eye4style: Yigal

Showing posts with label Yigal_Azrouel. Show all posts

Moi, flanked by the lovely Kat of Corporette (she's got a bun in the oven!) and Kristin of Fashion Style Beauty

You know...some girls are naturally pretty and for others, it takes a VILLAGE. I fall FIRMLY into the latter camp, so for yesterday eve's Internet Week activities - the Kaboodle Fab at Five Fête & Fashion Show (where friends Yuli and Jordana walked the runway, among others!), followed by the Webutante Ball (affectionately dubbed "Nerd Prom" by IW attendees) - I relied on nothing short of celebrity-caliber professionals to get me ready to go.

First up was a trip to MAC Pro, where artist Armando gave me the ULTIMATE smokey eye. To quote him on this, "Most girls would have said 'stop' by now, but you seemed okay with it, so I just kept going..." - he's referencing, obviously, the COPIOUS amounts of shadow, liner and mascara seen above.

Next, I spent some QT with Star, stylist extraordinaire at Ted Gibson, who gave me a magically sleek blowout with some Valley of the Dolls-style lift at the crown.

While I didn't manage to snap a REAL OOTD - I was too busy mingling and cocktailing, you know? - here's what I wore:

Yigal Azrouel Very Violet Draped Dress (via Rent the Runway)
Vintage Gucci Clutch
Lia Sophia Cuff (gift, no longer available)
Rings: Dominic Jones Knuckleduster (via The Outnet), Alex & Chloe Anneau Solitaire with Inverted Black Diamond, Kimberly McDonald Green Aquamarine Statement Ring
Courtney Crawford Patent Leather Peep Toe Pumps (line discontinued)

Rent the Runway, Reviewed

When Rent the Runway launched late last year, I was intrigued. Unlike Avelle (a bag rental service, formerly known as Bag, Borrow or Steal), renting special occasion dresses actually makes SENSE to me. While bags are investment purchases and I'll carry the right one for years (hey there, trusty Louis Vuitton Speedy 30!), I have to attend many events on a monthly basis and frankly, I don't want to be seen in the same special occasion dress over and over again. So, Rent the Runway seemed like a godsend.

Despite my enthusiasm, it took a few months for me to come back around to the site and actually place an order. Last week's Women In Need Gala, honoring Brendan Hoffman, CEO of Lord & Taylor & Cindi Leive, Editor-in-Chief of Glamour Magazine, was the perfect occasion for a test drive as if ANYTHING warrants a new dress, it's a room full of rich men (and, uh, a worthy cause?)

Choosing a dress was relatively easy. Rent the Runway has a fantastic mix of young and established designers (think Robert Rodriguez, Proenza Schouler, Tibi + more) and rental fees are affordable - from $50 to $250. While a few of my choices were unavailable for my chosen date and/or size (understandable, as I doubt if they're able to keep a deep stock), I WAS able to reserve a gorgeous goddess-y Yigal Azrouel frock ($100 rental fee), above.

And I was really looking forward to wearing it until about 2 days before the event, when Rent the Runway called me to communicate two issues with my order:

My alternate size was out of stock
The first choice size was in "less than pristine" condition

While I appreciated the call, I was admittedly non-plussed by the situation and they agreed to cancel the order and credit my card.

Imagine my surprise when a messenger delivery from Rent the Runway arrived just a few hours later.

Despite the effort (which deserves an A+!), the dress arrived in the wrong color and in questionable condition (the fabric is quite delicate and there were several visible pulls.) In addition, the "fit kit," a selling point of the Rent the Runway experience, was not included.

As I was in dire sartorial straits, I wore the Yigal dress anyway and it admittedly garnered a myriad of compliments, even one from Purple Lab creatrix Karen Robinovitz (also known as one of the most stylish women that I know.)

Aside from some flaws in the system and a less-than-stellar experience this go-around, Rent the Runway is a clever solution to that age-old problem, "But what will I wear?"

To become a member, leave a comment below with your email address enabled and I'll shoot you an invite!

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.

Hello Kitty Couture? MAC Collaborates with 30 Designers

The fierce folks over at MAC are celebrating their new Hello Kitty collection in grand style. Last night's fete at NYC hot spot Cedar Lake showcased 30 Hello Kitty-inspired couture creations by designers like Zac Posen, Catherine Malandrino, Yigal Azrouel and Emanuel Ungaro among others - with celebs, models and the generally fabulous in attendance.

For a sneak preview of the one-of-a-kind, Hello Kitty-inspired creations, check out the gallery. If you'd like to own a piece of Hello Kitty history (and benefit the Museum Acquisition Fund at FIT), check out www.ebay.com/machellokitty on Monday,February 9 at 10PM EST to bid on the look that strikes your fancy. You can also shop the MAC Hello Kitty collection at www.maccosmetics.com, beginning on February 10.