F*ive W's: Public School

What: Public School

Who: Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne are both veterans of the fashion industry. Dao-Yi Chow is currently the co-owner of Arrive, one of Miami’s hot retail spots which offers fashion seekers a cool mix of European designers and top of the line streetwear and is the former Creative Director of Sean John. Maxwell Osborne, also a former designer at Sean John, is also a design instructor at Parsons School of Design, intermittently. “We are both teachers and students who continue to critique the culture we help create, resulting in a new vision of constructed garments that focus on fabric, fit and energy,” says Chow. “It’s the same energy that’s found at the start of every new movement.”

When: Founded about a year ago, the company will be releasing their first collection for Spring/Summer 2008.

Where: Items are available at Public School NYC website & Stores, Barney's New York, Harvey Nichols and Brooklyn Circus. You can go to their website to see a full list of locations that will carry their line.

Why Their HOT: Public School’s logo is a black apple with a feather quill, which pays homage to the Big Apple’s {New York} edgier side and an underlying quest for knowledge. Public School is a intricate mix of interweaving different styles and trends, such as a premium lambskin trench coat that can be unzipped into a cropped biker jacket. Or a fine wool cardigan layered with leather and metallic studs. Every item was on the Fall/ Winter 2008 theme of overachievers, arrogance and urban {particularly NYC} street smarts.

How: Prices will range from $72 for a T-shirt to $680 for leather outerwear. Wovens, jeans, and French terry knits will range from $125- $230. With the use of Italian vegetable dyed lamb leather, specially bonded cotton/nylon blends and Japanese 2x1 cotton twill, it's no wonder that their items provide luxury with simplicity and minimalism.

**Items from the Spring/Summer 2008 line, now available in stores

Letter From The Editor

Have you seen April's issue of Vogue? How about Anna Wintour's letter?

**Image courtesy of Vogue.com

In the April issue of Vogue {as seen above}, Wintour releases a letter on why she chose Gisele as one of the cover models. She goes on to say that Gisele has stayed, "athletic and curvaceous." {If you were born a size 0, sure}

"I wish I could say the same for the young women who were just on the runways at the New York fall collections. Overall, they were pale and thin, and entirely lacking in the joyfulness and charm that once defined the supermodel. This, of course, is not their fault: Designers now near-uniformly favor a non-vivacious, homogeneous ideal." Wintour, Vogue April 2008

It's amazing that it was around this time last year when Jennifer Hudson appeared on the cover of the March 2007 issue of Vogue {to much of an uproar}. I just never thought that it would take another year before she addressed the increasingly thin models that cascade down the runways each season. We all know that Wintour is genuinely concerned about these girls {seriously, she really is} however, the main reason is because she feels the industry is "out of touch... I would urge designers to consider athleticism and vitality as assets in the wearing of great fashion." Because April's issue is dedicated to the human physique, maybe this letter is a result. Or maybe Mme. Wintour is calling for a shift in the industry. Only August and September will tell. I give my thumbs up to Anna for speaking out anyway {despite what her motives might be}

Top for My Jeans

All I want is a nice top to go with some jeans. I'm not very picky, demanding or even hard to please. Seriously, I'm REALLY NOT hard to please at all. I'm just not going to put on any body's top made anyway! I like my tops pretty, structured, practical, sophisticated.......synonyms like that. So I had to go to my reliable "Ralph Lauren." After looking for a while I picked out this "Emmaline Shirt." It's got the puffed the sleeves that are in this season. I can deal with the color. It's got a button down front. Fairly easy to take care of. What's not to like? I saw this "Equestrian Polo" and everything was right once again in my world! Classic polo shirt---I can accessorize it or not. Regular care, I can deal with this. Then I saw this grey Nanette Lepore "Love Triangle" top. It's silk and you have to get it dry cleaned but it's worth it. It's got little bead embellishment along the side, front. Things just mat be lookin' up. You can find it at Nordstrom's.

"Change your thoughts and you change your world." Norman Vincent Peale

Lovin Life, truthis

Joseph And His Technicolor Dream Bags?

Well not Joseph, but Prada and they happen to feature on of this seasons most sought after trends, patchwork. Prada's "Nappa Tote" has been in high demands since it made it's debut at Milan Fashion week. It's currently sold at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman and due to it's high demand, you are only able to order three units per item within a 30 day period. {Tell your friends to forget it} I personally like the metallic Nappa tote, but then again, I like bright things.

• Prada Stripped Nappa Tote $2,360 available @ Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman
• Prada Stripped Metallic Nappa Tote $2,135 available @ Neiman Marcus
  

• Gucci Hysteria Handbag $3,150 available @ Bergdorf Goodman

Following in the footsteps of bright color combinations for spring, Gucci's Hysteria handbag is my favorite of the bunch. This would be great for those Saturday afternoon's shopping. Remember to hurry ladies an inside source tells me that they are going fast.

A Good Read

"Coco Chanel-Three Weeks," is a book by Douglas Kirkland due out August 25, 2008. Coco Chanel stripped women of their corsets and feathers, bobbed their hair, put them in bathing suits and sent them out to get tanned in the sun. She introduced the little black dress; trousers for women; costume jewelry; the exquisitely comfortable suit that became her trademark. Early in the Roaring Twenties, Chanel made the first ever couture perfume – No. 5 – presenting it in the famous little square-cut flagon that, inspired by Picasso and Cubism, became the arch symbol of the Art Deco style. No. 5 remains the most popular scent ever created, making Chanel rich beyond belief and providing the foundation of a worldwide empire. In 1962, world-class photographer Douglas Kirkland spent three weeks with the most important fashion icon of all time, Coco Chanel. Over the course of this stay, Kirkland photographed Coco with her friends, on the runway, and in the privacy of her homes. Kirkland reveals these never-before-seen photographs in all their vibrancy, shedding new light on one of the world's most enduring, multi-faceted, and bestselling fashion legends of all time. This title can be pre-ordered at Amazon , Borders, and Barnes & Noble Books. Although the book"Dior" has been out for some time (November 21, 2007), it is one of the most expansive collections on Dior ever seen. Founded in 1947 by Christian Dior. It traces the house back from Christian Dior to Galliano. It is a masterpiece, much like all of his work. This book is one of the largest books I've ever seen; this is a genuine coffee-table book. There is a special edition that comes in at a mere $1,500 however the regular edition is very high-quality by itself. A good overview of the 60-year history of possibly the most renowned haute-couture design house in the world. It's recommended for anyone with a serious interest in the field. Dior is available at Amazon, Borders and fine booksellers at everywhere.

"I never gave away anything without wishing I had kept it; nor kept it without wishing I had given it away." Louise Brooks

Lovin Life, truthis