CITYist

It’s the last night before Christmas Day, have you finished your shopping duties? If you haven’t found that perfect gift for your most loved one just yet, we’re sure they’ll appreciate a semi-late gift from you in the form of ultra sleek sunglasses from MYKITA and Moncler. With so much history within the sunglasses, they won’t take them for granted–it’s a gift of quality and substance. When breathed on, the two logos will appear on the lenses. So pick up two pairs and bring them to the mountains for a romantic end of the year trip with your lover.

Available now until June in MYKITA shops and Moncler boutiques.

Sleek, clean-cut and subtly sensual–the words that come to mind when we look at G-Star’s Midnight Collection, now available on their website. With some of G-Star’s denim DNA embedded in the pieces, you’d better get your hands on them because they won’t be available in-store until Spring 2012. We’re especially craving the Midnight Kalahari Dress with its distinct and well-done asymmetry for females and clean-cut Midnight Polo T for our guys. Last minute Christmas presents, perhaps?

While everybody is flocking to the typical holiday attractions around Manhattan, we decided to get out of the overbearing crowds and head downtown to the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center on 107 Suffolk Street for some hard cider and not-so-usual entertainment. The Experiment will surely get your senses tingling. We don’t want to give too much away, but if you want good scares coupled with good laughs, you should get yourself and a date some tickets before The Experiment ends on December 23rd. Not for easily embarrassed types.

If whips and chains are a little too much for you but you want to get in on the fetish-y “dark side” craze (what with all of the vampires and werewolves), maybe you can start with a fishnet adorned bottle of champagne this holiday season. Jean Paul Gaultier, father of Madonna’s cone corset, has collaborated with famous champagne house Piper-Heidsieck to create two very sensual limited edition champagne bottles.

You can begin (at a holiday party, perhaps?) with a bottle of Piper-Heidsieck’s French Cancan masked bottle of Cuvee Brut ($55), that is, if you know your party mates will be okay with the risque fishnet stockings and latex seal. If you want to push the envelope even further, a bottle of the Piper-Heidsieck Black Cancan Millesime 2000 ($630) might be the one for you. Not only does it have a Swarovski Crystallized fishnet stocking, but it has a studded collar with Gaultier’s signature seal and comes in its own special case along with two curvaceous champagne flutes.

French Cancan will be available at select stores, hotel bars, nightclubs and NY/LA restaurants as well as wine.com while only 60 of the latter will be available.

A true New Yorker can’t deny that they’ve never heard of BowieBall. Well, we’ve got some good news. Whether you’re nostalgic for the days of glam rock or you weren’t even born yet, we all know who David Bowie is and the influence he has put out there. This is an event to mark on your calendars (even though we know how busy you all are). On Saturday, December 17th, Le Poisson Rouge will be filled with beautiful people celebrating Bowie’s 65th birthday in true glam rock style, hosted by nightlife mastermind Deryck Todd.

From amazing DJs, glam rock music and live bands to make overs, gift bags and celebs, the list is endless. So whether you’re dressing up as Ziggy Stardust or glittering yourself out, we hope to see you there at 11pm or later. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 the day of, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to non-profit organization I’m From Driftwood. Who said you can’t be a good citizen and still party all night?

Children and adults alike all adore her, and now she’s collaborated with lifestyle brand favorite, Vans. Sanrio and Vans have come together to create a limited edition collection with Hello Kitty graphics on classic Vans sneakers. Sizes are available for infants, children and adults at Vans retail stores, their website, select Sanrio boutiques as well as the Sanrio website. We’re especially excited to snag the unisex Sk8-Hi D-Lo high top sneakers (that we’ve always loved) to come in a Hello Kitty design. Retail prices range from $25 to $55.

To celebrate to collaboration, there will be three Meet & Greet events from June 24th to June 26th in the New York area. Come out for a free photo with Hello Kitty and some amazing giveaways. More information is in the invite below!

The philanthropic company TOMS is now onto creating more than just their signature shoes, they are now delivering some stylish sunglasses. The One for One™ brand’s founder Blake Mycoskie launched this news in Santa Monica just yesterday. And like TOMS shoes, for every pair of sunglasses you buy, you help somebody in need, whether it be prescription eyeglasses or eye surgery. And if you think they’re like any other sunglasses, take a further look. Made in Italy with hand-painted stripes, each of the three stripes symbolizes something important–the purchaser, the person in need and TOMS. TOMS Eyewear is available on its website as well as Nordstrom and other select retailers.

Bottega Veneta, wholeheartedly supportive of Japan since the earthquake and tsunami on March 11th, has designed a lovely keychain representative of the red and white Japanese flag. Composed of hand-woven intrecciato nappa leather in its detailed design by Creative Director Tomas Maier, all of the profits made from the sale of the keychain will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society. The keychain goes on sale June 12th ($180 retail in the United States) and will be available in stores around the globe as well as the website. We’re never ones to turn away a good cause.

Still down with Royal Wedding fever? Well, no worries, London designer Thomas Pink has just launched a very special wedding service to make those who are marrying this year’s celebrations extra ordinary. This service offers unique benefits to the groom and his party such as a complimentary tie for every five purchased, an opportunity to host a “Tie the Knot” shopping event and more. Visit the website for more details and stores near you.

Happy Monday, Cityists. Popular Los Angeles brand Hammitt has collaborated with HBO to create a line of True Blood handbags, now available for pre-order at the HBO Shop in Manhattan and online. With the new season premiering on June 26th, you’ll want to get your hands on one of these five sleek bags. And just which one fits your style?

Paris has brought us some of the best culinary skills, clothing brands and art. Lifestyle brand agnès b., best known for designer Agnès Trouble’s endearing lines of men and women’s clothing, is certainly riding the continual Parisian wave with the new “gallery boutique” in Soho. Located on 50 Howard Street, the store and contemporary gallery space opened to the public this past Saturday. Our favorite part is the exhibition currently featuring artists, international and local: Kenneth Anger, Bäst, Louise Bourgeois, Jared Buckhiester, Dan Colen, Craig Costello, Dash Snow, David Ellis, Douglas Gordon, Young Kim, Harmony Korine, Pierre et Gilles, Ryan McGinley, Ryan McGinness, Jonas, Mekas, José Parlá, Rostarr and Tseng Kwong Chi. Where else can you shop and discover amazing art? Oh, and don’t forget the adorable American flag hanging outside the store. The best part is, you can bring home the art with you by purchasing the special limited-edition Artist T-Shirts designed by the above from the Howard Street location ($85-$95 retail).

With the upcoming warm weather, we’re sure you CITYists are looking to grab something new for your shopping trips. Eden Jewelry has just launched their new e-commerce website in time for your spring jewelry needs. This new line by New York based designer Maytal Sharifi is chock full of colorful jewelry ranging from resin cuffs to Swarovski embedded pieces. Our favorite piece is the dewdrop ring. Reasonably priced from $75-$275, these Eden pieces make the ideal gift for your female friends.

A lot of great things (coffee, music, you name it) have been trailing from Portland, Oregon these days. Otis Heat, who opened for Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae last year, will be kicking off their Spring Tour in their hometown on Friday, March 11th and continuing all the way to San Francisco. You can download their four song EP here. Be sure to check out their spunky hit, “Everybody Loves Me the Same Way.”

What an exciting start to the new year. Sephora and Hello Kitty have partnered up for a beauty collection to be launched later this month. Sold exclusively at Sephora, Hello Kitty Beauty products will range from $5-$35 and include nail polish, compact mirrors, lip balms, a perfume and more. You’re probably wondering why this didn’t happen sooner. Well, if you can’t wait any longer and you’re a die-hard Hello Kitty fan, there will be an eBay auction going on from January 17 to 27. Readers, you’ll be able to bid on various special products and a chance to meet Yuko Yamaguchi, Tokyo’s Hello Kitty Designer! All of the proceeds from this eBay auction will go to the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Stay tuned for more details about the Sephora collection.

There’s still time to make it to the Sanrio Small Gift Truck today if you couldn’t yesterday. Located on Herald Square, the adorable little truck will be leaving at 7pm. We stopped by earlier to do a little holiday shopping and the constant line indicated that there is a high demand for limited edition Sanrio products. So get there before everything sells out! (Note: unfortunately, the car is not for sale.)

Anti-Eco is offering CITYists a special 15% discount! Just enter the promo code “cityist” at checkout and you’ll be able to purchase all of the eco-friendly cheeky t-shirts your heart desires.

CITYists, you might remember a previous post about Sanrio Inc.’s collaboration with Target for their 50th Anniversary. Well, we now have the New York City locations and dates for the Small Gift pop-up tour. The adorably trendy trucks and trailers will be in Bryant Park and Herald Square on December 9th (12pm-8pm) and December 10th (11am-7pm), respectively. The finale of this tour will be perfect for your holiday shopping, whether you want to pick up a Sanrio tote bag for your niece or a fisheye camera for your personal hobbies.

Before you plan your next weekend trip, consider Las Vegas, Nevada. Earlier this month, a new Prada location was opened at Crystals CityCenter. Somehow, the palm trees just look so picturesque next to the modern and edgy architecture. The store was designed by famous European architect Roberto Baciocchi. And you think the outside is amazing? The internal features of the store are impeccable. With organized shelves and neat displays of accessories, this spot can make a fashionista’s mouth water. Prada men’s and women’s collections are available here, including ready-to-wear, accessories, handbags and footwear. There are also limited edition items created just for Vegas. Hopefully, what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas because we’d sure love to take this entire Prada store home with us.

Indian fashion includes more than just Saris. Soigne K is a new boutique on Madison Avenue with everything from casual jewelry to formal attire. The two story boutique will carry everyday wears from various Indian designers on the ground floor ($500 – $1500) and formal attire ($2000 – up) on the second floor. We especially love the modern yet classy feel of all of the jewelry and are ecstatic to visit the brand new store.
Sure to bring enlightenment, there will be in-store events along with educational videos that will teach customers about what goes into the clothing that they purchase. And the best part is, through the Rajmal Rikhavchand and Mehta Charitable Foundation, each purchase over $500 will result in a donation of one school uniform to an underprivileged child in Banaskantha, India.

If you’re getting started on your Christmas wish list early like some of us, here’s something to add to it. Born out of the Successful Living from Diesel with Foscarini collection, Pett is a unique table lamp that represents the plastic material of its make and an actual pet (yes, we mean an animal). With its contemporary design and range of colors, you can add it to the young urban professional atmosphere of your home. Retail price is $342.

Looks like Dior did it again with their Dior Homme Les Essentiels. These tuxedos are part one of the monthly Dior Homme Les Essentiels collection, ranging from $2800 – $3200. They will also both be offered in navy and black, in a classic width with skinny lapels. Soft to the touch, the tuxedos are made from Grain De Poudre and will be sold alongside necessary accessories like bow ties, cummerbunds and patent shoes. And coming up in November: raw edges, handkerchief finishes, a trench, weekend and sport.

You don’t have to be a fashion designer to design a bag. This Thursday at 5pm, Abbe Held, creative director of handbag brand Kooba, will be at the 59th and Lexington Bloomingdale’s location. The winner’s bag will be named and featured in the Spring 2011 Collection exclusive to Bloomingdale’s. Get there early!

Forget those obnoxious plastic cases, techie friends. Your gadgets can be protected and remain scratch-proof with ZAGGskins. You can DIY or choose from the many designs on their website—from skins for iPods to Droids, they have it all. Their website is super simple to navigate, with hundreds of designs to browse, from holidays to college logos. We especially adore the wooden design for the iPad pictured here. Don’t forget to add these to your holiday gift list!

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Nancy Bacich and Fragments have teamed up with Women At Risk to create a chic mesh wrap bracelet exclusive to Fragments. The $88 bracelet is on sale all month in the Prince Street store in SoHo and online for those who do not live in the area. All of the profits go to Women at Risk, a grassroots organization founded in 1991 whose mission is to educate and support women at risk for breast cancer. Go out and support.

Swedish artists Maria Larsson and Maria Olevik are getting some amazing support at Anthropologie’s gallery exhibition of their beautiful porcelain pieces. In Every Tree is now showcasing at Anthropologie’s 50 Rockefeller Center location until November 3rd; the pieces range from $200 to $6,000. Take a look at the video of art and antiques buyer Keith Johnson meeting with Larsson and Olevik in their home country.