It is that time of year when the party’s over, literally and figuratively. It’s always difficult for me to get through the darkest and coldest days of the year in NYC. Like many of us in the Northeast after the holiday season ends I crave newness, warmth, physical exercise and sunshine. But Mother Earth has me held in the natural process of winter. Like nature and the animals in the forest, we are meant to be more internal, calm and meditative as we prepare for our rebirth in the spring.

As a fashion designer, stylist and a certified Feng Shui practitioner I know it is time for me to take a sobering look my closet and my life. In the tiny walk-in closet I share with my husband I stood and stared at my coveted collection of Mui Mui, Prada, Fendi and all the rest of my friends. With not an empty space on the rail or an empty shoe cubby I asked myself what I could possibly part with, and got no answer at all. I loved all of these shoes, bags, dresses, blazers for they ARE me, I thought. And, even though I don’t wear most of them regularly I was hesitant to even touch them.

Wind and Water

I remembered what I learned in my classes that Feng Shui is about so much more than just stuff, even my beautiful stuff that I love so much. The term Feng Shui means wind and water. Feng Shui is about the stagnant and fresh chi or energy that moves in and around our physical spaces, including our closets. When areas are clogged up and cluttered, the chi or energy cannot move and becomes stagnant. It directly affects our health, wealth, relationships, future, and well, pretty much everything.

So to get the chi or energy moving I decided to start cleaning and clearing. If a space is not clean, it is not Feng Shui. I cleaned everything and anything I could get my hands on: laundry, the bathroom, the vanity, the kitchen, the magazine rack, my nightstand, my jewelry drawer and the junk drawer. Suddenly I had filled two bins of recycling and one full of trash.

At that point, I had broken the stagnant chi and was able to create two piles of couture accessories and clothing to consign. And, then the most important pile I created was the give-away pile to be donated. According to Feng Shui, what we give away will return to us multiplied.

When we make space for the fresh chi, we allow the energy of our personal space to move swiftly and make way for new energy, health, wealth, experiences, love, clothes, shoes, jobs and relationships to find their way into our lives. I know this fresh energy moving in my space will blossom into something magical in my life this year.

Five ways to create fresh chi or energy in your space:

1. Start by cleaning one drawer, go through all items contained and decide if you really need all the items. Clear out what you no longer need and put back what is necessary in an organized fashion. Starting small will help you break way for bigger projects like your closet.

2. Clean the kitchen and bathroom until they are spotless. The chi of these two areas is very important as they are vital to our overall health.

3. Clean the entrance of your space: organize shoes, umbrellas, coats in closets and storage bins neatly. Make sure the foyer is not cluttered. The chi of this area of our home is very important as it is connected with our career and wealth.

4. Make sure the air in your space is fresh, like the chi when it is swiftly moving. Open a window, even for a few minutes in the winter and let in the fresh air. Also, burning white sage and diffusing essential oils changes the energetic frequency of your entire space which connects to all aspects of your life.

5. Clean out and organize all books, mail and decorative pieces. Put in an orderly fashion that is aesthetically pleasing. Make sure you feel an open airiness in your space that is calming and nurturing to you, so you can go out in the world and create a life you love.

After all, Feng Shui is “all about the space, about the space….no clutter.”

- by Judith Longo

How is she still at the top of her game after all these years of success? How is she this timeless wonder still producing such modern, fashion-forward designs while maintaining her ageless physicality? I recently attended an evening event lead by the one and only Norma Kamali in her ultra clean, bright, white lacquered boutique on West 56th Street in NYC.

Surrounded by her plethora of passions including her powerful women’s clothing line, gorgeous bottles of olive oil and gourmet raw food, the picture of grace, elegance and modernity appeared. Enter Norma Kamali. She and her ultra-polite team gathered on this night, with an all female audience to discuss and interact on perhaps the most important of her passions, the end of the objectification of women.

She spoke with honesty and strength about redefining the modern woman. Norma Kamali created short film titled “Hey Baby” about the way women are treated by men as we walk down the street. She pointed out that we are so much more than our body image, the clothes we wear, our breast size and yet we are all judged by these physical aspects.

Norma shared her own stories of objectification and explained that, through sharing them with other women, we can empower ourselves. This is so huge for women, we all have these experiences and we usually keep them buried deep down inside.

Wellness and Women

As the night came to a close, I took my selfie with Norma Kamali and I realized she is far beyond a fashion icon. Norma Kamali truly is a superhero, a powerful woman who designs contemporary, gorgeous women’s clothing, who is devoted to eating healthy and most importantly, she is at the forefront leading the way for women in the face of objectification coming from our culture.

Norma Kamali is quietly breaking down this barrier in her graceful, elegant, modern way.

If you live in the New York area, keep an eye out for future events on thewellnesscafe.com so you share your experiences and share in the growing empowerment. You can also get involved at www.stopobjectification.com.

- by Judith Longo

Jonathan Cody had the chance to catch up with dear friend, Design Director Todd Magill to explain this year’s careful application of color that was very refreshing at the Spring/Summer 2015 presentation. Todd Magill explained this season’s line was inspired by the mix of Sport and Classic American sportswear. “I see a lot of guys on the streets mixing their sport gear with their work clothes. Ultimately, the collection is about ‘urban utility’ so you can look good in transitional moments, like when you are in between work and running to or from the gym and then out to meet friends.”

Todd also talked about how he drew inspiration from minimalist painter Josef Albers. Todd said “He really understood that color is relationship: one to another, a pattern to its frame, the eye to the mind. Even simple blocks of it, placed with care, can create a whole greater picture than the sum of its parts.”

The bags are minimal on the exterior, but inside them the user will find function and utility to serve the function and floral camo and Chambray floral prints to pack the right amount of visual punch. Key fabrications include technical packable nylon, as seen in a trench and blazer that are lightweight enough to roll up and throw in your bag.

Artist Ian Hundley designed a special navy grid print for a capsule collection of bags and several apparel pieces inspired by aerial maps of the streets of New York.

Here are some favorite looks:

Notable guests who attended include: Nick Sullivan, Todd Magill, Wendell Brown, Geoff Bartakovics, Conor McGill, Kate Doerge, Paul Wilmot, Kelly Bensimon, Beverly Osemwenkhae, Andrew Freesmeier, Melissa Exides, Craig Leavitt, Deborah Watson

Look for this line to be hitting stores this coming spring.

- by Jonathan Cody

Photo credit for model shots: Patrick Mc Mullan’s J Grassi
Event shots Photo Credit: chervine.com

As I followed my thoughts I defined what I felt were Joan’s main qualities. Firstly, she is very “pretty”: doe-eyed with soft features and baby-fine, blonde hair. She is also “angelic” with an aura about her that is like a bubble of light from within. Her personal style is somewhat earthy and “bohemian”. And, she is a without a doubt, a bluesy “rockstar”.

I saw that Joan Osborne was indeed all the aspects I had defined, Pretty, Angel, Boho and Rockstar so I created my style boards with inspiration and looks I love for all four facets. On the day of the shoot she was impressed with the aspects of her style that I had defined. Joan loved the combination of drapey crepe fabrics and leather pieces I had gathered for the shoot.

Both soft and gritty, Joan Osborne’s true magic came through when she stepped in front of the camera. Dressed in the sensual clothing I had chosen with makeup and hair done, she was ready. In an instant she closed her eyes, snapped her fingers and danced to the music of her favorite artist BB King. As photographer Jeff Fasano clicked away and captured her incredible metamorphosis, Joan Osborne was truly in her element.

Story and styling by Judith Longo
Photography by Jeff Fasano

The mission of the Ali Forney Center is to help homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning youth be safe and become independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood. The Ali Forney Center is committed to providing homeless LGBT&Q youth with the services they need to thrive, including shelter, HIV Prevention and life skills training.

When we talked with Andrej about the collection he said “I am very excited to be launching my jewelry line in collaboration with Sam. The pieces wonderfully capture postmodern elegance with a minimalist esthetic. However, my greatest pleasure is in having the line support the Ali Forney center and its efforts which are close to my heart.”

The “Pejic x Snyder” line is the latest jewelry collection from Sam H Snyder Design, the Pieces from the collection will be available in Silver, Palladium, 18k Gold, and Platinum.

- by Jonathan Cody

Pronovias presents the most classic and elegant styles, from long flowing gowns to shorter cut cocktail dresses. The more daring choices of the Fiesta collection feature sensual side slits and sexy mini-dresses that fit like a glove.

Always sophisticated and stylish, the Pronovias woman can choose between different kinds of flattering necklines including asymmetrical, one-shoulder, V-neck or strapless. More unique styles include jeweled halter dresses and crystal or pearl-embellished necklines that imitate a faux necklace.

The Pronovias woman can choose from an array of colors, most prominent is a signature shade of cherry, which contrasts with the collections’ pastel offerings in pink, lavender and beige. Pronovias of course offers the classic ‘little black dress,’ a piece whose style and simplicity make it a sure hit for any party.

www.pronovias.us/

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by Jonathan Cody

Photo credit: Sylvain Gaboury/PatrickMcMullan.com.

The exhibition includes iconic images of Kate Moss, Jean Paul Gaultier, Simon Doonan, and Naomi Campbell. Kicking off the holiday season, guests were treated to cocktails and holiday treats while bidding on luxury items from renowned brands and designers including Cynthia Rowley, Mara Hoffman, Lulu Guinness, Douglas Hannant, Nicholas Kirkwood, BCBG Max Azria, and Tod’s with the proceeds going to the cause.

Fashion photographer Roxanne Lowit introduced the night’s proceedings with notable guess included Dan Murphy, Joseph Parcon, Mario Loncarski, Kristen Blake, and Benedikt Angerer.

- Jonathan Cody

Introducing the Mackage x PurseBlog Nomad Bag

The brand name, also a part of the family tradition, was inspired by Eran’s niece’s mispronunciation of “maquillage”—the French word for makeup. The designers each infuse their personalities and unique vision into the design, resulting in a collection with great balance. The designers’ expertise of high quality leather is apparent in this new handbag, “Nomad.”

“We chose the name ‘Nomad’ because it’s a perfect travel companion. As someone who often finds herself in a new city, I realize how important it is to pack items that can transform as my day evolves,” says Mahoney Dusil. “Elisa, Eran and I designed the perfect accessory to accompany my readers and the Mackage consumer as they journey through their day.”

Having a great and functional bag should be an investment. These bags are crafted with the finest leather from Italy. As designers their message to the consumer is that you can have have both quality and functionality, and still have a strong artistic statement to compliment your outfit.

The soho boutique was rocking with amazing cocktails named with inspiration from the accessory line and tunes from Brendan Fallis! It was inspiring to see how both Elisa Dahan & Eran Elfassy have continued to strengthen there collection with the new addition of the Nomad hand bag. There leather handbags actually have a great price range from $ 300 -$700.

While speaking with designers on how they came up with the concept to launch an accessory that would fit well with their RTW line, they said “We wanted to make sure that our customer could easily, wear it cohesively with anything in our collection.” They did a great job of using quality finishes for the hardware. Every piece has this sense of craftsmanship and detail that is sure to take your Fall/Winter look from Day to Night.

Some of the notable attendees that came out for the celebration where Theophilus London, Brendan Fallis, Kat Dewling , Laura Okita, Adrienne Bailon, Dahan & Eran Elfassy, and Purseblog’s Meaghan Mahoney Dusil & Vladimir Dusil.

- Jonathan Cody

Phillip Lim & Maria Sharapova

The collection launches in stores on Sept. 15. The event also featured the reveal of “STYLESCAPE,” a larger-than-life interactive photography display that showcased the limited-edition collection as worn by style tastemakers across the U.S. and Canada.
This was such an amazing collaboration when Target partnered up with Phillip Lim to celebrate his chic , effortless and wearable aesthetic.

There’s no doubt that this limited-edition collection of apparel and accessories, including an assortment of bags, shoes and scarves, for women and men on-the-go will remain staples in your fall wardrobe.
The collection consist of more than 100 pieces which range in price from $19.99 to $299.99 for apparel and $19.99 to $59.99 for accessories, 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target will be available Sept. 15 at most Target stores and Target.com.

GO GRAB & GET IT BEFORE IT’s GONE!

Reported by Jonathan Cody
Photos by Neilson Barnard/WireImage.com

Phillip Lim

Jessica Alba (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Sweatshirt, Pants and Handbag)

Solange (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Blazer and Skirt)

Maria Sharapova (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Blouse and Skirt)

Emile Hirsch (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target T-Shirt, Pants and Sneakers)

Tao Okamoto (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for
Target Dress)

Jessica Alba, Phillip Lim & Solange

Alyssa Miller (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for
Target Dress)

George Kotsiopoulos (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Jacket)

Hannah Bronfman (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Blouse and Handbag)

Nate Berkus & Jeremiah Brent

Rachael Cairns & Natalia Kills (Both Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Dresses)

Jessica Alba, Emile Hirsch & Solange

Phillip Lim

Sebastian Perrin

Wynter Gordon

Julie Henderson

Rochelle Aytes

Keren Craig

The first timepiece introduced was a completely revamped G-SHOCK classic: the iconic 6900. Making this favorite almost 10% larger in size, the GDX6900 is mega and packed with G-SHOCK’s latest performance technologies; backed by spokesperson Brook Lopez. Expanding on their revolutionary Master of G collection, G-SHOCK introduced the Rangeman: a military inspired timepiece for first response professionals to truly master all natural elements. Baby-G stepped up its style with the chicest designs to date. Introduced by supermodel Jessica Stam, the fashionable BA110, BA111 and BA112 timepieces come in nine colorways and boast a layered 3D metallic face. Other announcements included the launch of the new 2nd Generation Bluetooth model, lightening yellow models, G-Aviation model and many more.

GD-X6900

Rangeman

The pinnacle of the event came as the highly anticipated new luxury timepieces from G-SHOCK were announced: the metal twisted MT-G  Collection. This game changer will reposition the G-SHOCK brand into a more premium space for the affluent consumer — the MT-G, Metal Twisted G-SHOCK collection is a completely new timepiece crafted at Casio’s advanced factory in Yamagata, Japan, for select premium styles. The MT-G is the epitome of modern wrist couture.

MTG-S1000D

Post press conference, press and guest were treated to hor d’ouers and cocktails. Starting at 9pm, guest enjoyed the DJ’ing skills of DJ Mick Boogie while celebrities such as Vincent Piazza,  Fabolous, Melanie Fiona, Paul Pierce, Adrienne Eliza Bailon, Stevie Williams, Jamie Burke, Cynthia Rowley, Rebecca Minkoff, Tom Murro, Tali Lennox, Andrej Pejic, Chris Meloni, Natasha Lyonne, Taryn Manning, Kelsey Rogers, Bob Gruen, Frank Grillo, Nigel Sylvester, Tiki Barber, Brad Richards, Joe Johnson, Doug E. Fresh, Eric LeGrand, Gabe Kling, Louie Vito, Rosie Perez, Eric Haze, Adam Sinn, Big Sean, Josh Hopkins, and Adam Driver from “Girls”  celebrated in VIP.

Happy 30th Anniversary G-Shock!