CITYist

It’s been 30 years for the iconic Manhattan Portage brand, also known as the maker of the official bag for the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. A New York bike messenger’s favorite, a well-designed yet protective laptop sleeve for the software engineer, a downtown mother’s go-to tote – they’ve all got two things in common, that famous red label and the memorable skyline logo. Limited edition collections will be released in celebration of its 30th anniversary. One of them is a collection of hand-painted 3D bags with stunning views of New York City. They will retail for $300-$400. As if that’s not enough, Manhattan Portage has combined its designs with the work of Keith Haring for another limited edition collection. But you’ll have to patient – these aren’t available until June.

The weather’s finally getting warmer (dare we jinx it?) so naturally we can’t get enough of our good ole denim and leather jackets. But sometimes we get tired of the tried and blue scenario, or the usual NYC all black uniform. In comes Genetic Denim’s version – The Ryder Crop Jacket in Bone. With faux leather sleeves and a tailored to our bods fit, we’re kind of hooked already. You can snag it here for $396.

Just because Hurricane Sandy has long been over, doesn’t mean it’s too late to help. Many residents of the Rockaways are still distraught over the damages done by Sandy and in need of health care services. Philanthropist Georgina Chapman’s Marchesa and Doctors of the World-USA have paired up to launch a Hurricane Sandy Relief tee. All of the proceeds go to above the mentioned health care services. You can pre-order the I LOVE NY t-shirt here.

Half the looks from Brazilian designer Alexandre Herchcovitch’s fall/winter collection reminded us of springtime, but we were still excited to see the brilliant man’s florals and pinstripes play out on the runway. Deconstructed dresses may not be oh-so-wearable on the streets, but we did have some favorites such as the first look, a white ensemble of exaggerated peplum. The sophisticated dark evergreen two-parter was a catwalk stunner as were the bright red pantalons. We also loved the mix of blooming patterns in the pantsuit, pictured last.

Models sported a combo of uber short black wigs and sunglasses (for many) at the Rachel Comey 2013 RTW show at Chelsea’s Pier 59. Inspired by menswear, there were plenty of loose knits, loafers with a mix of chunky heels, and slacks with interesting drape work. That was balanced by feminine dresses and skirts in an array of patterns and lengths, from stripes to florals. The first look was one of our favorites, reminiscent of an ideal cozy outfit for a chilly Sunday afternoon out in the park. We also loved the ensemble that came in fourth. Work uniform, anyone? And the striped dress was a hit, casual yet chic on its own. Can we just steal the entire collection for our fall wardrobes? Resident cool girl Rachel Comey nailed it again.

Looks like the world isn’t ending yet. New York City’s not to be stopped as new clothing lines such as Tandem are popping up on the streets. This spanking new lifestyle brand, co-founded by twins Mark and Kelly Shami, is set to launch on Tuesday, 12/18/12, but get your hands on some limited goodies this Saturday night at the Anchor in good old Soho by shooting an email over to RSVP@TandemLabel.com before tomorrow. And check out the winter preview lookbook video directed by Mark Shami himself here.

New Yorkers, looking for a new workout? Maybe you’re sick of the same old spin class. You don’t have to comb through Google and Yelp anymore and run across old listings that may not even exist anymore. FitMapped, a recently launched app is now available free of charge. Constantly updated for user satisfaction, you’re able to locate the fitness studios closest to you that you may not even have known about before. Or you can choose to manually select neighborhoods. You can customize your search results through fitness type, activities, and price. And if you’re familiar with Mindbody, you’ll no longer have to create a new account for each spot you reserve classes with. You can book as many under one account on this no-hassle app. Download it here or check out the website. Just a heads up, this will be expanding to other cities soon, so spread the word.

Antonio Azzuolo’s spring collection at Milk Studios was chock full of whites, blacks, greys, blues, as well as colorful prints ranging from bright red to neon variations. Our favorites were the understated white button down with blue bib and the structured plaid suit. Guys and gals strutted down the runway with simple yet sexy low necklines and a fresh, clean look.

Sneak out of the office for a prolonged lunch break this Friday and head over to Sephora’s SoHo location on 555 Broadway for some new goodies. Cityist’s favorite little cat is back again with her new fragrance, Big Pink Bow. ‘SMASH’ star Megan Hilty will be making an appearance alongside her whiskered friend. Get prepped to fill your beauty drawer with the latest Hello Kitty summer collection.

Tibi designer Amy Smilovic gave us an unpredictable yet well put together collection for Fall/Winter 2012. Opening with the classic song “Season of the Witch” by Donovan, the looks began with a perfect mix of menswear styles with a feminine touch, moving on to simple clean-cut shapes that were not too serious yet had their own classic touch.

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.)