Marie Claire
FEED T-shirt and Bag: Fashion+Charity
1 FEED T-shirt = 100 children fed for 1 school day
1 FEED Bag= 1 child fed for 1 school year
Marie Claire, U.N. World Food Program (WFP) and model/socialite/first-niece Lauren Bush have joined together to create the “FEED” t-shirt and bag to fight hunger in developing nations around the world. 100% of the net proceeds of the $34.95 American Apparel cream cotton t-shirt will go to programs to feed the world’s children and each FEED bag will feed a child for an entire school year.
To order the bag, visit Amazon.com
To order the t-shirt, call 800-727-1274.
For more info, visit: Marie Claire
Soapbox Moment: Ashlee Simpson is the New Victoria’s Secret Model
Gisele, Tyra, Heidi, and Ashlee? What the . . .
Ashlee Simpson has signed on to be a Victoria’s Secret model. Okay normally I wouldn’t care, however Ms. Simpson and her new nose is on the cover of this month’s Marie Claire Beauty and Body Issue with the following copy inside:
“She’s had it with Hollywood’s twisted view of feminine beauty. Her goal: to get women to appreciate their diverse shapes and sizes. Along with a group of teens, Simpson sends the kind of message we all want to hear”.
Exactly what type of message about body issues does being on the cover of a major mag right after getting a nose job and signing a contract to model lingerie send? Say whatever you have to say to get pr for your new album?
Indugle me in a soapbox moment: This is the type of fakeness that really bugs me about Hollywood. I have no problem with plastic surgery when it’s used to make you feel better and not turn you into the “cat” lady or Janice Dickinson (whom I love and who said hello to me while budding in front of me at Betsey Johnson’s Fall 2006 fashion show). Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, and I are BFFs (well at least in my head). I give the Victoria’s Secret models as much props as I give the models in Figure magazine. However, I do have a problem when stars try to say how much they love their bodies and how much we should all love our bodies and then go and get $5000 nose jobs to look like their older sister. Or get gastric bypass surgery and lie and say that the rapid weight loss was from doing pilates three days a week.
I can’t tell you how many times I get asked to make over people to “look” like a celebrity. I have no interest in turning people into suburban Jennifer Anistons—I would much rather help people create their own styles and looks. But to the powers that be in Hollywood (and New York) all those in the middle states care about is looking like Angelina Jolie—which is why the very hypercritical (probably more confused) Ashlee Simpson is on of the cover of one of the most popular women’s magazines loving her body, with the exception of her old nose.
Fashion Advice: Color Scheme
Dear Budget Fashionista
This morning when I got dressed, I thought I looked rather spiffy. But when I got to work the 2 girls I work with said I missed the boat. Tell me if this sounds like it goes together: Plum corduroy nicely fitted blazer, white cami underneath, khaki slacks, and teal suede slingbacks. The girls are telling me I can’t wear teal shoes because I’m not wearing teal in my outfit. Am I wrong in my selection, or are they just being narrow-minded? I would love to hear what you have to say about what I chose to wear today.
A I give you credit for at least trying to put together an outfit that is different, But you and your colleagues are in the fashion wrong. Here’s why . . .
You: Purple blazer and teal shoes- great idea. The khaki pants—bad idea. The dominant colors in your outfit- purple, teal, and light tan don’t work well together and looks a little “off” to the naked eye. A better option would have been a pair of chocolate brown slacks. Why? Purple, teal, and brown creates what is called a triadic color scheme (three colors equally spaced along a color wheel). Using these colors in the outfit creates a more harmonious color scheme, which in turn looks more balanced. It is one of the reasons why prints with the dominant colors of purple and teal often have a dash of chocolate brown thrown in to add balance.
Officemates: The whole “matchy-matchy” look is very tired—just pick up any Lucky, Marie Claire, or Vogue and you’ll see that mixing and matching colors and prints is very “in”.
The Fake Debate Goes Legal
Law professor and blogger Susan Scafidi gives us the legal issues behind buying or selling counterfeit goods.
As a law professor with a passion for fashion, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the counterfeit question. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, here’s the scoop on what’s legal—or not:
Q. Is manufacturing or selling a handbag with a fake Louis Vuitton or Prada label illegal?
A. Yes. You already knew that one. In fact, a law passed by Congress last month allows law enforcement to seize not only counterfeit items but also other things used to facilitate trafficking—like computers or automobiles. So think twice before driving downtown to pick up a load of fakes and then printing invitations to a neighborhood purse party.
Q. Is it still illegal if the buyer knows it’s fake, and the seller admits it and disclaims any association with the designer?
A. Yes. There’s still a chance of “consumer confusion” (the test for trademark infringement) among other people who see the bag or upon resale.
Q. What if the bag doesn’t have a logo but otherwise looks just like an Hermes Birkin?
A. That’s a bit more complicated, but for an iconic design, a court might find the bag illegal under a theory of “trade dress” protection. The closer the copy is to a recognizable, famous original, the more likely it is to be illegal.
Q. If selling counterfeits is illegal, why is it so easy to find them online or on the street? In New York, you can even buy unauthorized NYPD t-shirts and hats!
A. Law enforcement is expensive—and there’s an eager market. For some manufacturers, the potential for huge profits makes the risks worthwhile.
Q. So much for handbags—what about Oscar gowns and other clothing?
A. In the U.S., knocking off clothing (without using a fake label or logo) is legal, although creative types have been trying to change that for at least a century. On March 30, a new bill that would give designers protection against line-for-line copyists was introduced in Congress. It’s supported by designers like Zac Posen and Diane von Furstenberg—and if it passes, it will give a whole new meaning to articles like Marie Claire’s regular “Splurge or Steal?” feature.
Q. But this is fashion—everybody copies everybody else! How else would we know that wedge espadrilles and lace are “in” for spring?
A. The new law would apply only to literal copies, not trends or inspiration. But it could bring about some changes—just over a decade ago, YSL sued Ralph Lauren for copying an evening gown under a similar law in France, and won.
Q. Can I get arrested or fined for just buying a fake?
Not in the U.S.—but in the past year, both France and Italy have passed laws targeting consumers of counterfeit merchandise. Also, if you go on vacation outside the U.S. and try to bring back an illegal fake, both you and the merchandise could be stopped at customs. But hey, at least you’ll have a great tan in your mug shot.
The bottom line, from a legal perspective anyway, is that selling and even buying fakes can be risky—but the choice is up to you. Will it be a cheap designer knockoff or an original at an affordable price point? Class dismissed—it’s time to shop!
Susan Scafidi writes the blog Counterfeit Chic
Save BIG On Subscriptions to Shop, etc. Redbook, Marie Claire and More!
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If you’re a magazine junkie, then now is the time to re-up your subscriptions. Hearst is having a big subscription sale on some of its best selling titles, like:
O At Home—4 issues, $5.00
Redbook—10 issues, $5.00
House Beautiful—12 issues, $5.00
Shop, etc.—10 issues, $5
Marie Claire— 12 issue, $6.00
Harper’s BAZAAR—12 issues, $7.00
O, The Oprah Magazine—12 issues, $15.00
Celebrity Fashion: Airbrushed Models
What you see on the covers of the favorite magazines have been airbrushed, shaped, etc. I betcha you didn’t know that they can even add make-up and can take off several pounds (Queen Latifah on the cover of Marie Claire—hello) all with the click of a button. That is one reason why I encourage everybody to find their own style—because the style of the “celebrities” you see and may admire is created by a team of stylists, PR folks, etc. If they didn’t have their own personal army—most would be as unfashionable as the rest of us.
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