CITYist

Designer Lisa Perry is known for her charming, retro fashions, so her collaboration with ABC’s new series PAN AM for FNO fits like a tailored, blue pencil skirt. The 60s-themed show serves as inspiration for both the invitation (which appropriately reads like an old-fashioned plane ticket) and the goodie bag as well: a vintage-styled PAN AM explorer purse, which will be gifted to the first 50 people who arrive. A few members of the cast will be joining the celebration as well, including star Christina Ricci, leaving more for attendees to check out than Perry’s vibrant fall collection.

Unless you’ve been holed up in your apartment for the past few weeks fearing a return of the hurricane, you’ve probably noticed every bus, flier, and store window (not to mention, website) advertising Thursday’s Fashion’s Night Out. You’ve also probably noticed that each event looks stellar. If you have a love affair with jeans, add True Religion’s FNO event to your itinerary. Pick up a new pair of pants and personalize them with screen printing while listening to music by DJ Elle Dee and noshing on food from Silkstone.

The world of beauty is full of seemingly endless possibilities. Although a limitless amount of brands and products makes this aesthetic sector fun, investing in pricier products based off of reviews alone (or, in my case, how compelling the cover art is) can be daunting. Sensing this looming air of uncertainty clouding the beauty aisles throughout the nation, Harvard Business school grads Katia Beauchamp and Hayley Barna founded Birchbox in September 2010 in an effort to simplify the process.

Through the many years of elementary school, my friends and I made many accessories to proclaim our friendship. From braided anklets to matching necklaces, homemade friendship accessories were all the rage back in the day. Contemporary design company Seltzer is bringing the friendship accessory back with The Awesome Pin, an 18k gold-plated pin decorated with Swarovski colors.

In Manhattan, jewelry stores are about as common as discarded Metro Cards in the Subway. Standing out in this abounding crowd of jewels and molded metals can be a challenge, but a combined bevy of creativity and a yearning for a bracelet that no one has yet created is what new jewelry stores are made of. It was this craving for novel accessories that inspired the start of Tendenza Jewelry, designed by founders Oren and Zichrini.

On May 3rd, Amazon launched its new online discounted designer shop, My Habit. Similar to sites like Gilt Grouple and Ideeli, My Habit is a membership-only site (although members of Amazon.com can already access the deals with their Amazon sing-in) that offers designer goods up to 60% off. New sales go up every day at noon EST, and high-end designers like Doo.Ri, Badgley Mischka, and CC Skye are just a few to grace the new site.

April is known for its wet weather, but this past month of showers were accompanied by raging storms and devastating tornados. As a resident of Florence, Alabama, designer Billy Reid desgined a t-shirt to help aid the ravished communities. Named “The Rise,” Reid’s vintage style tees retail for $38 and are sold online at www.billyreid.com and in his six national stores.

As of yesterday, May 10th, menswear shopping site MR PORTER added J. Crew to its vast selection of menswear offerings. From knitted silk ties to jersey pullover sweaters, the collection is the epitome of the preppy yet cool style that J. Crew has perfected.

On Friday May 6th, grooming will become a public affair at Tweezerman’s Beautiful Brows for a Beautiful Cause event. The event, which will be held at Sephora on Madison Avenue as a part of the new Fridays at the Beauty Studio series, features complimentary expert brow shaping service with Tweezerman tools. But beauty is not the only cause; this gathering will celebrate Tweezerman’s collaboration with Starlight Children’s Foundation, which helps severely ill children and their families endure the struggles attached to such illnesses.

From Diane von Furstenberg’s hip slinging bags to American Apparel’s nylon take, the fanny pack is shocking everyone with a comeback. But unlike the tacky, unflattering fad of the 90s, today’s fanny packs are super chic and slick. The eco-friendly brand Fleabag released its charming take on the re-emerging trend with a pair of leather waist wallets in two styles.

Menswear designer Billy Reid is quite the collaborator, and on Tuesday, April 19th, only a bit after his J. Crew line was released, he celebrated the launch of his new K-Swiss line. Featuring musical guests The Drive-By Truckers, the launch was held at Reid’s Wholesale Showroom, which is across the street from his New York flagship store. The CFDA winner was inspired by his own tattered K-Swiss sneakers when creating the collection, and infused the worn-down style in his washed trio of men’s and women’s shoes.

Comme des Garcons’ reputation for its avant garde fashion and unexpected collaborations makes a partnership with Matt Groening, creator of Futurama and The Simpsons, seamlessly fit into the innovative brand’s portfolio. Based on Groening’s 1977 comic ‘Life in Hell,’ which features Binky, a depressed rabbit with a handful of pals, including his illegitimate son and ex-girlfriend, all items reference the comic through quippy one-liners and relevant prints.

To all summer enthusiasts: Quicksilver is calling out for your best seasonal memory. Now is the time to dig into your vacation albums for your favorite sunset picture, channel your inner poet and write verses about the tingling of sand between your toes, or simply recount an alluring memory and it might be published in the surfer brand’s summer stories book.

We’re running out of space to list all the titles that Heidi Klum can boast. A true renaissance woman, CITY’s September cover girl is holding on to her current title of “designer” with the launch of her Heidi Klum for New Balance spring line. Her collaborative collection debuted last fall with the intention of proving that gym trips and errands don’t require a style sacrifice.

From The Band of Outsiders look book to Beyonce’s rockin’ street style, Illesteva’s stylish specs are popping up everywhere (and the sun isn’t the sole reason for their perpetual presence). The young brand’s new model, the Albert frames, which are charmingly inspired by the 1970’s French comedy “La Cage aux Folles,” are surely to maintain the popularity their sibling frames induced.

In an effort to continue spreading support of cancer research, the Susan G. Komen foundation launched its first perfume. Titled Promise Me, the musky perfume is enclosed in a glass bottle with a floral engraving, which was designed by specialty designer Chad Lavigne, making it a charming flourish and a fresh, spring scent.

It may seem impossible, my fellow Cityists, but the temperature is gradually inching up and the sun is often peeking out in between spouts of rain. Yes, spring is coming. And what is the best part of this much anticipated season if not sandals? Whether you’re strolling along the beach or the subway, Robert Clergerie’s platforms from his SS11 collection provide the perfect amount of height without the dreaded pain that is so commonly experienced with high shoes.

The gloomy weather has us aching for the sun and warmth that seems to be only a month away. But for those lucky enough to escape the drab climate by traveling, Stretsis has a way to avoid drab luggage as well.

Cheap Monday gives the concept of soiled jeans a new meaning. For the denim brand’s customized tour to Paris, it placed jeans in three different climate zones around Sweden. One pair played in dirt on the west coast, the other in the grassy woods, and the last hanging off the roof of Cheap Monday’s Stockholm office. These worn washes put your bleach stained knickers to shame. Each pair’s weather worn wash provides a creative look, color, and feel to the denim.

Riding the subway without earbuds in is essentially an invitation for unwarranted conversations with the loquacious personality sitting next to you. For those uninterested in meeting new characters but wanting a bit more funk than the white Apple earbud provides, check out Atomic9’s Grungebuds.

In the Highline Room of the Standard Hotel this past Saturday, February 13, Bensoni presented its Fall 2011 line from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The collection featured delicate rose prints, fur coats, nautical stripes, sexy satin dresses, black lace ensembles and metallic reptile printed coats. It was part sophisticated, part goth princess and totally charming.

When given a Tiffany’s box on a day like Valentine’s Day, a girl is bound to think it’s for a certain finger. For those who are yearning to add a flair of Tiffany’s to their accessory collection but aren’t interested in blinging out that finger, why not wear diamonds near your eyes instead? The iconic brand has released a line of eyewear included both spectacles and sunglasses as a part of its Tiffany Key and Tiffany’s Signature lines.

Whether you’re a lover of Valentine’s Day or avidly anti-pink hearts and PDA, we have a feeling that Louis Vuitton’s Valentine’s Day products will make you swoon. The heart shaped, monogram bags with pink and turquoise leopard print lining–and their rectangular, wallet counterparts–are the perfect combination of sweet and spice.

Boyfriend watches and classic timepieces will always have a special place in our hearts, but for those craving a little more flair for your wrist, the SLAP Watch may become your springtime friend. The bright colors and silicone look are enough to add an unexpected pop of color to any ensemble and are in trend with the bright colors you’ll be seeing all summer.

Look out shoppers: Net-a-Porter.com finally is finally attached, and it seems serious. In February of this year, The NET-A-PORTER Group will launch the Jack to this women’s wear site’s Jill with Mr Porter. In the ten years that Net-a-Porter.com has been selling YSL, Chanel, Marni and other luxurious designers to well styled women, it has remained exclusive to ladies.