Seasonally Aspirational: Kate Moss for Stuart Weitzman

The nice thing about working in fashion is that the moment winter gets too cold and dismal to bear, spring collections and campaigns begin to break, transporting you, me, us - virtually, at least - to warmer, sweatier, and in many cases, sexier days.

Such is the case with Stuart Weitzman’s Spring 2014 campaign, featuring Kate Moss, and photographed by Mario Testino. Minimal make-up, wet hair and barely-there cover-ups enhance a laid-back and luxe Bohemian look. The styling itself is deliberately and provocatively simple, a complement to "THE NUDIST," a sexy, strappy, sleek and minimal sandal style seen in the campaign.

For more from Stuart Weitzman and Kate Moss, click here.

Kate Moss for Stuart Weitzman

The Nudist Sandal

Kate Moss for Stuart Weitzman

Social Media Obsession: Vine

I'm currently suffering from social media start-up fatique (more on that later), but even I couldn't resist the allure of Vine, Twitter's new video app. Vine lets you create 6-second looping videos - almost GIFs, and then share them seamlessly to Twitter and Facebook. I love the dimension it adds to images, not to mention the simplicity of the app itself.

Download Vine from the app store here, and once you're there, don't forget to follow me - that's Dina Fierro - for a glimpse into my latest loves.

Watch This: Behind the Seams with Robert Lee Morris

Designer, artist and entrepreneur Robert Lee Morris is nothing short of a legend in the jewelry business. His stunning namesake collection, launched in 1971, is one that's instantly recognizable to anyone who has even the slightest interest in jewelry - pieces are bold and sometimes architectural, yet sensual, often deriving inspiration from organic forms. I'm particularly obsessed with the bold cuffs, which sit perfectly on the wrist despite their often striking size. 

Last week, I had the pleasure of going Behind The Seams and in the studio with Robert in the Style Coalition TV episode below. In addition to a peek at his current collection, archives and workroom, we chatted about the art of designer collaborations (having worked with legends like Calvin Klein and Donna Karan, Robert knows a bit on the matter). His advice is worth a listen for any young designer.

Shop the Robert Lee Morris collection at Bergdorf Goodman, Kirna Zabête, or at Morris’ Soho store at 400 West Broadway. 

New York Fashion Week: Donna Karan Spring 2013 Runway Show Video

Watch This: Superdry Summer Style Series

I recently had the pleasure of paying a visit to the new Superdry flagship in Times Square. Across a staggering 14,000 square feet spread over two floors, there's a bounty of men's and women's cas gear - much of it perfect for summer. While there, I shot a quick little vid talking about my approach to summer style - in it, you'll see a few of my Superdry faves, including the super-nautical (see what I did there?) red and white striped Riva bikini.

Check it out here, and be sure to Like Superdry on Facebook to view more of their Summer Style series!

Rebecca Minkoff + Agyness Deyn: Two Great Tastes that Taste Great Together

Rebecca Minkoff: Aggy Audition Video from Daniel Saynt on Vimeo.

Among my favorite faces is supermodel Agyness Deyn and, as you already know, one of my favorite designers is Rebecca Minkoff. This spring, they've collaborated to create a short fashion film that showcases Minkoff's lovely spring/summer collection in the guise of an audition. View the vid above, and check out Minkoff's new arrivals - including snazzy studded shades and a dreamy tangerine dress- on site now!

A Match Made in Heaven: Ab Fab + Alexis Bittar BTS Spring '12

Jewelry designer Alexis Bittar continues to KILL it, when it comes to both oh, designing jewelry I desperately want to wear, and also choosing THE most amazing, iconic, crazy faces for his campaign and lookbook visuals. Following in the memorable footsteps of actress Joan Collins, Absolutely Fabulous characters Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone.

"I've watched every single episode at least 50 times," Bittar told Vogue UK, "so I was excited to meet and get to work with them. We had so much fun on set; the ladies are so at ease in those characters, as soon as they slipped on the jewels and clothes it was such a transformation - it was like, bam: here we are sweety dahhhling."

What do you think of the Ab Fab gals for Bittar?

Karen Elson Gives Us The Business Yet Again

Brit supermodel Karen Elson returns as the face of St. John this fall and I, for one, couldn't be happier to see her gorgeous face and flaming red hair. (Of note, I have encountered Karen as a brunette, and while still gorgeous, my obsession waned momentarily.)

In case the campaign images enough aren't enough to satiate you, here's even more Karen, in the video for her track "The Ghost Who Walks."

Greetings from Los Angeles: The SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills

I'm in LA for business for the rest of the week and trust me when I say that if there were EVER a week when I needed a little escape, this was it. And thankfully, I have a truly gorgeous respite from the everyday, in the form of my hotel, The SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills.

I'm a tough judge of hotels (or, erm, everything) but from the moment the car pulled up, I knew it was LOVE, in all caps. This insanely chic and beautifully modern hotel DRIPS style from the hotel entrance to the lobby to the pool and of course, the gorgeous rooms.

Since I'm an oversharer by nature, I decided that the written word wasn't going to be sufficient this go-around. So check out the quick video that I shot, showcasing my room, including the private terrace and entirely delightful amenities:

Watch This: Dita Von Teese for Cointreau

If there are two things that I love in the world, they're burlesque queen Dita Von Teese and a nice, stiff Margarita. The kind folks at Cointreau bring it all together for me post-Cinco de Mayo with the first of three viral webisodes, featuring Dita herself as socialite Margarita Sames, said to be the namesake of the legendary cocktail.

According to lore, it was at one of Sames’ famed parties at her Cliffside hacienda in Acapulco that she began experimenting with “the drink” that would later be named in her honor.  Looking for something refreshing to combat the humid afternoon, she mixed top-shelf tequila, Cointreau and fresh lime juice.  Her cocktail was so delicious and intoxicating, that it kept the party going for two full weeks!  Not long after Margarita’s legendary soiree, the Margarita caught fire across the globe and is known today as the most popular cocktail in the United States, and the undisputed official drink of the summer.

If you've never had a Margarita with Cointreau, a delicious orange liqueur, you are truly missing out.  Check out the initial webisode below and for cocktails and more, visit www.cointreau.com or the brand on Facebook.

Runway Redux: Yigal Azrouel Fall 2010

For Fall/Winter 2010, Yigal Azrouël presented a collection strong on tailoring. Silhouettes were lean and architectural, with undertones of reconstruction. Hybrids of different garments and fabrications creates new silhouettes and pseudo layers. This is most relevant in the jackets with resin leather sleeves and the subtle patchwork details seen throughout.

Fully matched suits offer toughness with removable shearling cuffs, leather inserts and metal accents. The masculine/feminine play works its way into the men’s and women’s collections equally. High-neck details emphasize a certain restraint yet offer softness in their drape and asymmetry.

Preferring a streamlined look, texture is created from the self-fabric with technical intricacy. Spontaneous bursts of color come in rouge, pansy and butterscotch, lightening the mood. Azrouël also designed several looks for Swarovski, integrating the crystal elements with unexpected garments like a rough, distressed leather jacket and raw drape knit.

Alexander McQueen, 1969-2010

It was clear that a dark cloud had settled on the first day of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York when news broke this morning of Alexander McQueen's (born Lee McQueen) suicide in London.

Just 40, McQueen was widely regarded as one of the most influential and artistic designers in fashion. The rare editor's darling and commercial success, he counted Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Sandra Bullock, Sarah Jessica Parker and so many more as devotees.

There's nothing that I can say that another, more articulate voice hasn't already said (i.e. Cathy Horyn's The Loss of Alexander McQueen), but this is a death that I find just devastating.

In his memory, here's my favorite McQueen moment, the state of the art Kate Moss hologram that closed his Fall 2006 show - it epitomized both his love of art and his ability to embrace technology.

RIP

Watch This: Project Runway Season 7 Teaser

"Sew, cut, drape...do whatever you need to do to finish this." Tim Gunn is NOT messing around this season.

New Year, New You? Death by Physique 57

I must admit, I don't take New Year's resolutions too seriously but when my friend Felicia invited Amber and I to join her for a Physique 57 class yesterday, I felt compelled to say yes.  Not only is it a new year and time for a fresh (fit?) start, but THIS is the workout that legends are made of - or at least, you know, Kelly Ripa.

Felicia warned us that this was not a workout for pansies, people. Physique 57 is a fusion of yoga, ballet, pilates and core-conditioning and it literally works almost every muscle in your body, using light weights and your own weight as leverage.

Immediately following the 57-minute class, Amber, Felicia and I celebrated with some Maoz falafel and decided to capture our post-Physique 57 impressions in a video:

If you're intrigued by the Physique 57 workout, visit the site for locations and a class schedule. There's also a relatively new at-home DVD series which has received some RAVE reviews. If at all possible, I do recommend taking at least 2-3 classes at the studio before committing to the DVDs, to ensure that your form is correct.  Either way, you can snag the DVDs here.

Have you tried any new workout classes this year? Leave a comment and share!

p.s. I swear I'm a LITTLE slimmer than the angle in this video would have you believe....

Watch This: A Tavi-Eye View of Rodarte for Target

Teen style blogger and Rodarte muse Tavi Gevinson made the scene during New York Fashion Week in September, and worked with designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy on an exciting video project to promote the new Rodarte for Target collection, hitting stores December 20.

The short film offers a behind-the-scenes peek at the lookbook shoot, press preview and ad shoot (on location in North Dakota!), as well as the Rodarte Spring 2010 fashion show, with guest appearances by Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman and Elijah Wood, among others.

I must admit, this collection intrigues me though I am almost always beyond disappointed in Target's designer collabs.

What do you think? Are you planning to hit Target on December 20 to snag a few Rodarte pieces of your own?

New York Fashion Week: Redken for Rebecca Taylor

Backstage at Rebecca Taylor's Spring 2010 show today, stylist Rodney Cutler for Redken created an uber-chic bow-shaped chignon to complement the designer's uber-girly clothing! I have to say, I think this is among my favorite hair looks to-date. It's just so clever, yet a simple twist on a classic.

To hear Rodney chat hair for the show, be sure to check out the video below!

Watch This: Anna Wintour on The Late Show with David Letterman

Did it slip your mind to set the DVR last night?  No worries. Check out the YouTube video below of Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour on The Late Show with David Letterman.

While Anna was obviously beyond prepared for this appearance, I thought she was fantastic - dry and funny.  She discussed The September Issue, of course, and also Fashion's Night Out (more to come on that in a future post, but shoppers, mark your calendars for September 10!) That said, I was disappointed in Letterman - he seemed dismissive and borderline disrespectful of Wintour at times in the interview.

New Yorkers - pre-sale tickets are now available for the first official theatrical showing of The September Issue this Thursday, August 27, at 12am for the Chelsea 9 theater in New York. Click here for tickets! As for the rest of the country, you'll have to wait until September 4.

Watch This: Liz Claiborne's GENIUS Video Series

I know, I know, Liz Claiborne...the very name conjures up memories of brightly lit, mid-level department stores. Shudder. But erase your pre-conceived notions of Liz for Fall 2009; Creative Director Isaac Mizrahi is designing perennially chic, classic apparel and accessories with a real sense of whimsy - goodies for the perennial 35 year old in all of us.

To accompany the Fall 2009 collection, the Liz Claiborne YouTube channel is housing a series of three clever behind-the-scenes film shorts by Red Bucket Films that feature Mizrahi himself AND the incomparable Coco Rocha (among others!)  I've included one of my faves below...take a look, it's worth it!

Watch This: Nina Garcia Talks 'The Style Strategy'

Nina Garcia's latest fashion tome, "The Style Strategy" is set to be released next Tuesday, August 25 - and I for one, can't wait!

On this week’s episode of Barnes & Noble Tagged! (a new video magazine series), host Molly Pesce sits down with the Marie Claire Fashion Director and Project Runway star to discuss the book. Check out the video below!

 

To snag a copy of one of Garcia's other books (they're fab!) or to pre-order The Style Strategy, click here.

Play This: Justin Timberlake Partners with Givenchy

Inspired by the "lifestyle of today's man" and formulated with notes of bergamot, mandarin orange, black pepper and patchouli, Givenchy's new men's fragrance Play is fronted by the quintessential Renaissance Man for today, Justin Timberlake.

To coincide with the launch, the brand has created a microsite which houses a delightful behind-the-scenes video, downloadable wallpapers (I don't get all that excited for these generally speaking, but again...these are OF JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE) and a chance to win a signed bottle of the fragrance.

To play along, visit www.playgivenchyvideo.com