New York Fashion Week Parties: 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target and StyleCasters

On the first night of New York Fashion Week, we had not one, but two party invitations, and both were for fashion shoots we had participated in.  It doesn't get much better than that.  First up: 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target party at Spring Studio where one entire walk of the enormous space was filled with the huge interactive StyleScape covering 120 people like us plus the models in six cities: Lost Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Toronto, Miami and New York. Here we are in front of the scene in front of the Williamsburg Bridge.  You can see we're framing our StyleScape selves and our StyleScape dogs behind us.

When viewers activated the StyleScaple, the women holding the sparklers (in the L.A. scene) traced whole shapes in the air and a huge fireworks display erupted overhead.

For the Chicago section of the panel, there were wildly moving balloons that were activated by blowing on the pinwheels.

In the New York panel, the dog Valerie was walking (Floyd) wagged his tail.

The tail-light on the taxicab blinked and lights on the Williamsburg Bridge illuminated. We loved the fact that the cab's license plate said LIM 3.1.  Caroline Ventura and Gigi Guerra protest the male models beating them out for a cab.  Typical New York scene!

This shot of Miami South Beach on the left and Brooklyn on the right gives you an idea of how seamlessly the images of the different cities melded into each other.

For the Toronto panel, movement by the huge red inflated human-shaped figure in the background was activated by the gumball machine.

Shortly after we arrived, we encountered a real live person wearing a Google Glass. The lightweight titanium frames include a wearable computer with optical head-mounted display (OMHD).

Jean tries it on!  Just like something out of a sci-fi movie!  Just off to the right in the right lens is a tiny almost transparent screen, so the wearer can view images while still walking the world around him or her.  Valerie also got to try it on.  We have always relied on the kindness of strangers!

We've noticed that head scarves are making a comeback.  Wrapped around the back of the head then tied at the top with a bold bow, the scarves become a variety of turban.  This woman looks fabulous in hers.

Here's another fabulously executed head scarf.

Part of the experience at the party was the opportunity to purchase items from the 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target line ten days before they go on sale (and are expected to sell out almost immediately).  Waiters spirited away drinks with alacrity to  promote the shopping experience.

This woman is wearing a 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target dress from the collection.

This masculine zip bag was also among the offerings.

The Lichtenstein-esque Boom scarf was our favorite.  We both wound up buying one.

Seeeeeeeeee??????

Three young women show off the latest in Tokyo chic.

Here's a shot of the Fashion Week crowd enjoying the party.

Gigi Guerra from Target (right) joined Dewi Billano (center) from Mother, the production company that made the fashion shoot and final product such a wonderful success) and one of her talented colleagues.

Little did we know when we met artist Marco Santaniello at the Phillip Lim event on Thursday that we'd see him again at a runway show on Saturday at Lincoln Center and at Yotel on Sunday!  It turns out that we're all also going to another party on Monday and later in the week at a runway show.

One of the party guests joined us for a photo.

We noticed a number of very dapper men at the event. These two are checking out the very cool black leather high-tops that were extremely popular among the male shoppers that evening.

Dewi Billano poses between us, along with one of her gorgeous pals who helped us tremendously at the shoot.

Peter, our able director and photographer responsible for the StyleScape (who happens to be Danish), noted that he was going to finally be able to rest after a whirlwind campaign.

Kris Chen from XL Recordings and one of our favorite crew members from our shoot made the scene.

Dee Jackson, one of the expert skateboarders in our Brooklyn shoot, gifted Valerie with one of his Lego heart-shaped pins.

As we exited Spring Studio, we met one of our make-up artists from the Williamsburg set (in red). Part of the fun of the party was getting to see the crew in their civvies!

After the Phillip Lim party ended, we attended the StyleCasters party at Lavo, to which Spencer Cain, Celebrity Editor for StyleCaster, had kindly invited us.  When we saw the mob scene outside the nightclub, we anticipated having a little trouble getting in (you can see why, below), so Jean texted Spencer, who texted back to say he'd have someone come out and get us.  While we waited for someone in shining armor, a tipsy man half Valerie's age started hitting on her, assuring her she didn't need to worry about their age difference, and at the same time swearing she'd never make it inside Lavo.  After all, they hadn't let him in.  Well, we used Spencer's text to get in the door (thanks to a real cool Security Dude), and then were rescued quickly by a StyleCaster staffer who escorted us to the downstairs A-list party space.

On our way down the stairs, we met this young man whom we've run into on multiple occasions. He had the most interesting shirt with (we hope faux) monkey fur sleeves.

Spencer and his fabulous staff were celebrating the beginning of Fashion Week and the posting of their 50 Most Stylish New Yorkers.

Valerie posed with this attractive couple before we left for the evening to head home. We both loved her turban.  And they were just the tip of the very cool iceberg.

We're in the 2013 Edition of StyleCasters' 50 Most Stylish New Yorkers!

OMG!  We were selected to be in StyleCasters' 2013 Edition of The 50 Most Stylish New Yorkers!  Click here or on the link ( http://stylecaster.com/new-york-style-2013/ ) and check out #45 out of the 54 photos!

We are in great company.  We rubbed elbows (digitally) with Patricia Field,  Courtney Love, Bergdorf Goodman's Linda Fargo,  basketball legendWalt Frazier, Hannah Bronfman, and Scott Schuman, creator of The Sartorialist.   Interestingly, we shared space with chef Marcus Samuelsson. All three of us are obviously doing something right. We were also among Time Out New York's 35 Most Stylish New Yorkers a couple years ago.  (And we photographed Loan Tran in angel wings four years ago!)

The shoot took place on August 10th, so for weeks we've been dying to spill the beans.  Here's the behind the scenes scoop:

Spencer Cain, StyleCaster's Celebrity Editor,  and Phil Oh, our photographer (of Street Peepers fame), arranged to meet us that Saturday morning, and gave us our choice of locations. Above is the photo that made the final cut.

One of the funniest parts of street photography is that it inevitably attracts the attention of passersby. One gentleman intently quizzed us about who we were then then proceeded to tell us his entire life story.  Phil and Spencer were completely unperturbed, and waited patiently till everyone had taken their pictures or asked their questions.  There's a four-lane street just out of view, and to get the angle in "the money shot",  Phil had to time his photos to sync with stop lights and traffic flow.  Many thanks to Spencer for taking lots of candid photos for us.

Here, Phil shows us the results of some of his work.  We could have cropped this photo so as not to show the chicken wire or razor wire or trash, but remember this is New York, with all its wonderful contradictions.  Reality blogging is a natural outgrowth of reality tv.

See if you can guess where we did our next series of shots.  Although Spencer pretty much let us choose our own venue, you never really know what's going to work, so we chose three locales, within a two-block radius.  First was the colorful mural-covered wall above. (Faithful readers will remember when this wall sported a huge Popeye cartoon, featured in our Swedish newspaper shoot this past spring).  Second was the Liz Christy community garden below, and third was outside the New Museum.  All three are on the Bowery.  When Valerie was a kid, 'Uncle Boo is living on the Bowery' was something people would say in a hushed voice, if they said it at all.  (Remember The Bowery Boys movies?  There's a reason they weren't called The Park Avenue Boys.)  Today, if your Uncle Boo is living on the Bowery, you hope he'll invite you to stay in his condo to water his plants while he's away on business.

Wonder what has become of our wonderful Keith Haring dogs?  Like so many women do with their frou-frou dogs, we're carrying them in our bags.  Really!  Why should Little Precious have to roll across the street when he could be carried?!

Phil took a series of shots of us in the garden.  The greenery was very lush and canopied, and here and there were little pools of light.  Although we tried both sun and shade, we all knew the best shots were in front of the mural.  The gents called it a wrap before we even had to go to our third location.  Fast, easy, fun!  What more could a girl want? Below, Phil, Jean and Spencer, before we went our separate ways, mission accomplished.

The best way to make friends with a woman is to first make friends with her dog, right?

Spencer mentioned that Patricia Field had a farmer's market outside her store on the Bowery, so we stopped by to pay our respects not only because she is also one of StyleCasters' Fifty Most Stylish, but also because she's so much fun. Here's the proprietress herself in her civvies with Jean. We run into each other at  lots of events (like Stephen Petronio Dance Company's art auction last year) and Jean sees her on the street walking her two adorable little white frou-frou dogs. We both bought the most delicious heirloom tomatoes and corn on the cob.

Having worked up an appetite, we headed to dbgb, Daniel Boulud's wonderful restaurant on the Bowery just north of the Liz Christy Garden. When we stepped inside to pick up menus, we met John and his friends who were enjoying a snack. When John asked his pals to snap his picture with us, Jean asked if they would return the favor with her camera. As we always say: wearing a hat breaks the ice.

The weather was so lovely, we picked an outdoor table and ordered a delicious cold summer soup (with a hint of mint) and a celebratory cocktail.

While we were relaxing, Catherine Schuller happened to be passing with friends walking north on the Bowery. When she stopped to admire our hats and chat, we gave her our card. Stay tuned for what happened as a result of that chance encounter!

Later that same day as we were making our way home, we were approached by a gentleman with a camera. We generally never say no when someone asks to photograph us. Brandon Isralsky, uncharacteristically, asked to shoot several pictures, and was sporting a camera big enough to photograph polar bears from a mile away for National Geographic. We should have known better, but we didn't, until he was kind enough to send us the results about a week later. Turns out Brandon works for Fashion Bomb Daily, and he sent us a link, which you can click on here, when we appeared on FBD! We can report it now that StyleCaster is out, but at the time we were a little shocked - shocked! - that the outfits we'd put together for StyleCaster actually appeared on FBD. Still, only StyleCaster shot our Keith Haring dogs, so we guess it's okay. (And Brandon, can you fix that name? It's Valerie, not Patricia.)

We don't have to tell you how astonished we were when we got an invitation from StyleCaster to be photographed for this shoot. It was as if we'd gotten a hand engraved invitation from the Pope to visit the Vatican.

Not to say we didn't agree with StyleCaster's assessment, but we were very curious to learn how they knew about us. The answer? Our friend Rolly Robinson, whom we first met last year at 57th Street and Fifth Avenue, nominated us. Here are the photos we took last year to commemorate the event (with Valerie wearing the same dress!!):

We were carrying red and white polka dot balls for a shot in front of Louis Vuitton's Yayoi Kusama windows. The entire store as well as the windows were covered in polka dots.  We knew we were kindred spirits when we saw Rolly's iphone cover!

Well, it turned out Rolly works for StyleCaster, and he was singlehandedly responsible - a year later! - for nominating us. So we have Rolly to thank for the great day, the great photos, and the great reaction we're now getting. THANK YOU ROLLY!!! AND THANK YOU, EVERYONE AT STYLECASTER!!!

Ice Ice Baby

Have we got a new cocktail experience to recommend to all our friends coming to town for New York Fashion Week! Called Minus 5 Ice Bar in the Hilton Hotel, the space is constructed entirely of ice - the bar and seating, the walls and chairs, the doorways and sculptures. Even the glassware is solid ice.     (So should we call it ice ware?)

Female staff members who greet customers are as nice and helpful as they are pretty. They also wear bustiers, which must make them popular with the male customers, and probably means they don't step inside the bar too often. This duo was adorable, competent and informative.

They gave us the scoop about all the important facts we needed to keep in mind: while Minus 5 has its own photographer who will take photos of guests ($20 each, 3 for $40), we could take our own non-flash photos. Since drink glasses themselves are made of ice (what a great gimmick!!), they specifically cautioned us to grasp our glasses in both gloved hands and place them on coasters - not on an icy table - lest the glass and icy surface fuse together.

Above the front desk are (left) a photo of a recent group of guests and (right) a price list.  A variety of souvenirs can be seen in the back, and black and white faux fur hats are in the foreground.

Management is prepared, knowing that the guests are most likely NOT, especially in the balmy summer weather.  We read on the website that the bar temperature would be 23 degrees fahrenheit (that's -5 celsius).  Below are (left to right) black faux fur coats, white faux fur, and the Minus 5 parkas.  Needless to say, the faux furs (with matching hats above) were part of a luxury package, so we went economy.  Unseen to the right are baskets of white rough weave cotton gloves, also graciously provided by management.  They thought of everything!

The first thing you notice upon entering the room, which looks like a beautifully decorated meat locker, is the cold, dry temperature. The second is the lighting. This shot of three guests captures the different variations in color.

Visible proof that the establishment lives up to its name exists in the thermometer encased in ice next to the bar which recorded the temperature as 5 below zero.

Because of the intense cold, the bar sells no food, just cocktails and mocktails (non-alcoholic drinks) in glasses made of crystal clear ice. We both ordered Icy Margaritas. Minus 5's recipe calls for orange juice instead of lime, but Valerie persuaded the bartender to substitute peach Schnapps for the orange juice in her drink.

The Statue of Liberty is partially encased in ice at the end of the right wall. Valerie did her best to imitate Lady Liberty, but that blue parka is a dead giveaway. Because we couldn't use flash, the photos are exceptionally colorful.

Here you can see the outline of the New York City skyline in ice.  Two previous ice bars are in Las Vegas, so one wonders what their decorative themes were.

While some of the backlighting behind the walls is in color, one source of the changing colors is the large chandelier on the left side in the main room. The crystals, which look like triangular ice cubes, change color, from intense red to green to blue, changing the look of the room -- and the complexions of the customers.

A few minutes after it glowed bright red, the chandelier changed to green.

This detail to the right above the bar  includes an ice sculpture of a bird and two metal objects encased in balls of ice.

We were, as always, uninhibited in our joy. Valerie gets into the act with the sculpture featuring a pair of vintage ice tongs, used to haul huge pieces of ice from a truck or wagon into the house to be placed in an ice box.  (Raise your hand if your parents referred to the ice box, and not to the freezer.)  We wore the striped bracelets because we'd seen stripes on the parkas in the website photos, but our parkas were stripe-free.  Good view of the huge white cotton gloves here.  They were perfect.  We could have brought our own leather gloves, but it's a good thing we didn't.

Jean in her turn tempts fate.  And wins!  (Remember the Christmas story where the kid's tongue sticks to the cold metal flag pole? Although the lighting is tricky, there is a wall of ice a hair's breadth from the tip of her tongue.)

There was a small private room off the main chamber where a group of blue-clad gents were seated on the ice benches enjoying their chilled beverages.

It was a very convivial atmosphere, and the gents arranged themselves for a photograph when asked.  At the left is the official Minus 5 photographer who joined them for the shot.

Here we are with two visitors in the luxury model coats.  Among the things we read on the website before venturing over was that we should avoid wearing open toed shoes.  We were warned that our little toesies would get cold.  So we dressed appropriately.  Valerie, stuck in one of the world's largest protective boots for the next fifty years or so, was worried that she'd slip and fall on the icy floor, but we're happy to report that the floor is NOT made of ice (smart management decision!), and we didn't spot a single shard of ice on the floor.  By the way, do we or do we not remind you of Bill Cunningham in our blue jackets?

This pair was brave!  No hats!  Coats open!  Open toed shoes!

Right in the center of the room was a huge column of ice with a convenient ledge for drinks (with coasters, of course!).

Before we left, we said our goodbyes to our bartender.  The room went through the full spectrum of colors while we were there (20 minutes?  30 minutes?).  One of the colors was arctic white, but we caught him at the darker end of the cycle.

On the way in and out of the bar is a sort of decompression chamber. It helps keep the warm air from the lobby from blasting into the space every time someone enters or leaves. It was painted to resemble the sea under a layer of ice.

We played a little game of dueling cameras.  Jean was NOT using flash here - we obeyed the rules (they were holding Valerie's credit card hostage, so we took no chances).  To the naked eye in real time, that's a very small red light, but if it's true the camera doesn't lie, maybe that light gets big (and a bit yellow!) for an instant too brief for the human eye to grasp.  But not too brief for our simple digitals!

Do not attempt this at home! We found out the hard way that, besides our eyeglasses fogging up when we emerged from the bar into normal temperatures, our camera lenses (internal and external) also fogged up. As you can see from Jean's shot of Valerie, taken nearly 10 minutes after departing the cold room, her camera still had evidence of heavy fogging. While it makes Valerie look positively angelic (ha!), it worried the heck out of both of us.  (The Minus 5 website warns that digital equipment might be affected, and helpfully offers to hold anything you like in small lockers by the reception desk.)  Jean's camera didn't fully normalize until about fifteen minutes later, but luckily everything worked out just fine.  Oh, we of little faith (and big fun)...