My Photo Shoot for the Ann Taylor "The New Ann" Campaign

Ann Taylor, a brand I knew since I was a teen. My Mom and Aunts were patrons of this businessy women's clothing brand. Did you know that the brand Ann Taylor was derived because "Ann" represented a very New England name, and "Taylor" evoked the image of tailored clothing. When I graduated from college, I got myself three suits for interviewing. One of them was from Ann Taylor that I paid $300 for it. I must say it was worth every cent because it was well-tailored and survived many of my business travels. To me, Ann Taylor was where I shopped when I needed a good suit or a nice pair of slacks.

Not until recently during New York Fashion Week, I was approached by an Ann Taylor personnel to do a photo shoot makeover for their new image campaign "The New Ann". The location for the shoot was Union Square where hundreds of passer-bys watched as I posed for the camera.

Picking out outfits for Me

I was quick taken aback when I saw the pieces that Ann Taylor Style Director Kristin Rawson was picking out for me to model. Many of the pieces didn't look like they were from the Ann Taylor that I once knew. Quite honestly, I think some pieces can pass off as Elie Tahari (which I did mention during my interview at the photo shoot).

Ann Taylor Style Director Kristin & Me

After a pleasant surprise from Ann Taylor, I decided to check out their Fall/Winter 2009 Collection, and my oh my, what did I find? Fabulous luxe pieces for under $50! These are just two of my favorites, but they should give you a good idea of The New Ann.

NYFW: Style360's Pink Dress Collection Runway Show (Clarisonic, Susan G Komen For the Cure of Breast Cancer)

My favorite Sexy Mama - Brooke Burke

The Style360 Pink Dress Collection Runway Show may not be the most celebrity-studded NYFW event, but it was the one that I had the most one-on-one contact with celebrities and models. Just look above here. Know who this is? She is none other than the gorgeous Celebrity Mom of 4 kids Brooke Burke! The Pink Dress Show was also a meaningful event that benefits the Susan G. Komen For the Cure. Celebrities, press (like myself), socialites and breast cancer survivors all congregated for this pink runway extravaganza! Sponsor Clarisonic also had a limited edition Pink brush for sale where 50% of the proceeds went to Susan Komen For the Cure.

I took my seat 2nd row and the show began with my favorite Whitney Houston song "I'm every woman". The models cat-walked their way onto the runway with gorgeous outfits donated by some of my favorite designers like Nanette Lepore, Juicy Couture, Tadashi, Luca Luca, Nicole Miller, and Betsey Johnson. Amongst the Ford models were some familiar faces like celebrity blogger Perez Hilton and of course Brooke Burke. I was as excited to see the gorgeous dresses as I was to see Brooke Burke on the runway. There were a total of 29 outfits, and these were my top 3 favorites.

After the show, I had a chance to hang out in the VIP area with the celebrities and models, and enjoyed the free mojitos at the open mini bar. I also hung out with Michelle Burford who writes for AOL Health and "O" The Oprah Magazine. Michelle told Patty who is from the Ford Models Management that I am a Recessionista, and Patty said to me "Oh, my jacket is vintage Chanel!" We all giggled. Patty, I love your red Chanel tweed jacket!

Ford Models posing for Elle Magazine Photographers

Me, Carmen Dell'Orifice (70 Yr Old Ford model), Michelle

Patty VP of Ford Models, Michelle, Me

Besides all the fabulous people I met inside the Metropolitan Pavilion, I also met soap opera star Chrishell Stause who plays Amanda Dillon in ABC's All My Children. I loved her dress! It was so cute! I was chatting so excitedly with her that I forgot to ask her where she got her dress from. Chrishell, if you are reading this, please tell me where you got that gorgeous dress from, please?

Pardon Pink Smiley Face on ME due to my closed eyes (bummer!)

Finally, I want to thank this sweet-looking lady Kate - the unsung hero of PR / Events who invited me to this event.

Me & Kate with Dr. Robb
(inventor of Clarisonic facial brush)
peeking from the back

Start of New York Fashion Week NYFW: Fashion Night Out

So the fabulous NYFW started with Vogue's Fashion Night Out last Thursday. Since this was Anna Wintour - my fashion idol's idea (plea?), I definitely had to be a part of it. My original plan was to stop by Bergdoff Goodman early to see Victoria Beckham in person then stroll along Fifth Avenue to see what else is up that evening. Well, that evening did not go as planned. I got to Fifth Avenue at 7.30pm and met up with friend Sabina.

By the time we got to Bergdoff, the line to get in was freaking long and so we didn't have the patience to wait 45 minutes to an hour even though we also heard that the Olsen Twins were in there mixing cocktails. Of course, we didn't leave empty handed. For a price of $0, we got a photo of Bergdoff's beautiful store display.

Bergdoff Goodman Store Display

So since the high end is way packed and way out of our budget anyways, we decided to check out Juicy Couture. Juicy Couture never fails to impress. It really felt like I was in a freak show or some circus carnival. The one thing that really stuck was this guy with silver glittery makeup; dressed in a corset and super tall platform heels. Just so you know, he had 5 inch heels in case you think that Sabina and I are midgets.

Moulin Rouge, Mademoiselle?

Yes, that was a guy & he was almost 7 ft with heels

The highlight of the entire Fashion Night Out evening were these beautiful mannequins at Versace. Well, look at them, do you think they are mannequins or real women?

We stood there for about 10 minutes and watched them till they moved. I must say that the gorgeous lady in green didn't move a bit in 10 minutes. The lady in pink moved and blinked after 3 minutes.

So in the end, Sabina and I had lots of fun but we didn't buy anything on Fashion Night Out. I wanted to get the T-Shirt but my size was sold out. At least I tried. The next day I was back on Fifth Avenue again with another group of friends, and this time I did buy a dress from Urban Outfitters. So at the end of the day, I did contribute to the fashion industry.

I Am Recessionista's First New York Fashion Week NYFW

Ironically, my first year at New York Fashion Week is when I have converted from a full-fledged Fashionista to a down-to-earth Recessionista. I have always been the fashion consumer who sees the collections in magazines and fashion blogs and then in stores when the new season arrives. This year I get a glimpse to see some of the "up-and-coming" designers and the "what's going to be hot Spring 2010" first hand. So, I won't complain, though I wish I had much more discretionary income to spend during this time of economic downturn.

There has been lots of talk in my social circle about the recession and how most consumers (with the exception of the rich and famous) won't throw $3000 on a piece of Spring 2010 clothing item, and I have to agree that most consumers (including myself) are much more cautious with spending. In any case, despite the uncertain speculations and concerns in decrease in consumer spending, fashion designers still put on their best smiles and great collections during this semi-annual Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. And did I mention Vogue's Fashion Night Out last Thursday, in which shops in Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs stayed open late, was an effort to increase sales for the fashion industry. Some frugal beings may view Fashion Night Out as an attempt to induce consumerism and shopaholism.

In the next couple days, I will be posting photos of NYFW events I attended as well as some of the events I didn't attend but some of my lucky friends in the fashion business did. By the way, I was truly entertained by the shows up close and personal in 2nd and 3rd row.

Fashion's Night Out 2009 New York City

So what is Fashion's Night Out you might ask. It's a late-night shopping event that takes place from 6 P.M. until 11 P.M on September 10th where 700 fashion retailers across the five boroughs keep their doors open enticing Fashionistas to come into their stores and spend some serious money with their creative customer experience concepts. Open to public, no tickets required.

Did You Know?

* Fashion is one of the largest industries in New York City

* Fashion industry hires 175,000 people in New York City

* Fashion industry in New York City generates $10 Billion total wages

* Consumer shopping contributes to the wages of these 175,000 people

I am certainly not one of the 175,000 people who receives a paycheck from that $10 Billion amount, but I am definitely one of the people who contributed to the fashion industry in terms of hard-earned dollars.

My spending limit now may be way lesser than last year and the prior years, but that won't stop me from hanging out with cool friends and designers and models and maybe even celebrities at one of the hottest fashion events in the city that doesn't require special passes or provide VIP velvet rope treatment. Window shopping doesn't cost me anything, but if I do see something I really really really (notice that I said it 3 times, because that is how many times I will consider before getting the item) like, then I might get it. I am definitely going to try and get the T-shirt though. I'm kinda late in the game now as many of the places I checked have sold out in my size - XS. So I am now in search of that T-shirt in my size. Check out these retailers who sell this Fashion's Night Out Tee.

Most importantly, if you are like me who has lots of clothing that you don't wear anymore, give it to charity. There is a clothing drive in conjunction with this event. Participating retailers have bins that you can drop off pieces of unworn or gently worn clothing. Click here for more details.

See you there! Maybe I will get to meet some of you for the first time!

Recessionista Designer-Inspired Hauls #4: SS09 Jewel Encrusted Necklaces

The next two paragraph in parenthesis that you are about to read will be repeated on every blog entry I create for the Recessionista Inspired Hauls.

"What irks me is when a mass-producing factory decides to manufacture a replica design of a designer dud in its entirety and then stick on the designer label on it. I call this category Fakes, Replicas, Imitations...whatever you choose to call them. On the contrary, if a mass-producing factory manufactures am inspired version of a designer label with its own brand, then that would be totally genius! I call this category Designer Inspired.

With my Fashionista eye and Recessionista budget, I managed to score several deals on designer-inspired items. You can too! All you need to do is to educate yourself through websites like style.com or vogue.com and then spot the lesser-priced versions on the go! The designer duds are on the right, while the lesser-priced designer inspired versions that I purchased are on the left. See if you can tell the difference."

I have always had an obsession for accessories especially faux jewelry. With jewel encrusted bib necklaces showing up on the runway as well as the streets, I had to get a piece of these jewel baubles. I got mine from Forever 21 for $12.80, approximately 200 times cheaper than the Lanvin version at an astounding $2875! I just checked and the Lanvin necklace is on sale at Barneys at $1439, so my purchase was still at least 100 times cheaper. The only visible difference is the ribbon tie. I have long curls so it will be hard to see the ribbon even if I splurged.

I Am Recessionista's Low Down on SS09 Trends: Leather Jackets

Leather jackets are a must-have for Spring/Summer 09 and Fall/Winter 09. Seen on the runway as well as on so many of our favorite celebrities like Madonna and Lindsay Lohan, leather jackets are here to stay. Leather jackets are no longer for heavy metal rock bands or bikers, they have become such a fashion staple in my wardrobe because they can complete an outfit or make a dull outfit come alive! I am seeing a lot of unique shades and textures in charcoal grays, purples, shiny metallics, luxurious rust and copper tones besides the safe colors of black and brown.

Shopbop.com has a good variety of leather jackets from Mike & Chris and Alexander Wang, but be prepared to splurge anywhere between $700 and $1300. Don't despair, there's always a less expensive option out there. I recommend looking into H&M, Bebe, and Arden B. These are some of my favorite picks that are fashionable but won't break the bank.

Click on Photo to go to Bebe.com

Left to Right: Antique Moto $129, Military Leather $259, Leatherette Moto $139

Click on Photo to go to ArdenB.com

Left to Right: Leatherette Bomber $58, Asymmetrical Zip $58

My personal collection includes the ever so popular motorcycle leather jacket and the asymmetrical leather jacket. I have 8 leather jackets to my name - 6 full leather, 2 pleather. I will be posting photos of them in an upcoming blog entry. Leather jackets don't come cheap, even some pleather ones can cost over a hundred bucks. Anyhow, I still think that jackets and blazers are great investments. If you ask me, I will tell you that:

"It's better to have a few great pieces than a closet full of mediocre pieces."

Wearable Edible Art

This blog entry is about the celebration of Fashion & Food - 2 things most people cannot live without - in union with one another in the form of wearable, edible art.

WARNING
Read this blog entry only if you are on a "See-Food" Diet

I wanted to start off this blog entry with the most absurd yet hilarious thing I have ever seen. We have heard about candy lingerie, but a Hamburger Shoe? If your first reaction to this photo was "Is that a shoe?" It was the same exact reaction I had when I first saw this photo.

Nike Hamburger Shoe

Yes, this is a Nike Hamburger Shoe, created by Olle Hemmendorff who is a fashion guru and freelance art creative. The extreme edible fashion Nike Air Max 90 sneaker is dressed like a fully-loaded hamburger, including cheese, sesame bun, triple decker patties, tomatoes and ketchup. How bold yet revolutionary! Nike sneakers and hamburgers - a true celebration of American pop culture indeed!

Now take everything out of a hamburger except the bun, what do you get? Bread! Bread, a staple food prepared by baking a dough of flour and water was what famous french designer Jean-Paul Gaultier used to design his couture dresses for an exhibition in Paris.

John Paul Gaultier's Bread Exhibit Paris 2004

Now add eggs, sugar and butter to flour, and you get delicious cupcakes. This is definitely my favorite one because I love cakes and purses! These cupcakes are eye candy as well as taste buds friendly! I have informed all my friends that if they can't get me a designer purse for my birthday, they can get me a designer purse cupcake instead!

Designer purses sitting pretty on delicious cupcakes

Now, what do you get when you put fashion designers and pasty chefs together? You get the Chocolate Fashion Show of course! Whether it is the love of chocolate itself or as an expression of love for others, we all know that chocolate is the voice of passion and love. So what better way to express our love for fashion through the food for love! Chocolatiers and Chocoholics, cleanse your palettes now and drool over these gorgeous chocolate signature outfits from the 11th Chocolate Fashion Show in New York last November!

Don't melt this Tomb Raider outfit with your drool!

Get your calcium from Mr. Iron Man!

To end this blog entry, let's go with something lighter for the appetite - vegetables! PETA recently created a comparable, sexy edible fashion for vegetarians; lettuce bikinis. As part of PETA's Lettuce Lady Campaign, vegetarians and PETA supporters like Pamela Anderson allow their beautiful bodies to be adorned with juicy fresh lettuce leaves.

Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson

You too can DIY this lettuce bikini with step by step instructions from the lettuce lady website. Once you are done with the veggies while it is still crisp, you could choose to pop it into your salad!

Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did blogging about it.

Recessionista's Designer-Inspired Haul #3: Balmain Crystal-Encrusted Studded Sandals by Giuseppe Zanotti

"What irks me is when a mass-producing factory decides to manufacture a replica design of a designer dud in its entirety and then stick on the designer label on it. I call this category Fakes, Replicas, Imitations...whatever you choose to call them. On the contrary, if a mass-producing factory manufactures am inspired version of a designer label with its own brand, then that would be totally genius! I call this category Designer Inspired."

Fact 1: This pair of Balmain Studded Sandals that came with a breathtaking price tag of $2300 sold out on luxury website Net-a-porter within days!

Fact2: Celebrities like Rihanna, Jennifer Connelly, Molly Sims have been spotted with these gorgeous Balmains.
Fact 3: I am not going to spend $2300 on this pair of shoe candy.

With my Fashionista eye and my Recessionista budget, I was on a mission to score myself a pair of Balmain-inspired studded sandals. I have found every single alternative I could find.

Click on Photo below to see enlarged view

Left to Right: Aldo $125; Jeffrey Campbell $165; Bakers Shoes $79.95

Amongst these 3 styles shown above, the Jeffrey Campbell and Bakers Shoes versions were closer to the original Balmain one. I tried on both the Jeffrey Campbell and Bakers Shoes version, and both of them felt really comfortable. The Bakers Shoes pair actually was more comfortable because it was soft leather, whereas the JC pair was patent leather.

Click on Photo below to see enlarged view

Left to Right: Zara $169; Steve Madden $129.95; Bebe $170

I didn't get a chance to try on the Zara version because it sold out within 2 days. My neighbor Holly has the Zara version (which she got on ebay for close to $300) and it looks very much like the Balmain version. The only complaint she had was comfort; it hurts especially at the ball of her feet. I tried on the Bebe version and it is probably the closet to the Balmains and they are super comfy too. But because of the price, I didn't get it. The Steve Madden one is currently sold out and will only ship in July, so if you order them now, you will have to wait.

Finally I got the Bakers Shoes pair for $79.95. It was the cheapest option, most comfortable, and wasn't an exact replica of the Balmains but still had that rocker chic glam to it. I will be posting pictures of me in it with different outfits in upcoming posts.

Check out the video below for Balmain's Spring Summer 2009 Runway Show. You can see almost every model wearing this pair of shoes. This goes to show you how many different outfits can be created with this pair of shoes.

Matthew Williamson for H&M Summer ‘09 Collection

I know this post might come a little late because Matthew Williamson's Summer collection has already hit about 1600 H&M stores worldwide on May 15th, and are probably sold out in stores by now. Just as my girlies and I expected from Matthew Williamson, his summer collection for H&M is even better than his spring collection that was limited edition. where people were waiting in long lines to get into the store, and then to fight over a piece of garment. See my previous entry to see the video of that catfight. I know! :)

If you didn't get anything from this collection, this is your chance. My girlies and I divided what we managed to get from our MW for H&M shopping haul, and these are some extras we got. All Brand New With Tags. Email me at IAmRecessionista@gmail.com for more information on photos of actual items, prices and sizing measurements. Items will be shipped from the US. One piece each available, don't regret it if you didn't act fast. Most of Matthew Williamson's collection comes with 4-figure price tags. So, this is your chance to get it for much less.

Item 1: Parrot Print Floral Dress

Item 2: Swirl Print Kaftan Tunic

Item 3: Swirl Print Sunglasses

Item 4: Parrot Print Kaftan Top

I Am Recessionista's Low Down on SS09 Trends: Florals

Florals are back this season bigger, bolder and brighter. From traditional prints to abstract designs, I love them all! If you have the cash to splurge, you can opt for some of the designer styles shown above like See By Chloe, Christian Lacroix, Oscar de la Renta, and Moschino. Or, still look fabulous with options like those shown below from some of my favorite stores.

Recessionista's Designer-Inspired Hauls #2: SS09 Shoes (Pt 2)

The next two paragraphs in parenthesis that you are about to read will be repeated on every blog entry I create for the Recessionista Inspired Hauls.

"What irks me is when a mass-producing factory decides to manufacture a replica design of a designer dud in its entirety and then stick on the designer label on it. I call this category Fakes, Replicas, Imitations...whatever you choose to call them. On the contrary, if a mass-producing factory manufactures am inspired version of a designer label with its own brand, then that would be totally genius! I call this category Designer Inspired.

With my Fashionista eye and Recessionista budget, I managed to score several deals on designer-inspired items. You can too! All you need to do is to educate yourself through websites like style.com or vogue.com and then spot the lesser-priced versions on the go! The designer duds are on the right, while the lesser-priced designer inspired versions that I purchased are on the left. See if you can tell the difference."

Juicy Couture-inspired

Juicy Couture velour tracksuits have been a wardrobe staple for me since my college days. I have so many of their tracksuits that I lost count over the years. I'm willing to splurge on their velour suits but not their summer beach flip flops @ $55. When I saw Forever 21's version of them @ only $14.80, I immediately got them in a heartbeat! The only difference is mine doesn't say Juicy Couture on them.

Balenciaga-inspired

When I first saw this pair of whip stitched, zip-front high-heel gladiator sandals from Balenciaga in the magazine, I said to my friend Cassie "I have to have these!" But of course I knew I wasn't going to pay $1800 for them. I recently saw an ultra-similar pair at Wet Seal for $34.90! I got the brown instead of the black because it looked so hot with my khaki safari-inspired shorts!

Lamb-inspired

I love Gwen Stefani's style and her Lamb and Harajuku Girls line, but I wasn't willing to pay $319 for a pair of red heels that I wasn't going to wear very often. So I found a similar pair at another one of my favorite college stores Charlotte Russe for about 30 bucks! Surprisingly, the CR ones were not as uncomfy as I thought they would be.

Team Gossip Girl Tees - Whose Side R U On?

All Gossip Girl Fans!

Whose Team are you on? Choose your favorite source of gossip by wearing either the Team Chuck, Team Blair, or Team Serena Tee. Each tee displays a silhouette of your favorite Gossip Girl character. Express your adoration for your favorite group of teenage socialites with this cute white t-shirt! I have found several online sources, some of which have sold out in several designs or sizes. So, hopefully this list will help you get the style and size you need.

http://www.amazon.com
http://www.fredflare.com
http://www.myteespot.com
Guess which team am I on? Check back again to find out!

XOXO
I Am Recessionista

Shopping Tip #4: 10 SS09 Dresses Under $50

Keeping your look casual this season doesn't mean that you have to resort to shorts and a t-shirt. Take casual up a few notches with a summer dress! SS09 is a mix of both brights, floral prints, and also subtle colors like nude, black and white! Dresses are a great invention because all you need is a cute pair of shoes like the ever so popular gladiator sandals, and you are good to go. Yo Recessionistas! Here are some great finds under $50 that even I myself can't resist.

Mod Cloth Everything Nice Dress in Sugar $42.99

Lulu Birds of Paradise Dress in Green $45

Lulu's Maine Boating Dress $35

Forever 21 Ombre Silk Overlay Dress $39.80

Mod Cloth Mason Dixon Gingham Dress $44.99

Mod Cloth Sunshine of Your Love Dress $42.99

Forever 21 Knit Maxi Dress $17.80

Delias Jacinda Maxi Dress $49.50

Urban Outfitters Ecote Contrast Cutout Dress $49.99 (was $68)

Forever 21 Abbi Embroidered Sun Dress $24.80