DIOR

Gender bending Yves Saint Laurent is the star of a new exhibit at the ING Cultural Centre in Brussels, Belgium up until May 5th. The exhibition, Yves Saint Laurent: A Visionary, focuses on his work from the '60s and '70s and includes approximately 100 display items some of which have never been on public display. The visionary unisex designer worked for Christian Dior when just a teen. Famous celebrities flocked to his shows during the sultry Studio 54 decade and luminous women like Catherine Deneuve were among his closest confidantes. He has had numerous experiences to draw artistic lifeblood from and even served in the French Army. Of the Dior fashion house, he explained: "Dior fascinated me. I couldn't speak in front of him. He taught me the basis of my art. Whatever was to happen next, I never forgot the years I spent at his house." St. Laurent revolutionized fashion with the tuxedo jacket and safari pants. He was one of the early designers to broaden the spectrum of known beauty. He used the elegant and haughty model Pat Cleveland. One of his main inspirations are drawn from ballet design. Some of his sketches are included in the exhibit. Learn more about the designer here.

Simona Blumenfeld Kornberg the owner of NJ based boutique gem, Mint Vintage boasts an array of chic finds. Here's the store and Kornberg's interesting tale.

What inspired you to open a boutique?

Ironically, I began my career at age fourteen in the modeling industry. I was a top model in Israel and learned a lot about fashion that way - designers, cuts, styles, fabrics. As a teenager I was always going to flea markets in Israel and dressed myself with the great fashions that I found there. I liked them so much better than the designer clothing that I could have gotten for free as a model. At the age of twenty-five, I decided to move to America with my mind and heart set on opening my own boutique. My dream since I was a little girl was to have my very own designer boutique.

How do you select your pieces, Simona? I have a very discerning fashionable eye. It's something I think you're born with and develops with life's journey and influences. I select my pieces based on the notion - that timeless beauty is what's always in style and forever will be. I do like to feature trends, but then we all become slaves to the latest trend, rather than what looks flattering on us an an individual. I know my clientele and I know what they like and dislike & style my boutique accordingly. I sell designers such as Chanel which speaks to every woman of every age. Often, the quality of vintage is better and everybody is copying everybody - it's hard to find an exciting item to wear. You'll never have that problem at Mint Luxury Consignment. From a stunning Escada runway dress, to a Cozy Dior sweater set, to a hot pair of red sole Louboutin beauties, to a rare Chanel purse -- you'll find it all here. My customers often joke that Sarah Jessica Parker's "Sex and the City" character Carrie Bradshaw, would be in heaven here. This is a mother/daughter boutique. Tell me about your background in the fashion industry? After I was a model, I opened 6 very successful boutiques name: Fuga, featuring the latest style of clothing, handbags and accessories from France and Italy. I liked selling contemporary, new designs, but I always had a passion for vintage fashions. I did quite well with my Fuga stores. I sold the 6 stores moved back to Israel for 4 years, and had children. I missed my country so it was a nice break. When I came back to the US, I saw all the estate sales and I knew the time was right to open a vintage designer boutique in the US. What are some of the hot vintage styles you're featuring right now? I carefully pick amazing clothing and handbags that you can never replace, and all are in amazing condition, fresh, artistic and individualistic. There is only one at the boutique and you and only you will have it (if you buy it). How exciting is that? Plus the price is so much more reasonable than any item you'll buy in a mainstream department store, for the same quality. Some of the "hot" styles I'm featuring are vintage cloche hats, party dresses, gorgeous sweaters, and stunning Louboutins. I also have a coveted Fendi, Chanel and Louis Vuitton collection that women from Manhattan travel to see me. I also carry vintage baubles, but these are high-end and stunning. I also carry 1960's sunglasses from Pucci. Every item tells a story. Advice for others who are interested in opening their own fashion boutique or business? Have a vision, have a goal. Work hard and make a plan. Have a niche. Never have regret and follow your dreams, even if it leads you to other countries. All the wisdom and information you gather will guide you. Never let anyone tell you who you are or limit your success. The sky is the limit!

As you'd suspect from any fashion it-girl, Olivia Palermo j’adores Dior. It’s always one of her Paris Fashion Week highlights, with the Spring/Summer 2013 show being no different, as Olivia shared on her blog before jetting to Africa.

We can't get enough of Olivia's navy Dior peplum dress, Giuseppe Zanotti navy pointed toe pumps, a furry clutched sized purse by Dior and sunglasses a la Westward Leaning.

Always in style, Olivia nailed the of-the-moment mixed fabric trend. We at Joonbug, love, love, love!

We love sunglasses. And parties. And beautiful bubbly entrepreneurs. So when we heard about the opening reception for a new one-of-a-kind eyewear boutique in the Upper East Side founded by the adorable Jaclyn Edelstein, we had to check it out. Ultimate Spectacle, located at 789 Lexington, is the new go-to spot for fashion savvy shoppers looking for high fashion, hard-to-find frames as well as specialized eye care. Not only can you find the hottest new styles, you can also get a comprehensive eye exam onsite, while eyewear experts fit you with ideal frames suited to your facial structure. And they know what they're doing! After glancing at me for a mere 5 seconds, they were able to instantly pick out two frames that fit my face perfectly.

For the city that never sleeps, there is always a fashion celebration going down on the island of Manhattan. From sample sales, to new designer launches, to top of the line fashion shows, New York never fails to provide us fashion hungry individuals with an infinite number of options to fill our agendas. Here is a list of upcoming fashion events that will surely leave you fully booked by the end of the month.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

This Fall is all about smoky eyes, thick brows, and bold lips. Don't worry, the colors and styles won't be that overwhelming. Here are our tips on getting the look:

Back to Basics

For starters, invest in a very good concealer, foundation, and setting powder. A high quality canvas is key!

• Concealer: Cover up those dark spots. We love this concealer because of it's Matte finish: Make Up Forever's Full Cover Concealer

• Foundation: Blend, blend, blend. No caking please! We love this foundation by Dior because it's long-lasting: DiorSkin Forever Extreme Wear with SPF 25

• Setting Powder: More like, "I'm not going anywhere" powder. We love this finishing powder because it can be worn alone of over your foundation: Makeup Forever HD Microfinish Powder

Remember a few years ago, Christian Dior attempted to have their own "DiorPhone?" Well it somewhat worked. Not really. Christian Dior is back again with the latest Dior mobile phone.

For a luxury branded mobile phone, it is not too shabby! The phone is your everyday chic and sleek touch-screen. The operating system on the phone uses Android. Therefore we can assume the phone has 3G, camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Google Maps.

Here is where the twist comes in, the phone comes in Glamorous Black, Dazzling Red, Pure White, and Shanghai Blue. And it is chiseled with sapphire crystals. You can find the phone at Colette. for €3900 or $5,000USD. Pretty cheap, huh?

WWD has informed us that Marc Jacobs may be stepping in as Dior's new Creative Director; the position has remained un-filled since Galliano was sacked due to allegations that he may have made anti-semantic remarks.

Not only are we anxiously awaiting a confirmation on whether or not Jacobs will actually take the new position, but we are besides ourselves wondering if he will really leave Louis Vuitton?! If both questions are answered with a yes, that means that Phoebe Philo will be the first choice as Jacobs' replacement at LV. However, she will remain at Celine regardless if she takes the new position or not.

Keith Urban, majorly successful country singer and husband of Nicole Kidman, has announced that he is launching Phoenix, his new men's scent, next month. As if his CV weren't impressive enough already.

Last Friday, Urban gave WWD an exclusive interview, where he dished all about his upcoming fragrance. Urban says that he chose the name Phoenix for his scent because that word holds a lot of symbolism and meaning for him. On his left forearm, Urban bares a tattoo of a phoenix, which he uses as a daily reminder that even if one "succumbs to the challenges and burns in the fire" he will eventually rise up even stronger than before.

Light, fresh eye makeup is a huge trend right now in the beauty world! Combining light shadows with dramatic, dark eyeliner and mascara is a classic look that was made popular by past beauties like Brigitte Bardot and Twiggy. Currently, modern day celebs, like Lauren Conrad, and fashionistas are rocking this look as if it never even left. Here's your step-by-step guide to creating the perfect light, big-eyed look:

Step 1: Start with an eye primer, try Shadow Insurance by Too Faced, to make sure your eye makeup stays perfect all day.