TRIPLE THREAT: Wings of Desire

Runway designers fancied feathers this fall season, but it looks like we’re in for a winged spring as well. Designers like Louis Vuitton, Sonia Rykiel, and Roberto Cavalli showcased more feathered fun on the spring 2009 runways. Louis Vuitton designer Marc Jacobs created plumage sprouting from structural heels and feathered tassels accessorizing bags and belts. At Sonia Rykiel, Vegas-style feathered headdresses livened up the collection, and Roberto Cavalli used feathered fringe as a flapper-esque accent to the bottom of lacey dresses.

If the thought of feathers sounds a bit frightening, stick to feather details on accessories like headbands or necklaces to spice up your outfit without looking overdone. Consider these starter options to help your feather fancy:

As headgear:
Headband, $18, available at Some Girls Boutique
(Urban Outfitters also offers a great selection of feather headbands.)


As an accent for jewelry:

Earrings, $5.80, Forever 21
(For an easy DIY project, pick up some plumage and wire earring hooks from your local craft store and simply attached the feather to the bottom of the ear piece for a dangly effect.)


As a full ensemble:
Feather dress, $528, Sue Wong
(For a more understated look, try Juicy Couture’s feather accented LBD.

LOOK BOOK: Porcelain Girl

At 16, Aussie model Gemma Ward was the youngest model to grace the cover of Vogue in the September 2004 issue highlighting the “models of the moment.” With her porcelain doll-face and alien-like features, Gemma’s is a face you can’t forget. We’ve loved watching her strut the runways, but she recently took a leave of absence to pursue an acting career. Her film debut in The Black Balloon opens just in time for the Oscar season, and we can’t wait to see if her acting skills match up to her brazen beauty.

STREET STYLE: Baby, It's Cold Outside

Mere Littas fuses practicality and style to keep warm on this chilly Syracuse night. The junior television, radio and film major wears a Moncler coat stylishly cinched at the waist, American Apparel leggings, Ugg boots, and a Victor Osborne hat. 

Favorite item she's wearing: Her hat, $150, which she purchased at Intermix in Boston. 

Fashion Icons: Nicole Richie and Rachel Bilson.

Trend she loves to hate: Any "jean on jean" combo, but especially denim jackets paired with jeans.

EXPERIENCE: Annie Leibovitz's Wonderland

Memory is a funny thing with a will all its own. We forget something told to us 10 minutes ago, or even the mission that brought us to a room. Then there are other times. Precise, small moments that seem unimportant but stay imprinted on us like a photograph we carry in our minds. These powerful memories often attach to the first time we heard a favorite song or read the final pages in our most beloved novel. For me that moment is the first time I saw my favorite fashion editorial.

In December of 2003, I was a junior in high school. I always enjoyed fashion and the latest trends such as chandelier earrings and the Hard Tail pants craze. But something in me changed when I first saw Annie Leibovitz's “Alice in Wonderland” fashion editorial spread for Vogue's December issue. The 12-page editorial featured a 21-year-old Natalia Vodianova, the doe-eyed Russian model with a fairytale rags-to-riches story of her own. Each page delivered an adventure unto its own. Staying true to Alice's signature color, Vodianova dons a new breathtaking blue couture gown in each photo, and the designer of each dress poses alongside the model as a character from Lewis Carroll's whimsical story. In one scene, John Galliano poses as the Queen of Hearts; in another, Tom Ford and Vodianova fall down the rabbit hole together. Apart from the beautiful imagery and the decadence of the dresses, what I realized that day was that fashion isn't just clothes. Fashion possesses the power to tell a story, to reveal something about a person that escaped you before. It reflects human emotions and desires, and the best part is, fashion unlocks the imagination. At least that's what it did for me that day in my high-school library.

SNAPS: Leopard and Layers

A-LIST: The Best in Fashion Blogs

Salty provides you with the scoop on all things fashion, but sometimes you need more than one outlet to satisfy your fashion fix. We know the feeling. That’s why we compiled our own list of the best blog sites for industry news, resources, trend spotting, and designer insights. Consider this the Oscars for blogs. The Bloscars perhaps?

And the award goes to…

Best for insider scoop and fashion news: Fashionista

Aside from the site’s obviously fabulous name, Fashionista keeps us updated on all the latest gossip and news in the industry without making us feel like we’re doing work! The blog posts read like a fashionable best friend and the site’s glossary keeps us talking the talk about everything and everyone from Carine Roitfeld to Coco Rocha.


Best for trend spotting and celebrity style: WhoWhatWear
Shopping addicts beware—visiting this site will multiple your Christmas list in minutes. With all the cute eye candy, we can’t help our obsession with WWW. The blog site is run by two former editors of Elle magazine and is updated daily with recurring fashion feature stories like “Under $100,” “What Was She Wearing,” “MySpace Muses,” and “Girl of the Month.” Chock full of trend reports and celebrity style inspiration, WWW is a must for keeping current with the latest in chic.

Best for inspiration: This Is Glamorous
Never before have we seen so many beautiful things in one place! But okay, we cheated. The blog isn’t completely fashion—it’s part fashion photography, part interior design—but we promise the wrought-iron bedposts and antique oversized mirrors will inspire you just as much as Gemma Ward in a feathered headpiece. With breathtaking photography, This is Glamorous is like a slice of heaven, but the best part is, with beautiful style and design only a click away, there’s no reason to spend the cash and muscle power on those hefty European fashion mag editions! Your wallet and arms with thank you.


Best for global street style: The Sartorialist
You don’t have to book a ticket to Europe to find out what the most fashionable people around the world are wearing every day. The Sartorialist gives you the best in street style from the world’s fashion capitals: Paris, Milan, and New York. An instant hit, the blog spawned a monthly column for GQ and is frequently featured on Vogue’s website, Style.com.


Best for laughs: Go Fug Yourself
What started as an inside joke between friends is now a fashion blog phenomenon and one of our guiltiest pleasures. “The Fug Girls” as they have become known, revel in the “fugliest” (origin: f*** + ugly) of celebrity style with photos of Bai Ling’s latest fashion misshap (usually occurring daily), and the worst of the worst in red-carpet moments. But the site’s real humor is not in the outfits themselves—it is in the commentary posted alongside the photos. You will laugh out loud. We promise.

Check out more of our Salty obsessions: FabSugar, Refinery29-The Pipeline, The Budget Fashionista, The Cut, and A Glamorous Little Side Project

CRUSH: Glittery Eye Rescue

New Years Eve produces a lot of pressure and possibility: the right beaux, the right look, the right venue, and the hope that this year’s countdown to midnight might be different than all those past, failed celebrations. A shiny new cocktail dress hangs from your closet door, and a glittery eye-shadow palette sits on your bathroom counter, eagerly awaiting its first use. But therein lies the rub: You know that as soon as you hit the dance floor, the shadow will be gone as fast as you can say 2009. Every girl with glittery aspirations faces this dilemma, but luckily Benefit Cosmetics provides the answer. For years I’ve sworn by the company’s F.Y…eye! product, an eye primer that costs $22, and a product that saved me from creasy eyelid syndrome on the most crucial of party nights. For a crease-free evening, evenly apply the apricot-colored primer over your lids with the fingertips before adding eye-shadow. Glamour, after all, shouldn’t stop after the first hour of fun.

OBSESSION: Bananas For Bilson

In a post-Thanksgiving turkey coma, I found myself in zombie Google mode, eyes glazed as I searched through image-galleries galore of chic celebs with the most sought-after style. The typical fashion A-list paraded by: Li-Lo, Sienna, Kate Moss, MK&A. After 200-plus pictures in to a Rachel Bilson image gallery, I couldn’t stop the click addiction. Each new ensemble was just as cute—if not cuter—than the one before. The petite brunette hooked me.

What distinguishes the 27-year-old actress’ style is that her look avoids reliance on one stand-out trendy item or an “it” accessory. In fact, while analyzing Bilson’s ensembles, I realized that my attention avoided flitting toward singular items. Rather, her ability to throw it all together fueled her chic appeal. Whether walking the dog or walking the red carpet, she created looks that exuded effortless and carefree cool.

Bilson found stardom as Summer Roberts on the teen drama The OC. Although she remains in the early stages of her film career, her fashion sense reflects that of a leading lady. She pairs classic and feminine staples with boho accents, and she knows how to mix designer and vintage pieces together for a look that isn’t straight off the runway. 

Bilson’s celebrity pics taught me this: By using basic pieces as the foundation of an outfit and pairing those basics with unique accessories and layers of staple items, anyone can exude stylish, carefree cool. You don’t need to own the latest “it” bag or trend of the moment to be the subject of fashion envy. Take a cue from Bilson and layer classic items with a printed scarf, fedora, well-fitted blazer, leather boots, or an oversized bag or chain-link quilted purse. And never, ever leave the sunglasses at home.

For more adorable Bilson ensembles visit:

http://www.people.com/people/rachel_bilson/photos/0,,20007052_20397286,00.html

LOOKS FOR LESS: Lace Up Your LBD

Your to-do list makes Santa’s accounting of the naughty and nice look like a post-it. But despite all you need to do, there’s one thing on your checklist you won’t want to neglect: The search for the perfect holiday frock. To find one that stands out from the rest, take a lacey cue from recent runway shows where the charming detail appeared as a sexy addition to the classic LBD (little black dress). Red-carpet fashionistas such as Blake Lively and Thandie Newton love the sexy trend as well. The biggest challenge with lace: It’s easy to look dowdy in the Victorian era fabric. So make sure to find a dress that’s youthful and accents your figure, so you’ll look modern, not matronly under the mistletoe.

(From left to right: Christopher Kane, Stella McCartney, Collette Dinnigan)

Start your search with these hot finds:

Left: This strapless sweetheart dress is sexy, yet still appropriate for an office party or family gathering. The stretchy material hugs your curves in all the right places.
Nicole Miller, $385, available at neimanmarcus.com

Center: The sequined neckline adds a splash of glam to this feminine frock. For more coverage, pair this ¾ length sleeved tunic with leggings and structural heels.
Bloomingdale’s, $168, available at Bloomingdales.com

Right: This lacey, tiered number is flirty and perfect for dancing the night away, and the low backline shows just enough skin to keep your man’s attention on you.
Express, $128.00, available at Express.com

PROFILE: Big Papi's Favorite Lid-Maker

Wearing that Yankees or Red Sox hat makes you about as standout stylish as wearing an orange t-shirt from Marshall Street to a basketball game. But 21-year-old senior illustration major Chris Giorgio is transforming team pride into a signature fashion statement that gives sports lovers statement-status toppers, and his designs have attracted one high-profile hitter in the process.

Giorgio started drawing at the age of three and carried this artistic passion with him to S.U. “Everyone always says ‘oh you’re an illustration major. So what, like books?’” says Giorgio. But contrary to common assumptions, Giorgio plans to use his illustration education at S.U. in a future career in fashion.

When he was a sophomore, a friend suggested Giorgio use his drawing talent to customize hats. The friend knew a girl who used her artistic talents to create one-of-a-kind headbands and bracelets. Giorgio acted on the suggestion and bought a white hat from Lids and some Sharpie markers. He illustrated his first Boston Red Sox themed hat in honor of his favorite baseball team. Just last week, Giorgio completed the third hat in a series that he sold to David Ortiz, the home-run record holding hitter for the Sox.

Giorgio estimates he’s produced about 30 hats (all one-of-a-kind), and he has five orders to create by Christmas, which, with finals coming up, won’t be an easy feat. Each wearable masterpiece starts with a plain white hat from Lids, a box of Sharpies, and a computer file of images and information about various sports teams’ histories, players, and logos that Giorgio keeps on his laptop. Each hat takes about 15 hours and costs $150.

Giorgio is still searching for a brand name for his designs and says HeyZeus remains a contender. “I just didn’t want to call it ‘Chris Giorgio,’” he says. “I don’t know why, but I just don’t think it’s cool. Everyone’s always like, ‘that’s such a designer name!’ but there’s already Giorgio Armani.” Even so, Giorgio’s new website still stands as chrisgiorgio.com, but it too remains in the beginning stages.

In the future, Giorgio says he wants to find a way to mass-produce his designs, but the detail and the personality of his hats might make that an impossibility. He also wants to expand beyond hats. Over the summer, Giorgio hand painted several Marie Antoinette themed leather handbags for a store on Newbury Street in Boston. “I don’t know what I’m going to do when I graduate, but I would definitely do something like that,” says Giorgio. “Anything in the fashion world.”

STREET STYLE: My Fair Lady

Jetting off to a meeting, junior engineering major Lauren Vesty looks classic and weather-appropriate in a Kenneth Cole trench coat layered over a Free People knit sweater. Her boots, she says, are Italian vintage from the 1970's--she found them in her basement while rummaging through her aunt's and mother's old clothing.

Favorite item she's wearing: Jeans, J Brand- because they're very long and well-fitted and she can wear them for both casual and dressier occasions

Fashion Icons: Jackie O and Audrey Hepburn

Trend she loves to hate: White-rimmed sunglasses

REVIEW: All About Influence

If someone uttered the words "coffee" and "Olsen" in a sentence, one image would appear in most minds: a raggedy-looking (yet oh so chic) Mary-Kate or Ashley donning oversized sunglasses and carrying a coffee cup wider in circumference than one of the sisters' own limbs. The twins' signature paparazzi shot became Starbucks' best advertisement, but MK&A recently introduced a new kind of coffee to the world--a coffee table book, Influence, about the creative geniuses who most inspired the twin moguls' own lives. 

Celebrity branding has reached overkill--the famous have given the world books, perfume, shoes, toys, even dishware. Most consumers struggle to find anything genuine in branded products and often see these products as pure monetary incentive for the names behind it all. However, Influence offers quite a different story. The collection of intimate and thought-provoking interviews with 21 of the sisters' most admired creative thinkers feels authentic and fresh. It reads intimate and appears constructed with savvy and smarts (clearly a project sparked by passion, not money). 

Within the pages of Influence, MK&A personally conducted the interviews in addition to writing full-page introductions for each inspirational subject. The book includes superstars in the worlds of fashion, art, and design including Peter Lindbergh, Karl Lagerfeld, Diane von Furstenberg, Terry Richardson, and Lauren Hutton. Each influencer's section contains a collage-like compilation of personal and commercial photographs and examples of the creator's works. The book's inside covers feature a plastering of Polaroids of the twins posing with their interview subjects.

Considered two of the world's most influential young figures themselves, the twins are magicians of style, constantly breaking conventional rules and staying true to their ideas despite harsh criticism. But fans looking to get their Olsen fix will be disappointed. Yes, two sections of the book are dedicated to the sisters (each names the other as a major life influence--big surprise there), but the book is not about them. Instead, it takes the reader on a journey with some of the most forward-thinking creators of our culture, people whose thought processes seem both wacky and genius at the same time and force readers to view life from an upside-down point of view. If you've ever dreamed of being a fly on the wall in Lagerfeld's Parisian couture house or in a club listening in on the conversations of fashion heiress, Margherita Missoni, Influence provides the next best thing. You'll laugh, you'll scratch your head, you might even cry-but most of all, you will be inspired. 

REVIEW: Global Chanel

A life-sized bear stands chained to the white quilted wall that surrounds an S&M-inspired scene. A gathered pool of water on a sidewalk reflects an image of the Rue Cambon in France. A giant handbag lies on its side to reveal a makeup compact that plays video footage of a woman destructing a smaller version of her shoulder accessory. Drawing a connection between these three moments might seem lofty, but all are features of installations in the Chanel Mobile Art Pavillion, and all are inspired by the world’s most emblematic handbag: the quilted Chanel 2.55.

The exhibition, which resides at its third destination in Central Park, NYC is a collaboration between the design worlds of fashion, art, and architecture. Commissioned by Chanel creative director, Karl Lagerfeld, and designed by contemporary architect, Zaha Hadid, the white, pod-like mobile museum features 18 art installations from contemporary artists across the globe. Artists such as Loris Cecchini, Yoko Ono and David Levinthal were given creative freedom except in one area: the iconic chain-strap handbag once designed by Coco Chanel in 1955 must serve as inspiration for their work.

High profile guests such as Kate Bosworth and Agyness Deyn donned space-age styles at the opening in homage to the gallery’s futuristic design aesthetic. Bosworth, in a structural silver number, wore her hair in an appropriate slicked-back pony-tail for the occasion. Lagerfeld wore, well, what he always wears—black and white, and of course, his infamous shades. While fashionistas and art snobs adore the gallery, free admission encourages everyday New Yorkers to experience the exhibit.

The Chanel Mobile Art Pavillion remains at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park until November 9. After that, it jets off to its final three destinations: London, Moscow, and Paris. Although tickets are free for the public, they are sold out online. For those willing to take a road trip, tickets must be obtained on-site. For a sneak peek of the gallery, visit New York Magazine’s video tour on their fashion blog, The Cut.

LANDMARK LOOKS: Beauties of the Ball

The big screen serves as the backdrop for most masquerades, appearing in period films such as Romeo & Juliet or Pride and Prejudice. Syracuse is no Hollywood, but on Halloween weekend, people--and places--transform themselves. Attendees at the Delta Kappa Epsilon Undertaker's Ball Thursday night did just that as party-goers donned extravagant masks that mimicked the upper-crust of society of past centuries. Feathers, glitter, and glam provided the night's most memorable accessories. 

HOW TO: Brazen Beauty

Whether you’ve got the guts to revamp your look or just need something to do on a Saturday afternoon, mimicking the latest bold-color makeup trend adds splashy color and a bit of a shock-factor to your style.

For a fresh take on luscious lips, makeup artists at the Zac Posen runway show combined several lip colors in shades of violet and magenta to create high-impact, metallic purple pouts. To get this traffic-stopping look, start by lining the edges of your lips with MAC Lip Pencil in Magenta, $13. Next, give s

ome punch to your pucker by filling in the lines with MAC 

Lipstick in Cyber, $14. To finish the look, a final coat of MAC Pro Lipstick in Violetta, $14, adds shine to give your lips a futuristic vibe.

Rodarte’s spring line was all about orange-flavored eye candy. To get the angelic winged-eye look, take an orange eyeliner pencil like Sephora’s waterproof liner in Flashy Orange, $8, and lightly line the eyes where the upper and lower lids m

eet the lashes. Reuse the liner to form the wing shape and then fill it in with orange shadow, for a dramatic finish with a bright attitude. Try MAC Eyeshadow in Orange, $14.50, or for a darker hue go for NARS’ Duo Eyeshadow in Mediteranee, $32.

At Diesel Black Gold, makeup artists literally took bold color to new heights with teal and magenta eyebrow shadow. Rock out your brows with bright shades like those in CoverGirl’s Eye Enhancers 4-kit shadow in Tropical Fusion, $5.49. By applying the desired color to your brows from end to end with a thin eyeshadow brush, you’ll demand eye contact. For more tips, check out CoverGirl's tips at: http://www.covergirl.com/blasteyelooks/