Daily Front Row

2013 May 22

Heath Ledger Levi's Sell For Big Bucks

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Heath Ledger
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In random news of the denim-sphere...Last night, the Nate D. Sanders auction house in Los Angeles sold a pair of 501 Levi's worn by Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain for a whopping $21,013. The weathered trous, sized 34 x 36 inches, came with a pair of faded yellow workman gloves with "Ennis" (Ledger's character in the film) written in black marker on the inside. Coincidentally, the jeans sold exactly 140 years after Levi Strauss invented his iconic 501s.

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2013 May 22

Rachel Comey Heads To The Hamptons!

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Rachel Comey
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Downtown doyenne Rachel Comey is hitting the East End with a new retail partnership, thanks to Montauk's Surf Lodge. The designer is expected to open a shop-in-shop July 12-14 and July 19-21, housing RC swim, coverups, sandals, bags, and accessories. Plus, watch out for Rachel Comey x The Surf Lodge, the hospitality brand's first in-house collection featuring casual, limited-edition tees and sweatshirts for men and women. The beachy collab will be sold at The Surf Lodge as well as on RachelComey.com beginning Memorial Day Weekend. 

How did you hook up with The Surf Lodge, Rachel?
We were brainstorming a great place to experiment with retail as we're aiming to open a flagship at some point in the future. And we were thinking of our new swim collection and where it would find its best audience. Naturally, we thought of the Hamptons during July and The Surf Lodge is the focal point of quintessential weekend fun!

Where else will we find you this summer, besides the Lodge?
Probably The Poles or The Hideaway.

Where would we never catch you?
Having a fancy dinner out!

How “Hamptons” are you on a scale of one to ten?
Pretty low! I spend most of my time on the North Fork.  But high on the charts if you consider both forks since I try to go out every weekend.

What other surprises do you have in store this season?
We have special items for sale that will only be available at The Surf Lodge. We have a collaboration going with Sunsail Cabanas for custom sunglasses to shield you against the hot Montauk sun, and we have made some beach blankets from our original textiles. 

Describe Montauk in one word.
Utopian. 

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2013 May 22

Look of The Daily: Joan Smalls in Emilio Pucci

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Joan Smalls
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Catch her if you Canne! Joan Smalls won over Hollywood heavyweights yesterday at the premiere of Cleopatra, walking alongside red carpet regulars like Adrien Brody, Jessica Chastain, Dita Von Teese, Milla Jovovich, and Rosario Dawson. The 24-year-old stunner posed for the paps in a white, plunging Emilio Pucci gown reminding us why she's still the number one ranked model in the world. Werk.

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2013 May 22

First Look: Converse Reunites With Comme des Garçons

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Comme des Garçons PLAY for Converse Pro Leather
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Sneak attack! Comme des Garçons is teaming up with Converse for a third collab called PLAY, and we've got your first look. The new kicks feature an all-over heart motif atop a Pro Leather silhouette, a popular design that debuted in 1976 as a basketball shoe. The sportif styles for men and women will be available in three colorways—milk, black mid, and ox—and will be sold for $130 to $140 on Dover Street Market's website and at Comme des Garçons NYC store starting on May 28 followed by a rollout in Paris and London on June 1 and Tokyo on June 21. 

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2013 May 21

Meet Naomi and Lavender's Tyler Williams

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Tyler Williams
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Model Tyler Williams is wearing a new hat these days with the creation of Naomi and Lavender, an online shopping site that's becoming the destination for the California girl. But let's not let them have all the fun! We got Williams on the phone to get the skinny on the site and how being his Mom's stylist helped spark this endeavor.

What's Naomi and Lavender?
Naomi and Lavender is for the California girl or at least the girl who’s California dreaming. She’s boho '70s chic and loves a good floppy hat, wide-legged jeans, or a maxi. She likes the occasional pop of color, but likes to stick to earth tones for the most part. She never passes up a good Coachella festival. We sell everything from headwraps to handbags to blazers.

Got it! When did you start this company?
I started the company just a little over a year ago. I was talking with my mom, which I do a lot, and I wanted to create something having to do with fashion because I love it. When I was growing up my mom and sister used to come to me every day and ask me for advice on what to wear and what looks good. I’ve always enjoyed that, so it was a natural transition into fashion.

How often do you talk to your mom?
Like 500 times a day.

What's your background?
I grew up in Mississippi, and I always wanted to just get out and live. I knew that there was so much more for me outside of Mississippi because I never really felt like I fit in to that whole vibe. I would look in the magazines all the time and thought it would be amazing to be a model on the cover of magazines. I tried that route and modeled in New York and I did a little bit in L.A. but after doing it I found out that I wasn't really interested in it after all. I moved back to L.A. and came up with this. It's really paid off.   

Do you think that L.A. residents have good style?
Yes! Our style is their lifestyle. L.A. is a really stylish city. Some people might think that high fashion is the way to go, but I like more of a relaxed look as opposed to being dressed up all the time.

Why'd you call it Naomi and Lavender?
Naomi and Lavender was named after my mom’s mom, who I was very close with until she died a few years ago. Her name is actually Naomi Lavender. She always hated her name, but I think it's amazing. It’s kind of a tribute to her.  

What percentage of your customers are from California?
I’d say it’s about 50 percent. We also have a lot of New York customers.

How are you promoting the site?
I do all kinds of events, festivals, anything that I can get into that is more of a local thing. We’re at the Rose Bowl every month with a lot of the items that we sell online. You can always find us at Space 209 on the second Sunday of every month. I like building a local base. It gives it more of a homey feel.

Is your goal to design your own line someday?
Definitely! Ultimately the goal is to create our own collection. If I’m looking for that turban that Rachel Zoe is wearing I want to be able to create something similar if I can’t find it!

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2013 May 21

First Look: Carine Styles A Chanel Bag Seven Ways For CR Fashion Book

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"1 Girl, 1 Bag, 7 Looks"
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Carine Roitfeld's ongoing "7 Looks" series of styling moments for CR Fashion Book takes on a Chanel bag in its latest installment, modeled by Xaio Wen and shot by Max von Gumppenberg and Patrick Bienert. It's Coco's classic quilting and chain straps as you've probably never seen 'em (avec sweatshirts, cornrows, and slung from body parts that usually don't get handbag-ed up!). The iconic carryall gets paired with amazing looks from the likes of Marc, Balenciaga, and Givenchy; it's Carine, would you expect anything less?! Here's an exclusive peek at two more shots from the series. Check out the full shoot later today at CRFashionBook.com.

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