Is Silver The Color Of Spring 2011

And for Fashion’s Night Out, Rogan Gregory and Pamela Love put their heads together for some limited-edition jewels, too. The engraved lockets from the new ROGAN vs LOVE collection are inscribed with dark, allusive phrases—”What Have Your Eyes Done To Me?,” “Don’t Stop Love,” and “Don’t Cry” (above). They’ll be available for $435-475 on Fashion’s Night Out at the Black Carnival, the Bond Street block party co-hosted by Rogan, The Smile, and Oak.

Photos: Steven Torres (Jen Kao); Courtesy of Jeremy Laing; Courtesy of Rogan

—Matthew Schneier

For his upcoming collection, Jeremy Laing worked with fellow Torontonian Jaime Sin on a few silver pieces as well. Sin’s main occupation is DJ—she’s done the music for Laing’s shows for the past few seasons—but she’s launching her line on Laing’s girls, some of who will be wearing the geometric pieces Sin and Laing co-designed (above).

Jen Kao has collaborated in the past with other designers on jewelry for her namesake label, but this Spring, she steps out on her own, launching a collection of sterling silver bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and even a belt that pick up Spring’s romantic theme. “When I can be, I am always head-to-toe in jewelry, but it still always feels like there’s an essential piece that’s missing. I particularly love pieces that become such a part of you that you don’t ever want to take them off,” Kao says. “I wanted to design jewelry that speaks the same message as the clothing: personal, easy dramatics.” The weird, slightly supernatural romance of her current theme—”the youthful kismet of desert princes meeting zombie brides,” she says—was replicated in a gift to editors: a dangling pendant from the upcoming collection (above), complete with a hand-penned poem.

‘Tis the season to make jewelry. More and more of New York’s ready-to-wear designers—suffering, we’re sure, from an overabundance of free time—are adding custom or collaborative jewelry to their collections for the Spring ‘11 season. And if you’re a fan of silver, you’re in luck.

Telemann’s ‘Orpheus’ given staging by NYC Opera

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General Manager George Steel said the company’s budget of about $15.3 million this season was balanced for the first time in 12 years, and next year’s budget will drop to about $14.2 million. In its first season as a road show, the company was inconsistent but intriguing.

The young cast sang earnestly but to mixed results Tuesday night in the second performance of Rebecca Taichman’s compelling, modern-dress staging. The biggest applause went to dancer Catherine Miller as Thanatos, an invented character who is an ancient Greek personification of death with long, seductive arms. She also morphs into the snake that bites Eurydice.

Tenor Victor Ryan Robertson sang brightly as Orpheus’ friend Eurimedes. Sopranos Meredith Lustig (Cephisa) and mezzo-soprano Daryl Freedman (Ascalax) provided energy as Eurydice’s bridesmaids. After missing the second half of Saturday’s opening performance as Orasia’s servant Ismene, Michelle Areyzaga returned and was charming. David Salsbery Fry sang the Bass.

Stronger were the men, with Daniel Teadt displaying a vibrant baritone and excellent German diction in the title role. Baritone Nicholas Pallesen was imposing but a bit blustery as Pluto. David Zinn, the set and costume designer, had him in a dark suit, dark shirt and dark tie, sitting in a contemporary black chair behind a minimalist black desk. Was Taichman trying to make a certain New York opera impresario come to mind?

After starting its four-production, 16-performance season at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, then switching to the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City Opera is ending up at the 599-capacity El Teatro del Museo del Barrio in East Harlem.

http://www.nycopera.com/

Online:

Gary Thor Wedow conducted the 20-piece orchestra with fervor and played the virginal, a member of the harpsichord family. While the house is the right size for a Baroque opera, its dry acoustic was unforgiving to the singers.

With flirty dresses and light-colored suits, the cast was attractively attired. The sets were simple — although Pluto’s staff — in business suits with laptops and headphones — got a bit annoying — especially when they typed frantically over the strings. Donald Holder’s striking lighting was memorable, and Mark Dendy’s choreography made the three-hour work fly by.

City Opera will split next season between BAM and New York City Center, its original home from 1944-65, performing Thomas Ades’ “Powder Her Face” and Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw” in Brooklyn and Rossini’s “Mose in Egitto (Moses in Egypt)” and Offenbach’s “La Perichole” in Manhattan.

Soprano Jennifer Rowley was a histrionic Orasia. While she displayed a nice coloratura, she had pitch issues for much of the night and her high notes turned hollow. Soprano Joelle Harvey was a Eurydice of sweet voice and disposition, but to some degree she also struggled in sharply ascending portions.

As Orpheus and Eurydice plan for their wedding, Queen Orasia plots to have Eurydice killed and has her taken to the underworld. Orpheus travels to the underworld and pleads with Pluto, who agrees to return Eurydice on the condition Orpheus not look back at her until they return to the living. Of course, Orpheus doesn’t comply and Eurydice is returned to the underworld. Having been rejected by Orpheus, Orasia has him killed. She then realizes he is reuniting with Eurydice, and Orasia commits suicide.

With abundant arias, there is interesting music for all the primary singers, but the composing is less spectacular than other Baroque works. “Orpheus” — pronounced “Orfois” — was given its North American premiere at Wolf Trap in Virginia six years ago, and City Opera says this is the first production in New York.

There are additional performances on Thursday and Sunday.

There are dozens of operas about the Orpheus myth, including better-known compositions by Monteverdi, Gluck, Haydn and Offenbach. For a work originally known “Die wunderbare Bestaendigkeit der Liebe oder Orpheus (The Wonderful Constancy of Love, or Orpheus),” Telemann composed to a libretto based on Michel Du Boullay’s “Orphee” that is mostly in German but also includes segments in Italian and French.

NEW YORK (AP) — No longer a major institution and now a shrunken, vagabond company, New York City Opera is ending its first season since departing Lincoln Center with a handsome staging of Georg Philipp Telemann’s “Orpheus,” a work premiered in 1726 that was long lost before it was rediscovered in 1978.

Bosworth Moonlights For Bruno

For the last short film she shot for designer Vanessa Bruno, Kate Bosworth bent over backwards—literally. She scaled 40-foot fir trees, rode horses, and did backflips, all in the name of Lov (that’s the short’s title, naturally). For their latest collaboration, Moonlight, directed by Stéphanie Di Giusto (who also did Lov), Bruno keeps the moment going, walking on ceilings, riding motorcycles through the desert, and living in an illusory house. One can only imagine what she’ll be doing for the next one. Moonlight debuts below.

Photo: Courtesy of Vanessa Bruno

Yea, Nay, Or Eh Should She Switch

Jennifer Aniston took to the carpet in L.A. last night for the premiere of her new maternity comedy of errors (a 2010 genre if ever there was one), The Switch. Aniston has a mixed history with red-carpet looks, and if you ask us, she could have dialed up the glamour a bit for her new premiere. Her two-tone Spring ‘10 Lanvin dress flatters her ultra-toned figure but doesn’t bring much spark. (Though the contrast-color zip on the side gives a little bit of pop that’s hard to make out in a front view.) With loose hair and strappy, nude sandals, the whole look feels more dinner-and-a-movie than star tour. (Though we love the Ferragamo croc clutch—even if it threatens to upstage its owner.) What do you think? Is less more, or should Jen have done like her on-screen alter ego and switched?

Photo: Steve Granitz / WireImage

Valentino’s Anniverary, Your Present

Just last week, Valentino’s Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli fêted the opening of the brand’s new Milan flagship store to coincide with the house’s 50th anniversary. Along with several more new store openings (on Rodeo Drive and Madison Avenue) to mark the anniversary, the duo created a limited-edition 50-piece capsule collection of ready-to-wear and accessories pieces (which editors got a preview of at last week’s party). A highlight of the collection is the outerwear, made of cashmere and wool cloth, offered in a zoo of animal prints that also carry over into silk scarves. Also among the offerings are lace-pleated skirts and shorts, studded bangles, and hobo bags. Here, a look at a few of our favorite coats in the collection, available in the Milan store now, and then in the L.A. shop March 27 and the New York store later this fall.

Photos: Courtesy of Valentino

How to Survive the H&M Lanvin Launch Like a Pro!

I fear for those who are going to brave the crowds, but here are a few tips to get you through:

According to the peeps at H&M, the first 320 people in line will receive a colored bracelet. There are 16 different colors, and 20 people will get each color, which corresponds to a specific shopping time in the Lanvin area. Note: the bracelets are only needed for the women’s section — men can play at their own risk.

Instead each customer has a limit of two items of each product. So, no more than two sizes (shoes or garments) or pieces (jewelry or accessories) per customer.

It’s a collection that I am in love with, that Blake Lively is in love with, and I am ready to jump into the window displays at the H&M on 5th Avenue and rip those limited edition clothes off the models.

The key here is to dress so you can throw garments over your clothes to get a sense of how the pieces will fit you. I recommend a black tank top with opaque black tights or leggings or a black slip dress. Throw on ballerina flats or any shoe that you don’t have to waste time to lace up.

Bring a mint or gum and a bottle of water: I always sweat and get parched with a dry throat at these events.

By Sasha Charnin Morrison for UsMagazine.com. To read more of the Recessionista blog, click here.

WHEN IT’S OPENED TO THE MASSES

At my first experience at the 2005 Stella McCartney for H&M launch, I literally watched two demonic fashionistas pull the legs of a satin pant apart at the seams.

RULES

I also make deals with other shoppers. Just ask, “If you’re done, and not wanting that, may I take it?” Be nice! You do not have to be grumpy about it.

Check back often. Return to the store a few days later to see what’s been returned. Search through racks and ask salespeople. A lot of people realize the clothes don’t work once they get home, and that’s usually when I’ve had great success!

Sorry, hoarders, you can’t pile the whole magilla on your arms and then proceed to the check out line.

If you are not one of the first 320 in line, you can shop once the 16 groups have finished when the area is officially open.

Keep an eye out for unwanted items. I have had great success walking around the dressing room area and the sales floor scooping up items people discard. The dressing rooms are key — I always offer to take any returned items to its proper place.

Find out if a store near you will carry the collection at hm.com.

Leave the necklaces and accessories at home so you don’t risk any snags.

Also ditch your purse and use a trench or anorak to hold your wallet and keys.

And, most importantly, enjoy!

On your mark, get set, shop!

The beauty of this collection is that it is a mirror reflection of the main ready-to-wear collection produced in Paris. It’s tailored with rich colors that give it a one-of-a-kind look.

Then, in 2008, I barely survived the Comme des Garcons. I don’t know how I got out alive, but I did — and with a few superior pieces. Although, that was after fellow shoppers clawed at me and even knocked me into a rack filled with navy trench coats that toppled over. It was complete rude chaos.

When your time slot arrives, you will have 15 minutes to shop in the designated area.

LIMIT

The Lanvin collection goes on sale November 20th at select stores.

WHAT TO WEAR

STORES

Recessionista Charm School

Twilight star Kristen Stewart’s new accessory? It’s hotter than R-Pattz! Anything that Kristen Stewart seems to touch turns golden or into a huge trend. Take Jules Smith’s Vintage Charm School Jellies or black rubber bracelets with mini charms. She’s been wearing these bracelets in two movies, Adventureland and the upcoming New Moon.

The Jules Smith Vintage Charm School Jellies are available for $58.00 for a set of eight and $12.00 for a set of two at Jules Smith Designs. Other celebrity fans include Lindsay Lohan, AnnaLynne McCord, Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus.

Buy it here.

The Making of Maiyet

Introducing: Maiyet, a conscious-clothing label that’s similar in ethos to Edun but with an even more luxe sophistication (and price point). Though the brand officially launched for Spring ‘12 in Paris, Maiyet’s founders—former human rights lawyer Paul van Zyl, former Band of Outsiders president Kristy Caylor, and Daniel Lubetzky—are celebrating the label’s exclusive arrival at Barneys New York stores this week. The collection ($595–$2,400) of military coats, simple blouses, dresses, and jewelry is so sleek shoppers might be oblivious to the fact that it’s the work of hand-block printers in Jaipur or metalsmiths outside Nairobi. How it works: Maiyet and its design team (a group that hails from the likes of Celine, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren) partners with local artisans in countries around the globe to promote self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship in developing economies. A portion of the profits then goes into training and development. Here, in this Style.com exclusive video (below), a look at the artisans at work on the collection.
—Kristin Studeman

Photo: Courtesy of Maiyet

Ready To Soar

Last year, young designer Fabiola Arias’ entrance-making dresses snagged her a coveted Fashion Group International Rising Star Award, and she has continued to pick up steam ever since, landing her collection in numerous Neiman Marcus Couture salons and garnering attention from Chicago’s Ikram Goldman.

This season, the Cuban-born Parsons grad made the next natural step in a budding design career, unveiling her latest collection at the Hotel Americano with her first formal fashion show. “I was thinking about winged creatures and my signature style of rich colors and texture manipulation. I just wanted the dresses to look like birds,” she said of the cocktail dresses and gowns, embellished with meticulously feathered chiffon in rich ombré jewel tones. Arias kept the focus on her experiments with fabric, such as a distressed emerald brocade or nude organza scattered with delicate rosettes. Additional drama appeared via headpieces crafted by her mother, a costume designer, and furthered the avian theme with wild fans of exotic feathers. Such confident peacocking appeals to Arias’ ideal customer, “a woman who wants to look like nobody else. She wants to be unique, and is a vibrant and luminous person wearing the most fabulous gowns.”
—Nina Stotler

Photo: Jay Marroquin

Capsule reviews of new movie releases

“Dark Shadows” — Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are snuggled warmly in their comfort zone in this chilly horror-comedy, their eighth collaboration as director and star, respectively, and their weakest by far. You don’t need to know a thing about the “Dark Shadows” TV series that provides the inspiration. Tonally, thematically, visually, you’ve seen this movie before, with its oddball characters, skies in varying shades of gray and a foreboding sense of gothic mystery. It’s actually a wonder that Depp hasn’t played a vampire before; still, his long-undead Barnabas Collins, who’s been buried alive for nearly two centuries and suddenly finds himself back in his insular Maine hometown in 1972, fits squarely within his well-honed on-screen persona. He thinks he’s quite the charmer, but he’s actually a bit awkward, and that contradiction provides the main source of humor. Or at least, it’s supposed to. The script from Seth Grahame-Smith (“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”) allows its family full of weirdos to shine, but too often is crammed with fish-out-of-water gags as Barnabas struggles to make sense of the time in which he’s found himself. He struggles to understand modern romance as he courts the family’s delicate, wide-eyed nanny (Bella Heathcote) and tries to fit in by smoking pot with the local hippies. Ho ho! “Dark Shadows” feels too languid, and bogged down as it is with an obsessive eye for costumes and period detail rather than offering anything resembling an engaging story. And by the time Burton finally puts his visual effects skills to their best use, in a climactic showdown between Barnabas and the witch who cursed him (Eva Green), it’s too late. With Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter and Jackie Earle Haley. PG-13 for comic horror violence, sexual content, some drug use, language and smoking. 116 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

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— Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic

— Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic

“Girl in Progress” — The strong, sexy presence of Eva Mendes and the girlish perkiness of Cierra Ramirez can only go so far to make this forced mother-daughter dramedy tolerable. It’s a coming-of-age story that knows it’s a coming-of-age story — as in, our young heroine is well aware of the conventions of this kind of tale and goes out of her way to manufacture various rites of passage to expedite her transformation from innocence to womanhood. Ramirez’s Ansiedad literally creates a flow chart in her bedroom and spells out her strategy with her only friend — whom she’ll soon cast aside, she declares, because it’s a necessary step in the process. Breaking down and sending up a specific genre is fine if the script is strong enough to get away with such cutesy self-reference, as in “Juno” and “Easy A.” Director Patricia Riggen and screenwriter Hiram Martinez don’t go far enough, don’t dig deep enough with these characters. They play it too safe, which makes “Girl in Progress” feel like a slightly racier version of an ABC Family show. And the flat, overly bright lighting further makes it feel like forgettable television. It certainly doesn’t help that the two main figures are cliches. Mendes’ Grace is the child in the equation, having given birth when she was just 17 and hopping from man to man and town to town ever since. Ansiedad — which means anxiety in Spanish — is the responsible one: Smart, studious and organized, she’s left to scrub the sink full of dishes while her mom’s out with her married gynecologist boyfriend (Matthew Modine, whose character doesn’t have a single perceptible redeeming quality). Do you think it’s possible that, by the end, they’ll both have learned some lessons and assumed their rightful roles? PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content including crude references, and drinking — all involving teens. 84 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.