Lady Gaga at Barney's New York

A very Gaga entrance at Barney's New York.

 Yesterday, as I was sitting in Starbucks for about the third time that afternoon, I found myself only half-consciously scrolling through my Twitter feed. Amidst the meaningless tweets of my classmates as they begin to land their 'amazing' spring internships was a two-line tweet from Elle. [You would not yet understand the irony, but I will explain as soon as applicable.] :

@ElleMagazine: Catch Lady Gaga @BarneysNY for the opening of Gaga’s Workshop tonight!

To which I replied:

@MalloryinNYC: Guess I know what I'm doing tonight! RT @ELLEmagazine: Catch Lady Gaga @BarneysNY for the opening of Gaga's Workshop tonight! t.co/TA1Ry9kl

Custom designed dress by Karl Lagerfeld.

And so I did. My all-to-willing boyfriend and I arrived at Barney's New York at approximately 6:15 PM, for a two-minute event that would not begin until 9:45, conclude at 9:47, and leave us waiting outside until the display would open at midnight.

Sound intolerable? Well, then I guess you're not a true fan, as were the musical theatre students, the boy from Alabama with nothing but a camera and backpack, the Australian girls who had been waiting since 3 PM outside Barney's only to rush to Central Park for Mother Monster's Good Morning America appearance the next morning, the 11-year-old Long Island boy with rhinestone-adorned eyes, the Asian teenager with a blonde bob and five (!) Gaga-inspired tattoos, the homeless-chic teenagers who had camped out overnight in hopes that Lady Gaga would sign their bibles, and, of course, the fashion student with long chocolate brown hair and a knee-length fur coat, AKA, me.

There were photographers from Women's Wear Daily, which is a bible in and of itself, or at least it is to people like me. There were also a few news cameras from various stations, who sent their achors out to the crowds of fans to interview people who looked 'interesting.' Being 5'1", I was easily able to squeeze my way underneath the crowd's line of vision, arriving at the front of the gate each time were were relocated by security, and, coincidentally, each time a reporter found themselves in need of someone camera-ready.

As mentioned above, I was neither a rhinestone-adorned child or a homeless-[chic?] adolescent, but instead, a fashion student with meticulously ironed, long chestnut hair, 4-inch Nicole Miller heels, and a knee-length Alice + Olivia coat that made Anna Wintour herself cast a smile upon me as I left 4 Times Square late last week. I, in fact, was camera ready.

You have to admit... these scissors are awesome.

The first reporter eyed the crowd looking for someone 'interesting', meaning semi-attractive. His gaze focused in on me, as I looked like an absolute diva amongst the crowds of fans who had planned their entire week around this event. He brought the camera over to me, and held a microphone in front of me. This is how the conversation went:

Reporter: Hi. What brought you out her tonight?

Me: Hi! I'm here to see Lady Gaga, of course.

Reporter: What do you like about her?

Me: What don't I like about her?! She's amazing, she's so inspirational, she's an icon. She completely revolutionized the fashion world. Vogue Editrix Anna Wintour gave her the CFDA Award [Fashion Icon of the Year]... She's just incredible!

Of course, I just had  to throw some fashion in there. If this makes it on to TV, I hope it makes Anna Wintour smile at me -- again!

After rejecting the musical theater student next to me because he looked 'boring', the second reporter shifted his focus to me. Our conversation went like this:

Lady Gaga in spider form.

Reporter: What brought you here tonight?

Me: I'm here to see Lady Gaga cut the ribbon to her workshop!

Reporter: What do you think of the displays?

Me: I haven't seen them yet, but I'm insanely excited! From what I hear, it's all amazing. In fact, why keep it just for holidays? Gaga is incredible -- We should honor her all year round!

The reporter then went on to talk to a 'sassy black guy', as the musical theatre student described him.

They continued to shift us around a bit, moving us forward and back, forward and back. We didn't mind, because we all knew the night would be incredible. Or, so we thought.

My new 'friends' and I talked among ourselves, contemplating what we would say to Lady Gaga, and what we would have her sign for us. I ultimately decided that I would ask her to sign my Michael Kors purse.

I don't think I mentioned this yet, but it was extremely cold last night. Or, at least it was to me -- I have Floridian blood. Luckily, the insanely attractive cater waiters acknowledged this, and they sent out Belgian hot chocolate along with endless amounts of Baked By Melissa cupcakes.

It seemed like a lifetime, but finally, Lady Gaga arrived! She spent about thirty minutes inside conducting an interview for Good Morning America, which aired today, and shopping with her talentless sister, Natali.

When she finally walked out of the entrance, the crowd went wild. She whipped out a giant pair of the most Gaga-esque scissors imaginable, cut a surprisingly bland ribbon, and went back inside.

And that was all. No performance. No meet-and-greet. Not even a teeny, tiny word to the fans who spent their entire day waiting in the freezing cold weather. Nothing. It was a very under-whelming experience, but hey -- at least I got a blog post out of it.

One of the many displays within the workshop.

Christian Louboutin Window Displays at Barney's

Christian Louboutin: "Wearing high heels is like having an orgasm."

To celebrate 20 years of Christian Louboutin's red-soled wonders, Barney's New York has created a series of window displays to honor the famed designer. The windows are extremely elaborate in production and appearance, only to represent the amount of work, passion, and detail that goes into the design of each individual pair.

Blake Lively in a Chanel suit and Louboutin heels.

After experimentally painting the bottom of a shoe with red nail polish back in 1991, Christian Louboutin's sky-high heels have become almost as iconic as their red sole. And, although it may seem like an untouchable match made in stiletto heaven, equally luxe designer Yves Saint Laurent tried to rival Christian Louboutin's signature design with his own version of a red-soled heel. And, although the court ultimately ruled in favor of YSL, as a color cannot be copyrighted, Christian Louboutin will always be the king of the famous red sole.

Christian Louboutin's designs have been seen on everyone from Victoria Beckham, to Blake Lively, to even the infamous Kardashians. Author Danielle Steele is said to own over 6,000 pairs! The designer himself gives some insight as to why his designs are so popular: "Wearing high heels is like having an orgasm."

Here are a few photos of the windows:

Versace for H & M

As we all know by now, Donatella Versace has continued the high-low collaboration trend by creating a low-quality low-priced line to be sold exclusively at 300 H&M stores. At first glance, I have to admit that I wasn't a major fan. I mean, palm trees?! I'm from South Florida -- our signature tree is hardly cutting edge.

But, after a few weeks of over-analyzing the lookbook, I found that there actually are a few cute, non-touristy pieces included. Check out my top six below, and sound off in the comments!

Solestruck + Jeffrey Campbell = La Isla Bonita

It's been a few months since I first discovered the sheer magic of Jeffrey Campbell [My New Obsession: Jeffrey Campbell 99 Tie Mint Suede Wedges]. I remember the day perfectly. It was back when I was still obsessed with all things mint green, including Doe Deere's Limecrime shade. I was wandering aimlessly through SoHo, and by some miracle, I ended up at LF. Of course, I just had to go in. And that's when I saw them -- the 99 Tie. I tried them on, and I was awestruck. I went home that afternoon and blogged about them, but somehow I never ended up buying them. I guess they're "the pair that got away."

Fast forward about five months, and I'm now completely obsessed with everything Jeffrey Campbell. [Except the Lita. I never really liked it as much as everyone else...] I now check Solestruck literally everyday, praying that they will somehow, someday receive more of the 99 Tie in Lavender (its much more standout that the mint, and much more practical for city life!) From Nightwalk, to Skate, to Tardy, I love them all!

So, as the MAJOR Jeffrey Campbell and Solestruck fan that I am, I was insanely excited to see the new La Isla Bonita photoshoot in my inbox, which consists of NEW JC styles for winter! [You can pre-order the looks on Solestruck here.] Each piece is honestly incredible. I've displayed my favorite looks below. Enjoy!

Giambattista Valli.... for Macy's?

My new obsession -- Giambattista Valli clutch ($69)

Okay, I know I'm a little late to the party here, but I honestly had no idea that Giambattista Valli created a collection for Impulse at Macy's! That was, at least, until I wandered out of 'Clinique World' a few days ago and stumbled across the most incredible bag I've ever seen.... excluding Chanel, of course. ;)

Emma Stone in Giambattista Valli.

If you're wondering who Giambattista Valli, you're definitely not alone. My 100% heterosexual boyfriend doesn't know who he is either... Just kidding.

In all seriousness, Giambattista Valli is an Italian fashion designer. He has worked with Yves Saint Laurent, which automatically makes him blog-worthy. He recently designed his first (!) couture collection, which you can feel free to obsess over right  here. His biggest client is Posh Spice herself, miss Victoria Beckham, as well as Easy A starlet Emma Stone. He even designed the gorgeous red and pink dress to the right! [read: Color Blocking Reaches New Heights: Pink And Red]

Anyways, back to my 'little too late' discovery. So, on a mini-break from putting makeup on ugly people work, I decided to wander upstairs and browse through things I shouldn't buy rather than giving in to my caffeine addiction (yay!).

And, as I was browsing, I just happened to stumble across THE BAG. You know -- the one I mentioned in the second sentence? Better description -- the one I'm now in love with! [above]


The bag itself is ridiculously incredible. It has some gorgeous Chanel-esque detailing (the ribboned chains), but between the tan biker leather, the modern shape, and the bold stone clasp, it has a very modern, punk-chic vibe as well.

If you love the bag as much as I do, you can buy it here for only $69!!!

Or, if you think this is the absolute ugliest bag you have ever seen, then please, check out a few more of the soon-to-be sold out pieces below:

Five Trunk Shows I'd Die To Attend

Vera Wang Bridal 2012 Gowns.

[#7]

This weekend I will be attending the Vera Wang Bridal trunk show at Saks Fifth Avenue. I am extremely excited for the event, as trunk shows are like a mini fashion show. All of the gowns are displayed, and there are usually a few models to show you how to wear them. Of course, a trunk show is on a much smaller scale than the stage at Bridal Week, but this can sometimes be an advantage. A major plus is that there are hardly any crowds, so you really have the chance to get up close to the designs and make a better decision about which one to purchase. And, sometimes the designer even makes an appearance!

Here is a video from Vera Wang's Spring 2012 Bridal Show. I will be seeing the same designs this weekend!

I've been to only one trunk show before, and I have to say it was an incredible experience. I went to a Jovani trunk show during my senior year of high school. I was in search of the absolute perfect prom dress, so needless to say, I was in heaven amongst all of the couturesque designs. Here are a few more shows I'd love to attend:

1. Alice and Olivia. Not that the designs are incredibly high end, but they're just so unique and free-spirited! I'd love the chance to see them up close as an entire collection.

2. Chanel. What girl doesn't  love Chanel?! Karl Lagerfeld is an absolute genius... His designs are so classic and timeless.

3. Vera Wang RTW. Not only does Vera Wang design beautiful bridal gowns, but she also has a history of creating excellent Ready to Wear collections. Everything 'Vera' seems to have a gorgeous romantic twist.

4. Miu Miu. When Miu Miu first came on the scene, a lot of fashion critics thought of it as nothing more than a spinoff of Prada. Now, years later, Miu Miu has involved into a line all on its own. I love the whimsical inspirations!

5. Alexander McQueen. The true designer himself may have passed on, but Sarah Burton has certainly made it understood that she will carry on the legacy of McQueen. Each season, I look forward to seeing what kind of shocking designs will make their way down the runway, and I'm never disappointed.

Nicole Miller Spring 2012

Spring 2011. Classic Nicole Miller.

Before you say it, let me admit that this post is a little biased [not to mention late]. I mean, I've been working in Nicole Miller's PR department since August, filling my schedule with busy days of trying on (ahem, I mean picking up) samples from magazines, photographers, and stylists. So, needless to say, I've been exposed to the Nicole Miller aesthetic pretty much nonstop throughout the last three months. But -- intern or not -- when the Spring 2012 line arrived, I was 100% in love with it!

Now, this isn't just typical me, becoming obsessed with one designer at a time, and choosing a new one at the start of each season. No, this is me admiring the proposed change in direction from an extremely established designer.

Spring 2012. A new, retro-styled runway look.

Let me explain. Nicole Miller is known for her classic, sophisticated [but still trendy] styles. She's a favorite among multiple celebrities -- including Alexis Bledel and Ashley Tisdale, both of whom sat front row at the show -- and editors alike. Although not typically the most daring designer [think the anti-McQueen], her designs still manage to remain relevant multiple seasons after their original debut.

So, imagine just how shocking it was to find that for the Spring 2012 collection, Miss Nicole Miller was inspired by none other than 'glam' rocker David Bowie (presumably during his 'Ziggy Stardust' days).

The entire collection is a polar opposite of her classic runway style. And, although, I've always been a MAJOR Nicole Miller fan [why do you think I work here?!], I can't help but say that I'm extremely excited to see not only how this collection sells, but whether Nicole sticks with the new 80s vibe, or transcends back to her classic aesthetic come next fall. Only time can tell, but for now, enjoy the video!

[This is Blog Post #6 for my Creative Fashion Presentations class at FIT. If you're not from FIT, feel free to comment anyways!]

Chanel Spring 2012

Florence Welch performing in a giant clam at the Spring 2012 show.

[This post was done as an assignment for my Creative Fashion Presentations class at the Fashion Institute of Technology. It is blog post #4. If you are not a student at FIT, feel free to read, comment, and obsess over the photos anyways, because HELLO -- It's CHANEL, and I'm pretty sure you'll LOVE it!]

For this assignment, I focused on an article in the New York Times blog by Cathy Horyn. If you have no idea who Cathy Horyn is, then we have a lot in common. Or, at least we did as of earlier this week.

A few days ago, I was at a coffee house outside campus while on a break between classes. Thanks to my new phone [finally!] I can now waste even more time by Googling random fashion shows not only from my awesome apartment, but from virtually any place I please.

Cathy Horyn attends about as many shows as Anna Wintour.

As I browsed through the New York Times' Runways blog [which apparently exists - who knew?!], I came across this article written by Ms. Horyn, who discusses the Paris shows of those whom she is dining with. She gives an insite to Kanye West's odd attempts, and describes the Celine Spring 2012 collection as a 'club sandwhich'. Honestly, the article was a little wordy, but by the end, I was hooked!

So, when it came time for this assignment, I already knew which blogger I would focus on -- None other than Ms. Cathy Horyn! But as for the collection I would zero in on, well, that wasn't too hard either. After all, when in doubt, choose Chanel! [Yes, you can quote that.]

The main factor that draws me to Horyn's writing is her dictation. She's so detailed, which allows the reader to picture the garments as well as the atmosphere as if they were actually there. Here are a few examples of Cathy Horyn's descriptive language:

1. SILHOUETTE & DESIGN

"...Mr. Lagerfeld’s new pared-down suit silhouette: a lean skirt or dress in ivory or black wool worn with an opened, cropped jacket."
"The shapes were soft, mostly short and slightly rounded, with a sense of mobility."

2. DETAILS

"No Chanel braiding or chains."
"...embroidered along the edges with slivers of mother-of-pearl."

3. COLOR

"...silver leather or white with black lines."

4. FABRIC

 "...ties formed from the linings, often printed chiffon."
"Many fabrics had a glistening effect..."

5. CREATIVE “JARGON” 

"...other materials that reflect Mr. Lagerfeld’s obsessive interest in techniques that give lightness to clothes."

Below are my Top 10 favorite looks from the Chanel Spring 2012 show! :)