Former Google Exec CEO of Fashion Site Polyvore

Burro by marghipuntoc featuring Balenciaga bags

Items in this set: Crumpet V-neck cashmere cardigan, $350

Former Google Executive, Sukhinder Singh has made a rather surprising job venture this month, as she moves on to become CEO of Polyvore, an up-and-coming fashion and social networking site. Polyvore, meaning “devouring many or much,” was founded in 2007 in an effort to provide a creative outlet for users that allows anyone to become their own designer. Last month alone, Polyvore attracted over six million viewers who made a combined total of over 30,000 fashion “sets” each day, by combining various fashion, beauty, and other pop culture images. With these success rates, and the site’s new take on social networking entering the world of fashion and design, the site seems to have an overabundance of versatile opportunities before it, and we can't wait to see what Sukhinder decides to do with it! -Anna Elyse Lautmann

Parker Posey in Cynthia Rowley

Who knew graffiti could look so chic! Parker Posey wore a creative Cynthia Rowley dress to the recent screening of her movie “Happy Tears.” This structured, sweetheart neckline mini dress from the resort 2010 collection with its many colors and cool artsy print is an absolute stunning creation. We would love sporting it for our annual, upcoming Art Chicago party! The movie premiere for “Happy Tears,” was hosted by Donna Karan and the Cinema Society at the MoMA in New York. Where to Retail: The Graffiti Dress ($410) is now available in Chicago at the Cynthia Rowley Lincoln Park store at 810 West Armitage Avenue, the Bucktown store at 1653 North Damen Ave, as well as online here.-Brittany Berryman

J.Crew to Partner with NET-A-PORTER.COM this May

J. Crew’s boyfriend fatigue jacket and collection cocktail dress

U.S. retailer J. Crew is in collaboration with premier online luxury fashion retailer NET-A-PORTER.COM, who has just launched their Wedding Boutique! The award-winning website presents unparalleled access to the most popular styles of the season from top designers around the globe with international express delivery. Since its opening in June of 2000, the site has grown to feature over two hundred international designer brands available to over 140 countries, generating approximately 1.8 million women viewers each month. The site includes shoes, apparel, accessories, lingerie, and swimwear, as well as premium denim of top designers including D & G, Zac Posen, Versace, Prada, Burberry, Tory Burch, Fendi, and Seven for All Mankind, among many more. Although, currently J.Crew caters strictly to North America and Japan, this May the retailer will go global through NET-A-PORTER.COM where it will sell a collection of casual luxury goods, as well as exclusive styles and colors made especially for the site.
-Anna Elyse Lautmann

Cole Haan's New Spring 2010 Campaign

Lifestyle brand Cole Haan has created a new look for their Spring 2010 ad campaign, featuring everyday people wearing their clothes. This innovative campaign was created by well-known photographer Todd Shelby, focusing on the individuality of each different personality. The lucky individuals chosen include Harley Viera-Newton, a DJ and NYU student; Johnny Knapp, a writer and entrepreneur; Nicole Vassel, a Deitch Projects gallery director; and Moses Berkson, a photographer and video director. -Brittany Berryman

Martin Scorsese for Chanel

Martin Scorsese, Academy Award-winning director, will be directing the next TV commercial for Chanel’s upcoming men’s fragrance campaign featuring French actor Gaspard Ulliel. Nothing has been revealed about this fragrance, but will be announced in September when the campaign will be running globally. Chanel has a history of working with the best talent available to create their campaigns, which in the past has included Nicole Kidman, Baz Luhrmann, Audrey Tatou, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Chanel wants to create depth and emotion to their ad campaigns, to show how Chanel stands out from all the fragrance brands available. With Scorsese, the new ads are sure to be a hit.-Brittany Berryman

Madonna's Fashion Line for Macy's

Madonna will be launching her own exclusive clothing line which will be sold at Macy’s. This upcoming line will feature apparel, footwear, intimates, and accessories. Each line will be sold under a different name that features titles that have given Madonna fame. To bring this line into development, Madonna is said to be partnering with Iconix Brand Group Inc., which is the house name to other brands including Rampage, London Fog, and Rocawear. Madonna has made her mark in the fashion industry many times by appearing in many fashion ads including Dolce & Gabbana, Gap, Louis Vuitton, and Versace. -Brittany Berryman

Christian Louboutin, Barbie and Net-A-Porter

Not only does Barbie have it all, she has the love of Christian Louboutin. Louboutin, who has created many shoes specifically for Barbie, has designed a second limited edition doll series to add to Barbie’s collection. Louboutin’s new limited edition design features safari themed knee-high fringed boots and will be sold under the name of Dolly Forever Safari Barbie. Christian’s last Barbie doll collection entitled Cat-Burglar Barbie sold out in one day to collectors worldwide. Also on Barbie’s 50th anniversary runway show Louboutin was the key shoe designer to pull off Barbie’s signature look and also made shoes to fill the iconic dolls house. The Dolly Forever safari inspired Barbie will be sold on NET-A-PORTER.COM in March.
-Brittany Berryman

Sale Alert! After President's Sale Max & Chloe

After President's Day Sale. Save 20% OFF on a large assortment of fashion and fine jewelry. Use code APSD20. Expires 2/19

Betsey Johnson “Long Live McQueen”

Eccentric designer Betsey Johnson pays her respect to designer Alexander McQueen in her showing of her fall 2010 collection, by having one of her models parade with a sign down the runway saying “Long Live McQueen,” Betsey Johnson wanted to make sure she honored the late designer in her upcoming collection. To show her appreciation to McQueen’s natural talent Johnson changed the look to her collection at the last minute, and had her models have big candy wax red lips which is a signature look to McQueen’s aesthetics.
-Brittany Berryman

Green Chic - Factio Checks out eco-friendly beauty with 24K gold, Guiltless & Glamorous gives a V-Day Preview to Lush's Products and more!

Factio Magazine checks out LaROCCA Skincare,a new line of products using 24K gold and it's all eco-friendly!

The Fashionable Housewife delves in to the The Beauty Double-Bind. The current beauty standard that women are supposed to live up to is a classic double-bind situation. Read more about it in our informative article and find out how you can break the cycle.

Guiltless & Glamorous gives a Valentine's Day preview of LUSH's lush-ious products.

Home Green finds out ways to put a little green into your Valentine's Day

Looking Sharp checks out her first thrift store in Pittsburgh and falls in love.

Posh Swaps checks out designer T shirts at EJF to support the charity’s work ending forced child labour in the cotton industry in the post No more slaves to fashion.

Runway To Retail loves CHI Organics combs: The Olive Nutrient Therapy Combs use the benefits of olive oil and The Sandalwood Collection, we can't stop smelling.

Shopping and Info needs the puffer jacket Reese Witherspoon wore in the rain for Fashion Week in New York City.

Megan Fox Takes it Off for Giorgio Armani

Megan Fox in her latest commercial for Giorgio Armani. Take a peek at the sexy actress in nothing but her underwear.

Chicago Jewelry Designer Lands Cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition

Chicago designer, Lana Bramlette, hit the jackpot this week when The Today Show showed off the cover of the most recent Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Cover girl Brooklyn Decker is shown with her swimsuit top hanging over her shoulder and Lana’s “Peace” necklace hanging around her neck. Bramlette’s company, www.lanajewelry.com, has been working extremely hard to meet the demand that the magazine has now opened up for them. Although Lana’s jewelry has been featured in the magazine before, it has never been on the cover. Bramlette gushed, "This magazine is now in the hands of millions of people today, but the importance of it is that it has the longest distribution of any magazine. It'll be on newsstands all year. I feel like I've won the Oscars, or landed a free Super Bowl commercial.” The necklace retails for $655 and is 14 carat yellow gold.
-Emily Ekern

Alexander McQueen Commits Suicide

Fashion Designer Alexander McQueen has been found dead, taking his own life. His office has confirmed saying, ‘It is a tragic loss. We are not making a comment at this time out of respect for the McQueen family.’ We are just days before the start of London Fashion Week and the designer was to show his collection in just a few weeks during Paris Fashion Week.

Beauty Must-Have: CHI Organics Combs

The Sandalwood Combs

It takes no time to be an environmentally friendly citizen, and The Green Book shows that you can "Go Green" even while you're getting ready in the morning with CHI Organics combs. The Olive Nutrient Therapy Combs use the benefits of olive oil, like moisturizing dry hair, all while leaving it soft and manageable. They save you time by conditioning your hair while you comb through it. It leaves you with tangle free hair that’s ready to style for the day. The Sandalwood Combs contain a certain scent that is said to help treat nervous conditions obtained by stress, like insomnia. They leave your hair static-free and ready to style by spreading natural oils through your hair as your comb. The Sandalwood Combs come in wide tooth, narrow tooth, and pointed handle options for any styling purpose. Both combs are made with nylon to allow durability in everyday use.
-Emily Ekern

The Olive Nutrient Therapy Combs

André Leon Talley for Top Model

You wanna be on top? If so, the standards are on the rise on America’s Next Top Model where contestants will now have to work to compete on a whole other level: their high fashion sense. That’s right, popular Vogue editor André Leon Talley has signed onto the judging panel for the next three seasons of the show. Tyra has been pursuing Talley since before the show’s first season but Talley declined the offer in the past, as he was unsure of the show’s future. Now, after thirteen successful seasons, Talley hopes to bring a high-fashion edge to the panel, a perspective that they have lacked almost entirely in the past. So congratulations André and good luck ladies because now it looks like we’ll be watching to see who can stay in the running to become America’s Next Top Model and fashionista!
-Anna Elyse Lautmann

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Denim Collection, Textile Elizabeth and James

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have ventured into the denim sector of the fashion industry. The line will contain three styles of jeans and will be called Textile Elizabeth and James. They pulled inspiration from the Seventies and also took ideas from jeans already in their closets. The styles include a bell-bottom pair called Hendrix, a low-slung pair called Stevie, and a cropped, high-waist pair named Joni. The new collection will be carried at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Intermix and will wholesale a little under $115. They plan to expand the line in the fall with items typically worn with the jeans you love, and the Elizabeth and James men’s collection will switch over to a more casual look and fall under the Textile brand as well.
- Emily Ekern

Twilight's Kellan Lutz for Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein launches their new line arriving at stores this month entitled Calvin Klein X Underwear. The ads will feature a consistent black and white photograph containing a large
eye-catching red X in each individual advertisement. For their new campaign, Calvin Klein will be using four different models, to express the many different personalities throughout the line. The chosen talent features: “Twilight” American actor Kellan Lutz, “True Blood” and “The Deep End” American actor Mehcad Brooks, Spanish tennis star Fernando Verdasco, and Asian soccer sensation Hidetoshi Verdasco. These stars were photographed by Mikael Jansson along with creative director Trey Laird. Print ads will appear in April, beginning with Vanity Fair on
March 9.
-Brittany Berryman

Eco-Chic Beauty: Try Desert Essence Organics!

It's time to return to our natural roots, ladies and gentlemen. Desert Essence Organics has given us just the eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner to do so! The new duo uses coconut oil for a deep re-hydration of damaged and lifeless hair, while still being 100% vegan and biodegradable, manufactured with wind power, and wheat and gluten free. The products are also free of artificial fragrances and other unnatural or processed ingredients. In addition, the products are price friendly, going for just $8.99 a bottle, and are available online at the brand's website, www.desertessence.com. So in this age of over-processing, try going au natural and pamper your tresses.
-Anna Elyse Lautmann