

There's No Place like China Glaze

Disclaimer: This post was written for MissOmniMedia.com. Al words and images are property of that publication. To view the orginal post in its entirety click here. To view more of my MissOmniMedia.com posts go to MissOmniMedia.com/author/Anastasia.

China Glaze is re-releasing their "Wizard of Oh Ahz" collection just in time for the Holiday party season, and these are not Auntie Em’s colors. Inspired by the Technicolor romp to the Emerald City, this collection is similar to the original, released in 2001, but with more glitz. The glittery shades are the perfect way to ensure that your mani-pedi game is sewn shut for those Holiday parties we all have to attend next month. This way when those co-workers you don’t like mingle in your direction for small talk, all you have to do is look at your nails, click your heels three times, and say "There’s no place like home."


Colors from left to right:

Ruby Pumps- Classic red glitter. There's no need to go home too early when your nails look this sexy.

Cowardly Lyin'-Gold frost with specs of gold micro glitter. Think 14k gold for your nails.

The Ten Men-Silver frost with specs of micro silver glitter. Imagine the Tin Man is not made of tin, but the same chrome as a rapper's rims and is then distilled into a nail polish.

Dorothy Who?-Blue polish with tons of silver and blue glitter. We are definitely not in Kansas anymore.

C-C-Courage-Purple frost with specs of purple micro glitter. A purple befitting the king of the jungle.

Good Witch-Pink frost with specs of pink micro glitter. Sugary sweet, this take on Glenda's iconic dress will surely bring out your inner prom queen.

The New Girl

Beth Pilger may have over ten years of experience in the fashion industry, however when it comes to the Atlanta market, Beth is the new girl in town.
A Parsons graduate and West Virginia native, Beth Pilger took on the daunting task of designing her own line of women's ready to wear, after freelancing as a design assistant, tradeshow assistant and costumer. She used this experience along with her MBA to develop a line that goes well beyond creating beautiful clothing that speaks to everyone. Read more

Calendar Girl

Disclaimer: This article was written for MissOmniMedia.com, and the images and words belong to that online publication. To view the original article and to download the November Calendar, click the link and enjoy...xo

Yours truly is now the official calendar writer for MissOmniMedia.com and will be keeping your feet and finger tips fly for the months to come.

Come with me and you’ll see a world of pure imagination, on your feet at least. Booji’s Spring/Summer 2010 release, Regal-One Wonderland, is a delightful and imaginative mix of 8 oz cotton canvas, pebble full grain leather, pro leather and drytex lining. All of that wrapped up with Booji’s signature deco-quilt stitching and reptile outlook lining which, as we mentioned in an earlier post, gives them a Chanel feel. Let us not forget the insanely cute ankle pouch, modeled after a certain Chanel accessory made famous by a hard partying celebutante a few years back. For me it equals no more stuffing your money in your socks where it gets all soggy, now you can keep your dollars crisp when you forgo carrying a purse. Last but far from least, we paired these imaginative sneakers with a super hot mani, that drives home the idea of keeping your money fresh and at hand, while playing off of the Wonderland’s regal purple colorway.

MK and Ashley O Get Shady

This piece was originally written for MissOmniMedia.com but alas it was unused due to uncontrolled circumstances...It happens...After putting so much work into it I decided I had to post it somewhere and here it is.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have been slowly taking over the world one step at a time since they shared screen time as Michelle Tanner. After tackling TV, DVDs, Wal-Mart and the runways, the girls are moving into eyewear for Spring 2010.

For the collection the Olsens are teaming up with Linda Farrow Eyewear, the mastermind behind Dries Van Noten ‘s and Jeremy Scott’s innovative eyewear, to produce four distinct styles for their luxury line, The Row, in a licensed partnership. The four styles include a pair of aviators, an oversized square frame, vintage inspired brow-lined rims, and awesome John Lennon-esque round shades. The glasses will retail from $325-$390 and will be sold in high end department stores such as Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman.

According to WWD, Ashley Olsen stated that “We’re testing the market first and obviously these are four very different silhouettes, so we’re seeing what people are responding to and we’ll open up a couple more silhouettes for fall,” and “We tried to find certain pieces that look good on more than one face, to pay close attention to how they fit certain faces and make them wearable at the same time.”

The girls have already made a name for themselves in the accessories market through the expansion of their contemporary line, Elizabeth and James, into footwear and jewelry. However designing eyewear has proven to be an entirely different ball game for the girls. Mary-Kate told WWD, “Designing eyewear was definitely more complicated than we thought, and of course we wanted to be extremely hands-on.” The girls’ hands-on approach has definitely paid off, as evidenced by Mary Kate rocking a pair of the unreleased sunnies to the Burberry show during London Fashion Week.

Romero Bryan brings London style to Atlanta

Disclaimer: This article was orignally written for Examiner.com. All content belongs to the author and is not to be reproduced without her consent.

British “boy wonder” Romero Bryan is now back in London basking in the glory of another successful show completed during London Fashion Week and gearing up for the BEFFTA Awards where he was nominated for best male designer. Just a few weeks ago the 26 year old was here in Atlanta looking for potential buyers and enjoying the sights and sounds of Atlanta....For the full article go to examiner.com.

NYFW Michael Kors

Disclaimer: This article originally appeared on MissOmniMedia.com and all words and images are property of that publication. The article can be viewed in its entirity here.

For Spring 2010, missing Project Runway judge Michael Kors presented a sleek collection filled with architectural elements. Modernism was the name of the game, as black, stark whites, icy blues, mint greens and lavenders played with neatly tailored silhouettes. Overall the collection brought a breath of fresh air to fashion’s sharp lines and recent shoulder obsession.


The main staple in this collection were sleeveless shift dresses in the vein of Michelle Obama, Kors’ most high-profile client. The shifts came in various fabrics and colors, from silver lamé and crushed taffeta to glove leather and a blue radzimir one with origami like folds.

While shift dresses may have been the main focus, Kors did manage to slip in a few other interesting pieces including cocktail dresses with cut outs and a group of sweaters with extra sleeves for you to tie around your neck preppy style. There were also a crop of jackets with strong yet rounded shoulders that evoked the image of power suits without being dated. My personal favorites were the dresses graphic plastic insets that seemed to give a nod to futuristic mini dresses from the 60s.

If Heidi and his peers were judging his work, I’m sure Kors’ intentionally minimalist collection would be “in.”

Yay Me!

In addition to running my very cool blog and contributing to MissOmniMedia.com I am now Atlanta's newest fashion news Examiner. If you want to know what's up in Atl's fashion scene check out my posts, that I'll eventually post on here.
* that's an old picture from my going away party back in 2007-ish.

Lily and Karl are Back at it Again

Disclaimer: This article was written for MissOmniMedia.com therefore all images and words are property of that publication. To view the original article go to missomnimedia.com.

Earlier this summer singer Lily Allen made her debut as Chanel’s newest face. She channeled Audrey Hepburn while Karl Lagerfeld shot her and Chanel’s Coco Cocoon bags. Now, thanks to the Daily Mail, we get a sneak peek at Lily playing dress up for Uncle Karl again, this time going for a sexier look that features a mop of messy hair and a vamp red lip.

These images are more in line with the sweet and saucy Lily that we’ve all come to know and love via her two hit albums and countless paparazzi shots. That’s the Lily that Karl handpicked for this campaign despite the fact that she admits to being very aware that she is “5ft2in and a size 12” and uncomfortable modeling. However, with her affinity for Chanel bags and her fiery personality it’s no wonder Lagerfeld, who describes her as fun, chose her.

With her new found status as muse, it seems as Karl’s influence has rubbed off since Lily is taking a spin in the designing chair herself. She has already done her own line of clothes for British label New Look and just recently launched a line of jewelry called Lily Allen of course.

Like most of you, I am eagerly awaiting the official release of Lily’s new Chanel Coco Cocoon ads. I have to see if she once again rose to the occasion and did Karl proud. I’m sure she did because we all know Karl Lagerfeld would have it no other way.

Let them wear puffers

Disclaimer; This article was written for MissOmniMedia.com therefore all images and words are property of that publication. To view the original article go to missomnimedia.com

Earlier this summer we gave you all a small taste of Moncler Gamme Rouge FW 09, the collection of puffers inspired by Tsarist Russia. Since fall is drawing ever near, and before you know it you’ll be ready to pull on something both stylish and warm, we’ve decided to give you a look at the entire line, which is currently available. Until I laid eyes on these amazingly tailored, expertly styled jackets, I must admit that the word puffer always brought to mind the worst images you could imagine. Moncler’s Gamme Rouge is light years away from the Michelin Man puffers that were literally big in the 90s and accessorized with a pair of fresh Timberlands. These are Marie Antoinette’s puffers and most of them would be more at home with a pair of chandelier earrings and a fierce pair of Louboutin’s than a pair of Timberlands and doorknockers. Although a few of the styles seem to be more about fashion as art than function, I have to say that Moncler’s creative director Gaimbatista Valli has completely changed my mind on what a puffer is and can be.

Brooke Nipar is Hot!

From SeeingPinkElephants.com


After seeing Cassie's spread for DimePiece, I was made privy to the fact that the photos were styled by Radio Rose Garcia of ATWG and shot by Brooke Nipar. You may or may not have heard of her, but I know you're familiar with her work. Honestly, I was unfamiliar with her name but when skimming through her portfolio I instantly recognized the shots of M.I.A., Natasha Khan and Lykke Li. Brooke has worked with Nylon, my favorite out of print magazine Missbehave, Hellz Bellz, Lady Footlocker, Teen Vogue, Made Me and Maxim just to name a few. Her style is very of the moment with its candid, "you got me" feel. That said, girlie is super badass, as evidenced by the DimePiece shot and her work with Hellz Bellz. As awesome as her editorial work is, her photo diary is even better. It lacks the polish of her commercial work but in stripping down her subjects you get a better feel for her as photographer. The same style she brings when shooting for Luxurie is there in her diary with a dose of actual reality that can often be out of place in editorial shoots. I'm going to stop pretending to be some sort of authority on photography and tell you to check out Brooke Nipar's website and diary, and then decide for yourself.

Neurotica for TopShop

Disclaimer: This article was written for MissOmniMedia, an online publication. All images and words are property of that publication. For the original post please visit MissOmniMedia.com.

Now girls everywhere have one more reason to adore Topshop. The British store, which landed stateside under a year ago, is doing what they do best by bringing us another hot collaboration. This time Topshop has teamed up with UK brand Neurotica to produce a five piece capsule collection that will be available in the UK on August 21 and in the US on September 6. For the unfamiliar, Neurotica can be best described as hand illustrated deliciousness. Their designs, which are offered at only a handful of boutiques worldwide, are sweet and playful balanced with the right amount of gloom, like a Tim Burton film. Personally I adore all five pieces, with the lightning print oversized tee being my favorite. Like most of us ladies who unfortunately live outside of the New York area, I will most definitely be awaiting the collection’s online release sometime this week, in the hopes that I get some early birthday money and can snatch up a piece or two.

FashionHow Selections

 Disclaimer: This post was written last summer while I was interning at FashionHow in NYC. All of my posts from there are property of FashionHow and can be viewed on the FashionHow blog. I'm only showing a few samples from FashionHow in this post

Fashion's 50 Most Powerful

New York's Daily News recently released the 50 most powerful players in fashion, just in time for fashion week. Topping the list, of course, is American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, followed by GAP Inc head designer Patrick Robinson and Marc Jacob pulling in at number 3. The list is packed with fashion staples like Diane von Furstenberg (#8), Patricia Field (#22) and Donna Karen, Ralph Lauren, and Francisco Costa (#44). Then of course what would fashion be without the models, like the original supermodels Christy, Naomi, Helena, and Linda all at #38, 19 year old Coco Rocha at 49, and Iman at 42. The list even packs a few surprises like facialist Christine Chin (#34) who keeps the model's faces in tip top shape, manager of 'wichcraft Bryant Park, Michael Oliver (#30) who keeps the espresso flowing on those long days under the tents, lawyer Betsey Pearce who was responsible for wrangling Phoebe Philo at Chloe and Nicola Ghesquire at Balenciaga.
 
Commes des Garcons for H&M
 

Rei Kawakubo brings her avant-garde Japanese yet French named label, Commes des Garcons, to H&M this November. The collaboration was announced last April and will be launched at the Tokyo H&M before the world wide roll out a few days later. After getting a first look at the collection in the September issue of W and a few online leaks via various websites, I can say the collection remains true to Rei's style. The collection is composed of both men's and women's apparel and features a very Tim Burton-esque Lolita Goth dress and loads of polka dots. Of the collaboration Rei says, "It is a fascinating challenge to work with H&M, since it is a chance to take the dilemma (of balancing creation and business) to its extreme, and try and solve it." Commes de Garcons' H&M collaboration adds to H&M's list of modern legends who have done capsule collections for them in the past, including Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Viktor and Rolf, and most recently Roberto Cavalli.
 
Tom Ford to Direct

Way back in when Tom Ford left fashion to possibly pursue a career as a director, things didn't exactly pan out so he went back to fashion. Now, he's back in the movie making business having secured the rights to Christopher Issherwood's 1964 book A Single Man, about a gay college professor dealing with the recent death of his lover. Already Julianne Moore and Jamie Bell are signed on for the film with Colin Firth in talks to play the lead role. Ford plans to begin filming in November, although no studio is currently attached to the project.

Designers Roger Gary

Disclaimer: This article was originally written for FashionHow's International Designers Showcase. All images and words are property of FashionHow. To view the original pice go to the International Designers Showcase blog.

Speaking with designer Roger Gary this week, I not only got a feel for his up coming collection of women's wear, inspired by an imaginary midnight visit to the South American rainforests, but I also got a feel for what makes his designs truly unique. Gary's beautifully unpredictable work has been seen in various publications including Essence Magazine and industry go to guide Women's Wear Daily, as well as on BET's "Rip the Runway" and VH1/Vogue First Fashion Awards. Born in Guyana, South America, Gary often draws from the colorful landscape of his homeland when working. During our interview he told me that he finds inspiration in everything from the simple to the unusual, citing a past collection he presented after Halle Berry won her Oscar in 2002, " After her win she was talking about starting work on a James Bond film, then I thought Bond and my next collection was based on the James Bond films." Turning back to his company and his successes as a designer he informed me that listening to his inner voice and being just as careful in the end as he is in the beginning have helped him immensely, "You have to make sure that the quality level at the beginning is maintained. You can't rush to finish things." This advice, I'm sure, has proved helpful for Gary not only in his career as a designer but also in his years as a student at both the Pratt Institute and Parsons School of Design. We ended our conversation with a look at the future of Roger Gary Designs by Gary telling me that he lets things evolve organically, "I'm pleasantly surprised by how things have gone and I want to continue to grow the company. You have to let things happen naturally you can't force them." If letting things evolve naturally has lead to such a successful career for Gary, the natural evolution for years to come will surely be both exciting and inspiring. By Anastasia Simon

Deigners Samantha Mark

Disclaimer: This article was written for FashionHow's International Designer Showcase. All images and words are property of FashionHow. If you want to view the original got to the International Designers Showcase blog.

Lonndon born Samantha Mark is more than excited to be showing her third collection this September in the Mecca of American fashion, New York City. The young designer is heavily influenced not only by her life spent in the clash of cultures that exist in London, but the art world as well. When asked about which artists in particular inspire her pieces she remarked "From Kahlo to Rothko, from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art, there are just too many to mention. However, it is not only the products of their labor, but the quirks and determination of their personalities that I am also drawn towards." Although her first collection debuted only two years ago, she is now standing on the brink of greatness and will soon begin working at Alexander McQueen. With regards to her placement with such a prestigious designer, Samantha says that McQueen is a great inspiration to her and that she will be in awe to be working under the same roof as he and his team. She also mentioned that he was the artist she based her "chosen designer" on when winning the FashionHow Young Designer Award. Getting back to her upcoming show in New York, Samantha is expecting a warm reception form the New York audiences and is looking forward to seeing her garments make their inaugural stroll down the runway. She also warns the audience to expect of all things, humor and irony in her collection. Since she loves working with prints, textures and colors in different ways to give her work "edge, a tactile quality, and an appeal of irony and personality" we can expect to be wowed by her use of these elements. If Samantha continues to surprise the fashion world with by injecting her designs with humor and paradox, drawing inspiration from the art world and honing her skills under the roof of greats like Alexander McQueen, her future will be just as she predicted it, filled with "Much more to come." By Anastasia Simon

Romero Bryan- Designer Interview

Disclaimer: This article was written for FashionHow's International Designer Showcase. All images and words are property of FashionHow. If you want to view the original got to the International Designers Showcase blog.

Romero Bryan, designer "Boy Wonder", took a few minutes to type out the answers to my questions via email from London, England. Romero began designing at the tender age of 11 when he asked a local tailor to make him a shirt for his final primary school dance, unable to afford the tailor's asking price the youngster began doing odd jobs around the shop in exchange for lessons in pattern making and eventually the shirt was done. The rest as they say was history, while most kids his age were begging their parents for a weekly allowance 12 yr old Romero was making shirts to order. Now his he can count Beyonce, Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss, and Kelly Rowland as admirers of his designs. He hopes one day to add singers Estelle and Amy Winehouse, as well as media mogul Oprah Winfrey to his list saying, "I love women who are powerful and make moves in society/world. She has always been an inspiration for me and someday I know I will have the opportunity to specially design an outfit/gown for her." He counts his determination, drive and knowledge as keys to his hard earned success; although in his humility he doesn't count himself amongst the successful set at this point in his career. With respect to his upcoming Spring/Summer 09 line Romero has pulled inspiration form the ever increasing demand for pieces that are both fashionable and affordable, giving birth to his Rome by Romero Bryan line. The line is "…a diffusion of my exclusive line, Romero Bryan, but of affordable glamour using similar design ideas and more cost effective fabrics. Rome is for the confident working/partying woman that loves shopping at high 'haute street level'." This new more affordable line will surely draw more media attention to the young designer, not that he's in short supply of it these days. After being listed on the Royal Bank of Scotland's 2020 Rich List back in September 2003 at the age of 19, Romero has been in major publications including The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian, and has made several television appearances and even getting advice from fashion stylist and fashion editor at Dazed, Cynthia Lawrence John. The press and publicity hasn't disrupted his life however, aside from bringing his career to the next level and freebies Romero says "I'm a fashion designer not a brain surgeon. I'm not into all that fake fashion lifestyle; I'm more about meeting the demand of what I feel females want/need." Level headed, humble and a great designer, not bad for a guy who would probably have been a brain surgeon had he not found his calling in fashion. Since signing with Willbaforce Management, Romero's future is so bright he may need to start designing shades. He aims to become a leader in the "Haute Street" market by further developing his Rome by Romero Bryan brand and by doing the same thing with his high end line Romero Bryan. His most important future goal however is "…to encourage others from my background that any dream worth dreaming about, is worth the hard work, and therefore is achievable." I couldn't have thought of better parting words myself. by Anastassia Simon

About Me and My Musings

This site will serveas my online writing portfolio where I'll post some of my choice published works and occasionally write exclusive stuff for this site. I'm always up to contribute to your blog, website or magazine and am always working on something new. Thanks for stopping by. As time rolls on this site will get better, I promise.