S.F. Fashion’s Night Out: Not just for ladies

S.F. Fashion’s Night Out: Not just for ladies


Another Fashion’s Night Out has come and gone in San Francisco, but it wasn’t just a ladies’ night. This year there were more menswear happenings in and around Union Square than ever before, which is just as it should be in a city filled with men looking to advance themselves sartorially. Here’s a wrap-up of some of my favorite men’s and men’s inclusive events of the night.

1) Neiman Marcus- 150 Stockton Street

The Neiman Marcus men’s basement had the usual luxury goods (and the usual FNO deejay spinning tunes from the musical “Chicago,” but it was menswear designer Antonio Luna’s collection in person on the second floor that really caught the eye. Showing pieces for the fall inspired by “the structure and softness of police and military uniforms in Belize” Luna’s mix of wools, cotton canvas and baby soft Italian leather were a highlight of the evening. Juxtaposing the sharp lines of his lapels with rounded shoulders and long, tunic styles with short, matador jackets the Belize influence was infinitely wearable with unexpected details (bold zipper hardware, double sleeves) delighting upon discovery. Luna, a 2012 graduate of the Academy of Art University and recipient of their 2009 Presidential Scholarship, hails from Guadalajara originally and continues to live and work in San Francisco.

2) Marc Jacobs- 125 Maiden Lane

If there is one thing Marc Jacobs can be counted on, for it’s a stunning store setting. Champagne flowed, shoppers mingled and had the opportunity to be photographed in store against a garden-themed, glitter-bombed backdrop. There were some great everyday men’s pieces from the fall collection on display (fun equestrian caps, kicky metallic toed sneakers and accessories ruled the night) but the cheekiest, only-at-Marc Jacobs find was the “Muscle Marc” plushy-doll in the style of  WWF merchandise circa 1992. If you’ve ever wanted to take home Marc Jacobs, here’s your chance!

3) John Varvatos-152 Geary Street

“Who the Hell is John Varvatos?” You know, I know, but the question was still the theme at the designer’s Geary Street boutique. After a couple Patron “Varvatosaritas” or “Simply Varvatos” cocktails it’s possible some of the guests forgot. With purchases of $200 or more (easily done, Varvatos’ dark hued, rock ‘n’ roll collections are always a great way to transition out of summer) you got to take home your very own “Who the Hell is John Varvatos?” T-shirt specially made for San Francisco’s Fashion’s Night Out.

4) Kurt Geiger- 250 Stockton St.

Another great bar (courtesy of Distillery 209) and tunes by Live 105′s Aaron Axelsen awaited at Kurt Geiger. The men’s side of the shoe store was just as packed as the women’s, and just as filled with eye-popping goodies from the company’s new “Pretty in Punk” collection. A 20% sale, raffles and the Lash Bar by Faux Lash had the store at capacity: This was easily the most crowded party in the Square. Hovering over the event was an enormous “shoe chandelier” that was likely one of the more Instagrammed displays of the night.

5) Ted Baker- 80 Grant Ave.

Ted Baker has gone fly fishing for the fall — the new “Tight Lines” collection is inspired by the traditional salutation fly fisherman greet one another with on angling adventures. All variety of tweeds, Baker’s signature seasonal linings featuring stags and rising trout and country weekend cuts (just in time for a new season of “Downton Abbey” theme parties) embellished by fly fishing lure lapel pins were on display at the Ted Baker party as well as the chance to win your very own fly fishing trip for two.

6) Barneys New York- 77 O’Farrell St.

We ended the night on the  men’s floors at Barneys. During the champagne reception from 6-9, 10% of all purchases benefited the Human Rights Campaign, an organization that advocates for the equality of the LGBT community. Knowing that part of a purchase went to a worthy cause helped assauge a little of the guilt ogling the men’s shoe department brought on, especially the now trademark protected Louboutin spiked loafers.

Fashion’s Night Out just keeps getting better every year, Thanks, San Francisco, for not neglecting the men. We’re already looking forward to doing it again in 2013.

Fashion's Night Out Boston freebies

Fashion's Night Out Boston freebies


Tonight is Boston's second official go-around for Fashion's Night Out and while you may have caught today's roundup of events in The Boston Globe, we're breaking it down a bit further for our digital friends. The evening's main draw is shopping and supporting local commerce with good cheer, great heels, and an open wallet, but while most participating shops are extending their hours and offering some incentive to shop, via discount or freebie with purchase, we know what you really want to know: What can you get/do for free?

Southie-based Rue La La's social team will be patrolling Newbury with Rue Recharge kits, featuring freshening towels from Bliss, bobby pins, band-aids and safety pins, tucked away in a branded plastic tumbler. Team Rue will also be setting up camp at Nanette Lepore (119 Newbury from 6-10 p.m.) where the cocktails, small bites, and door prizes will be flowing freely.

Newbury-newbie scott james (173 Newbury) will be handing out Bully Boy-fueled booze and Fashion Survival kits, which we're being told will have "an array of tools to spruce up for the night" along with a ticket to the Revere Hotel's FNO after-party at The Emerald Lounge (200 Stuart from 10 p.m.-2 a.m.)

The gals at Georgetown Cupcakes (83 Newbury) are handing out free "runway red" velvet FNO-themed cuppies to anyone who asks while Sweet (the 225 Newbury location) is doling out their sugar-rush-inducing frosting shots while screening fashion-inspired flicks. (They'll also be selling limited-edition "ready-to-eat" cupcakes designed by local talents: Daniela Corte, Michael De Paulo, and mike&ton for $4 a pop! Sweet!)

Hairo Wash and Blowdry (135 Newbury) will open their doors from 6-10 p.m. for complimentary quick styling (and "smoothing," we're told) and cotton candy. G20 Spa and Salon (278 Newbury) will also offer similar services to the first 30 through the door.

Madewell (329 Newbury) is luring folks in with the promise of a cupcakes and a braid bar, where skilled braiding pros (that's a real thing, trust us) will twist and turn an on-trend 'do gratis before (or after) you hit the shops.

In addition to screening the film version of Capote classic, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" at sundown, the Prudential Center is teaming up with Sephora to provide 10-minute mini makeovers for movie-goers.

As Go To It and the Globe mentioned, the two biggies of the night are inside Copley Place, featuring fashion from Neiman Marcus, Jimmy Choo, Vince, Elie Tahari, and Wolford, and at the Center Stage outside Joe's American Bar and Grill (181 Newbury), featuring fall looks from some of their Newbury neighbors.

Cafeteria is presenting what they're calling the "Moet Ice White Party," which will feature music by Hotflash and the English Tom Trio, accompanied by a fashion show by Dedham-based sportswear label, 47 Brand.

Life is Good's flagship (285 Newbury) is getting in the groove by hosting an outdoor fashion show, complete with games to be played and a live concert by Jamie Kent & the Options at 8:30 p.m., followed by Air Traffic Controller at 9:30 p.m.

Safar (235 Newbury) is hosting another "live photoshoot" with Scoozi, featuring the work of five aspiring designers outside their salon.

Kimpton Hotels is launching an extra-luxe pop-up street-level lounge at Exeter and Newbury where treats, eats, and sips will be on the house courtesy of Forum.

Finally, Boston Architectural College (320 Newbury) will host the Fashionable Fit Show with "FiveFinger" sports shoe brand, Vibram, and officially wins the most random partnership/event of the night.

Fashion's Night Out to rock Rye

Fashion's Night Out to rock Rye


Fashionistas, get ready! Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week returns to New York City on Thursday, and Fashion's Night Out, a one-night style extravaganza, will kick off the week-long event.
Looking to reinvigorate the spirit of shopping during an economic downturn, the concept for Fashion’s Night Out was conceived in 2009 by Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. With more than 4,500 events featured last year in the United States alone, plus a presence in 18 other countries, you don’t have to be in Manhattan to take part in the action. This year, Westchester County will be in on the fun, too.
Angela Guitard, the owner of the upscale boutique, Angela’s, is spearheading her own festivities, bringing “fashion, excitement and fun to the town of Rye” (24 Purchase St., Rye; 914-481-5894; www.angelasinrye.com). In addition to Angela’s, 20 other Rye stores and eateries will be participating.
Guitard, who says she lives by the slogan emblazoned on her boutique’s front window, "love what you wear," will run the event, which takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. Guests will be treated to an abundance of goodies and experiences that no fashion-forward local will want to miss: mini makeovers will be provided by celebrity makeup artist Kimara Ahnert; cupcakes from 350º Classic Bakeshop and Champagne will be on hand; tickets to four of this season’s hottest Fashion Week shows — Rachel Zoe, Project Runway, Joy Cioci and Mara Hoffman — will be raffled off; and former NBA legend, Isaiah Thomas, will mix drinks as the guest bartender at Ruby’s Oyster Bar & Grill. In addition, there will be an opportunity to win coupons for up to 40 percent off items bought that night. A T-shirt and/or Fashion’s Night Out tote are included with every purchase.
According to the Fashion’s Night Out website (fashionsnightout.com), events will also take place in Scarsdale, Bronxville, White Plains, Mount Kisco, Yonkers and West Nyack. Check the site for participating stores and details.

Fashion chain, food maker hit the skids

Fashion chain, food maker hit the skids


WOMEN'S fashion chain Ojay and a convenience store food maker have been put in the hands of administrators, threatening hundreds of jobs and delivering a double blow to the shaky retail sector.
Only a day after Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed overall retail sales fell 0.8 per cent in July, the worst monthly result in nearly two years, Ojay and Australian Convenience Foods have added their names to the list of recently failed retail businesses.
Just as news broke of the collapse of Ojay, which has 22 stores, it was revealed that the directors of ACF had called in administrators, with the nation's biggest supplier of fresh ready-to-eat foods looking for a white knight to save it and its 400 full-time and casual staff.


ACF is privately owned and was backed by private equity firm CHAMP Ventures, which is believed to own about 75 per cent of the business along with directors and other partners. CHAMP Ventures would not comment.
Advertisement 
ACF supplied thousands of petrol stations, convenience stores and supermarkets.
Joint administrator Vaughan Strawbridge of Deloitte said the company had been losing money for at least 12 months and was in the midst of a corporate restructure when it decided to place the business in voluntary administration last Tuesday.
There was no bank debt, with the largest creditors consisting of staff and an invoice discounting finance group. Deloitte is seeking a buyer for the business.
''We are looking at the financial position of the business, we are continuing to trade the business and we are running a quick-sale process,'' Mr Strawbridge said.
ACF had annual sales of about $75 million.

Meanwhile, Ojay became the latest in a long list of casualties in the retail sector. Ojay was founded in 1976 and has stores in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. It also sells its clothes in David Jones.
Joint administrator David Coyne, of Lowe Lippmann, said the company would meet its payroll commitments today, while two stores slated for closure before the administration were still set to shut.
The depth of Ojay's financial troubles is unclear, but it is not alone in the fashion world to be buckling under the weight of a stagnant economy and less consumer spending.
The retail sector has been hit with a wave of collapses, especially in fashion, including Brown Sugar, Bettina Liano, Ed Harry and Fletcher Jones. Fashion retailers have not been the only ones to struggle, with bookshops Borders and Angus & Robertson and confectionery company Darrell Lea also in trouble.

Young Iraqis face religious fashion crackdown

Young Iraqis face religious fashion crackdown



For much of Iraq's youth, sporting blingy makeup, slicked-up hair and skintight jeans is just part of living the teenage dream. But for their elders, it's a nightmare.

A new culture rift is emerging in Iraq, as young women replace shapeless cover-ups with ankle-baring skirts and tight blouses, while men strut around in revealing slacks and spiky haircuts. The relatively skimpy styles have prompted Islamic clerics in at least two Iraqi cities to mobilize the "fashion police" in the name of protecting religious values.

"I see the way they (police) look at me - they don't like it," said Mayada Hamid, 32, wearing a pink leopard-print headscarf with jeans, a blue blouse and lots of sparkly eyeliner on Sunday in northern Baghdad.

She rolled her eyes. "It's just suppression." So far, though, there are no reports of the police actually taking action.

This is a conflict playing out across the Arab world, where conservative Islamic societies grapple with the effects of Western influence.

The violations of old Iraqi norms have grown especially egregious, religious officials say, since the Aug 20 end of Ramadan, Islam's holy month. In the last two weeks, posters and banners have been hanging along the streets of Kazimiyah, sternly reminding women to wear an abaya - a long, loose black cloak that covers the body from shoulders to feet.

Religious officials speculate young Iraqis got carried away in celebrating the end of Ramadan and now need to be reined in.

"We support personal freedoms, but there are places that have a special status," said Sheik Mazin Saadi, a Shiite cleric from Kazimiyah, home to the double gold-domed shrine that is one of Shiite Islam's holiest sites.

He said the area's residents lobbied Baghdad's local government to ban unveiled women from walking around the neighborhood, including its sprawling open-air market that attracts people from across Iraq.

"The women started to follow this order," Saadi said.

Government leaders in Baghdad say they've issued no such ban. "We think that wearing a veil for women in Iraq is a personal decision," said Sabar al-Saadi, chairman of the Baghdad provincial council's legal committee.

Muslim women generally wear headscarves or veils in public out of modesty, and female worshippers are required to wear an abaya or other loose robes in shrines and mosques.

But over the last several years, following the 2003 US-led invasion and the fall of Saddam Hussein, Western styles have crept into Iraq's fashion palate. Form-fitting clothing, stylish shoes and men's edgy hairstyles are commonly seen on the street. Some younger women have even begun to forgo the hijab, or headscarf.

Their parents - and their grandparents - fear Western influence will drown out Iraq's centuries of culture and respect for religion.

"We as Iraqis do not respect our traditions," said Fadhil Jawad, 65, a gold seller near the Kazimiyah shrine. He estimated his profits have dropped by 10 percent in the last two weeks since authorities posted warnings about improper dress codes at the entrance to the market.

"Legs can be seen, there are low-cut shirts," Jawad said. "They should be given freedoms, but they should know their limits."

Kelly Osbourne gives fashion tips for real women

Kelly Osbourne gives fashion tips for real women


But lately the 27-year-old daughter of Ozzy Osbourne, currently with violet hair after stints of pink, lilac and gray, has earned the title of certified fashionista, dishing the designer dirt with Joan Rivers and co-hosts Giuliana Rancic and George Kotsiopoulos after major Hollywood red carpets on E! ”Fashion Police.”

She also sat front row with Rivers at the Badgley Mischka show during the New York Fashion Week this past February.

”I’m in the process of branding, doing my own line. I will not just attach my name to something,” Osbourne said. ”I want to be a part of every aspect of it. I want to do everything on it and even down to like making sure I know where the clothes or items are being manufactured.”

Now she’s being tapped to kick off fashion-fueled events too, like this month’s The Magnificent Mile Shopping Festival along Chicago’s Michigan Avenue.

While there Osbourne shared three things she learned walking the red carpet that she considers top everyday tips for real women:

Spray tans: ”It just gives you that golden glow, a bit of bronze, like you’ve been kissed by the sun,” Osbourne said. ”It makes you look slimmer and it makes you feel healthier. I always do that. I hate that I don’t have one now.”

Flatter that figure: ”Even if you’re a skinny girl, Spanx are a must,” Osbourne said, name-checking the shaping undergarments have become a red-carpet staple for women. ”Nobody wants to see your belly button through your dress.”

Pamper your feet: ”Always pack a pair of ballet flats in your handbag because by the end of the night your feet are killing you. You want to keep going but you can’t. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to go home early because my feet hurt and I haven’t had a pair of shoes to change into. Don’t let your footwear ruin your good time,” she said.

And for those who must know what Osbourne was wearing in Chicago to meet with reporters last week: A long, flowing short-sleeved black dress with a rainbow leaf print by Issa (a British label that Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, has helped popularize) and a ring with a large purple stone and a jeweled leaf by Chanel.

Houston wraps up terrible month in fitting fashion with 9-3 loss to Cincinnati Reds

Houston wraps up terrible month in fitting fashion with 9-3 loss to Cincinnati Reds


Houston left-hander Fernando Abad was not about to chalk up Friday night’s rough outing to inexperience.

“I know how to control those situations,” a composed Abad said in Spanish after the Astros’ 9-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. “Simply put, when you miss a pitch, if they miss, you’re good, but if they get to it, you pay the price.”On this night, he missed a few.

Abad’s latest outing lasted just 4 1-3 innings after the Reds roughed him up for six runs on nine hits, including two home runs.

“We tried to get him stretched out, but you know it’s about executing pitches,” Astros interim manager Tony DeFrancesco said of Abad. “I think that’s our biggest problem, our command of the fastball, our breaking ball command. We’re making mistakes, and right now we’re not good enough to make mistakes.”

Zack Cozart gave Cincinnati an early lead with a two-run homer in the second, and Jay Bruce hit a three-run drive in the fifth for the Reds, who stretched their win streak to four.

The Astros got back-to-back home runs by Fernando Martinez and Matt Dominguez in the third inning to tie the game at 2, but the effort fell well short of helping the team avoid its sixth consecutive defeat.

Brandon Phillips went 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI, and right-hander Mike Leake struck out six over six strong innings for Cincinnati, which leads the majors in wins with 81 and at 34-14 boast the best record since the All-Star break.

“I missed on some breaking balls,” said Abad, who picked up his second loss in as many outings.

Abad (0-2), who is making the transition after 81 major league appearances as a reliever, was making his first start since Aug. 25, when he went four innings in a 3-1 loss at the New York Mets.

Abad unraveled in the fourth. He allowed Cozart’s double off the left-field wall to start the inning.

Bruce cleared the bases with his 28th home run of the season to make it 6-2.

“That fifth inning, I think I made some good pitches, but they had some luck on their side, and with Bruce, I did make a mistake,” said Abad, who has started in the Dominican winter league. “That pitch sunk toward the middle of the plate, and he took advantage of it.”

Abad singled in the second inning for his first major league hit.

Martinez crushed a curveball from Leake to the right-field upper deck to begin the bottom of the third after falling behind the count 2-0.

Dominguez, who went 3 for 4 in Thursday’s loss to San Francisco, followed with his first major league home run, a towering shot to left field to tie the game.

“We were trying to give us a spark,” Dominguez said of the back-to-back homers.

Dominguez said he plans to give the home run ball to his parents.

“It was awesome,” Dominguez said. “To finally get one, it’s kind of a relief to get it out of the way.”

It was all the Astros would muster against Leake (7-8), who won his second straight in as many starts.

Miguel Cairo and Heisey drove in runs in the eighth for the Reds, both charged to Astros reliever Wesley Wright.

Brett Wallace doubled off Alfredo Simon and scored on a Jimmy Paredes sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning to get the Astros within six.

NOTES: Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker didn’t rule out the possibility of Joey Votto rejoining the team this weekend. But Baker said he’d prefer Votto make his return from two surgical procedures on his left knee next week. Votto is currently on a rehabilitation assignment at Class-A Dayton. ... Houston traded OF Ben Francisco to Tampa Bay for a player to be named later during the game. ... Astros SS Marwin Gonzalez will be out indefinitely after an MRI showed a torn ligament in his left ankle, which he injured in Thursday’s loss to the San Francisco Giants. DeFrancesco said Gonzalez will not require surgery.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.