BEHIND THE SCENES - Stella Artois Holiday VIDEO

I feel like I am fortunate to get some really cool jobs that allow me to use my brain to figure out how to get the shot. This is one of those instances. 

So for educational purposes I want to tell you about the really cool "gag" we pulled off with Mirrors for Stella. 

For me the reference is truly coming from Yayoi Kusama ( totally a long time fan of her ) and was excited to figure out how we were going to achieve a similar type of infinity shot.

Searching for both two way mirror and oddly remembering mirrored plexi glass I secured both and several other options of mirror and reflective plastics. Something HAD to work. 

Add in stress from the director and you would understand why I had a lot of options ready to go. 

THE RESULT : Black out around the camera lense then shoot through the mirror plexi at the glass ( key prop )  and pick up the infinity reflection by using regular mirror from Home Depot. Cheat it to one side and Boom its the shot. Also note you really have to block out the sides and don't get me wrong we played with this for hours to get enough light in and yet none of the reflections. 

NEXT UP... Try pouring water all day to make it slosh up ( see OJ commercials ) 

Kidding .... 

Check out the finished images on the Stella FB page. 

TESTING THE MIRROR TRICK! 

GO GO GIO! Super stylist super book!

October 24, 2017

On October 24, 2017 my favorite book store and the go to place for the Best Art books printed  RIZZOLI'S did a special launch for a very Special Stylist! Giovanna Battaglia launched in NYC her super fun, super colorful, super creative book GIO-GRAPHY: FUN IN THE WORLD OF FASHION ! 

This book should come with some rainbow sequins, a hefty Italian sensibility, and some balloons. 

PURE FUN and escapism - This book reminds us of what is lacking in retail and getting dressed each morning. You can feel the vibrations of what it must be like to have her life, and closet! 

The books sold out AGAIN! After a prior sell out and launch party Linda Fargo of Bergdorf Goodman had for her friend and fellow fashionable icon GIO.

You need to see the book yourself , it is an escape from the doldrums of Polar fleece, legging and sneaker. Gio dresses like a lady! She shows you with advice from her noteworthy fashion friends how you too can look this good. I loved it ! I am inspired ! I left needing to rip my closet apart, organize the worthy fun clothes into one pile and the Meh ones into they maybe its time to donate you to recycling bin. 

Sparkle, dazzle, be YOU but shinier and more accessorized  is how I feel after a bit of GIO_Geography. 

BEST PART IS THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON for the Amazing DEAL OF $25.71 APROX with PRIME  !!!  GET IT NOW THROUGH MY AFFILIATE  LINK :

Gio_Graphy: Fun in the Wild World of Fashion

By Giovanna Battaglia

Moda Operandi on the upper east side try on what you gawk at online

Did you know this? How did I just find this out!  

Last Thursday night I got invited to see some of the most amazing dresses at Moda Operandi's 24 E 64th St location. 

This is a little jewel of a spot.

The decor is delicious!  Luscious Italian plastered walls in verdigris green combined with perfect pink velour couches welcome you to  a collection of rotating best of the best clothes that only you have dreamed about. 

This store is special - it is there for exclusive trunk shows, and special clients who may request to try on special items from the website. 

The collection I got to gawk over was one by the husband wife duo of Cucculelli Shaheen. Their dresses are beyond breathless, truly one of kind and completely sophisticated sexy. 

Beaded placements and cut outs that highlight the silhouettes and are to die for with the intricacies and special details. My absolute favorite has to be the beaded cape. One version attaches to a dress the other is just a sheer celestial cape that allows you to wear it over any dress to give it instantly that WOW factor. 

Custom made to measure these are couture quality. I felt like I was looking at museum dresses. And with that I am sure someone going to the Met Ball will have one of these on. 

Try and get an appointment to view this collection if you have a big event. I am waiting - there must be a ball I need to go to. 

MODA OPERANDI   24 E 64th St, New York, NY 10065 

Cucculelli Shaheen.

Cucculelli Shaheen.

IRIS ! Gets a Barbie and a party at Bergdorf's

the moment before linda int he black striped jacket and turbin spins around and selfies! 

Casually, I get off the elevator on the 3rd floor of Bergdorf Goodman and suddenly I am witnessing Chirstie Brinkley flanked by Tommy Hilfiger and Dee his wife all taking a selfie with Linda Fargo . Ha ha Iris can draw a crowd .....And then I knew this was going to be quite a store event. 

I quickly text my friend the Sr.Stylist and Shopper at Bergdorf's for over 15 years, Vanessa Sterbenz and ask where she is stationed in this jungle of printed fabrics, metallics, sequins, and other outfits of importance. 

We find each other and get inline for drinks. Cut crystal in pink and clear flutes of champagne are passed around and the line to see the honorable Iris and her exclusive Barbie doll is getting long fast. Fans, Celebrities, Fashion people, People trying too hard, everyone was there - It was great! Who would have thought!  

The barbie is a tiny duplicate of the 90 plus year old Iris. Black glasses and all. It was part of a collection of special honorary Barbie dolls. And it wad a perfect excuse to shop the floor of Bergdof's look at Linda's selections and have a really fabulous time creating an only in New York, experience. 

Chris Collins a Real Man & Fragrance to Match

Harlem Nights, Renaissance Man, and Danse Sauvage from Chris Collins

About 2 years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Chris Collins.

Life in New York being what it is people get busy and then they loose touch and then one day you start to think and wonder hey how is that ( fill in the blank ) person I used to email and have a coffee with. 

Then you get an invite from another friend that ... guess what so and so is launching their name sake fragrance at Bergdorf Goodman's Men's store  . Wow that's fantastic- and that would be Chis.

He is such a good guy is my next comment.

Chris Collins for those of you who don't know is probably one of the most recognized faces for Polo. Way before there were influencers Chris was the leading brand ambassador and face of Polo Ralph Lauren. Not to mention probably one of the most humble grounded, and nicest men anyone could meet. I was only overjoyed to learn about his latest fragrance launch.

Chris created Harlem Nights, Renaissance Man, and Danse Sauvage from a meeting with famed French perfumer Kilian Hennessy ( my favorite other brand ). Like an artist he learned in France about the notes and combinations to curate these alluring fragrances that reference his life, travels, and history.

And this man has some stories and history that only an elite professional male model could share. Nice and extraordinary ! I found myself wanting to smell like Chris! 

It makes me overjoyed to see what this man's ambition has produced. The Launch was International Women's Day at Bergdorf Goodmans Men's store and like a true gentleman Chris had his Mom there who he acknowledged.

I am excited to see what's next for Chris Collins! 

UNTUCKIT ! yeah

NYC is filled with speak easy bars.

We are all too cool... it can't be a bar it has to be a secret bar and one that only a "few " people know about ( lol ) is exactly right a "few" it is humors cause once a place gets good it it no longer well...  is a speak easy or cool.

I am sure I sound like a snob or bitch for saying this. I guess I am spoiled living here for as long as I have.

With that there are occasions when PR or marketing come up with a really novel idea. One that makes me stop and say "Nice!  well done". This is one of those times when yes intentional pun I am taken off guard. 

It's the play off games for Basketball and I find my self oddly walking through UNTUCK on 488 Madison Ave, not shopping for shirts, or clothes for some cute guy,  but going all the way to the back to a secret entrance to ...... wait for it ...... the stairs to the stockroom.  

As it is now you can get one of these keys that will give you axis to a well stocked bar, several large screen TV's, great couches, and tables for socializing or "working". This is the newest and one of the best ideas I have experienced in a long time. Yes, yes I know I was saying Blah to the speakeasy but the attention to detail and how well it is tucked away makes it great.

So check out it out IF you get a key or contact me I have 2 keys and I am always up for day drinking I mean working from a secret stock room while watching the game. 

Good luck Dry Cleaners @saks @goodluckdrycleaners

What a Sunday! ( I was about to say funday and then I tried to remember to be cool ) 

I finally muster the confidence to head over to Saks after lucking and stalking the  the secret pop up located in litterly the basement of Saks. NO JOKE !

I though by Sunday everyone would have known, and there was going to be one of "those" lines like the Yayoi Kusama exhibit to get into the basement of SAKS.  

Amazed!   I WAS IN - and even better I got to talk to and actually inpromptu interview the master mind Phil Reese- the guy behind this collaboration, pop up, what ever it is, ak: coolest project SAKS has done in years.

In my opinion this is THE BEST THING SAKS has done - it got the " art crowd" from down town UP town and talking about their store and during Fashion week. #departmentstoregoals

The idea of, what is a department store these days is a  larger issue. But let's not go there. Let's talk about how utterly cool the entire experience is / was! 

First off you can enter in from their gold Elevator that brags the most Lucky Cats in NYC ( it's super cute) . 

Then you are overwhelmed with Instagram worthy moments and snarky cleaver messages. Art created by Jeremy Penn, book launch for Jesse Frohman known for his photos of Kurt Cobain giant 100 gallon plus fish tank that doubled as a DJ booth - it was great! 

The over sized art decorating the walls doubled as  backdrops for Sak's Spring look book and will be used in the widows once taken down. 

If you check out the Good luck Dry cleaners Instagram during fashion week you would have gotten a peek at some really cool parties - FOMO  alert. yes ..... yes... I know. 

I was excited to meet Phil Reese - keep doing what you are up to this is IT you can feel it! 

VOLEZ, VOGUEZ, VOYAGEZ - LOUIS VUITTON October 27, 2017 - January 7, 2018

Got my tickets to see the Louis Vuitton Volez, Voguez, Voyagez exhibition. LV asked renown curator and historian, Olivier Saillard to prepare this exhibition. He is known for curating at,  Musée de la Mode in Paris and Marseille, the Musée Bordelle and the Victoria & Albert museum in London. It is up untill January 7th but free tickets for the tour are suggested. I added the link below. I will be posting and sharing my POV of this event! 

RECAP: OF the show....

What struck me as interesting is how the brand started, and the craft that went into making the trunks. I took the picture below to show how each one of the logos was hand painted! That's craft. If you look at the mark making it's 100% someone actually painting the logo on the trunks. That's more than 10,000 hours ( smile) for expert status. 

Also what was great to see was that they made LV tire trunks for exactly that use. ( YES AN LV CASE FOR YOUR SPARE TIRE )  what a luxury!

 The "bucket bag" trending for the past few seasons can also be traced back to LV and in one of the most cleaver ways. Champagne was carried in a "bucket bag" and there it is .... the inspiration for the shape of the trending purse. ( see picture below) 

The expansion of LV to collaborate with artist|brands has probably proven very successful and profitable. Supreme, yayoi-kusama

 Richard Prince, and Steven Sprouse,  are some the highlighted ones in the show and probably some of my favorite collaborations.

I look forward to seeing how major fashion houses continue to excite the public, stay relevant with newness and create ways to educate the public and grow the fan base in non traditional ways! 

EXTRAORDINARY LUGGAGE AND HISTORY OF FINE CRAFTMANSHIP! 

Examples from the Louis Vuitton Volez, Vogeuz, voyagez show New York. Supreme, Richard Price, Stephen Sprouse images.