Ladies Who Lunch; NY Fashion Week Douglas Hannant Spring 2012

Do you love the China Club?  Not the cheesy one in Midtown Manhattan, but the posh one in Hong Kong.  Never been there?  That's ok, Douglas Hannant brought the glamor and elegance of 1930's Shanghai to the famed New York Plaza Thursday.

The designer did not use obvious Chinoiserie motifs in the clothes.  Instead, he evoked the atmosphere of the era in the bamboo backdrop.  The silhouettes were modern updates of classic silhouettes as seen in the gowns, sheaths and suits.  Mr. Hannant used the most luxurious fabrics available.

Douglas Hannant doesn't pander to Hollywood or red carpet dressing.  He prefers to concentrate on dressing his loyal clientele of socialites and grande ladies of the city.  His boutique is nestled right next to the famous Warren Tricomi salon at the Plaza.  Edward  Tricomi of the salon explained his direction for the styling was for classic hairstyles updated with extra volume and crimping.


Stay tuned to Ladies Who Lunch for upcoming Video and Interviews!

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Reported by Mariana Leung of MsFABulous.com

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Ladies Who Lunch: NY Fashion Week Betsey Johnson Spring 2012!

The Betsey Johnson show is one I most look forward to every season. Is it the fond memories of college? Or the fact that these are clothes I fantasized about wearing as an adult when I was eight years old?  I wasn't alone in this anticipation as other female photographers in the pit with me had the same giddyness prior to the show.  Whatever the reason, Betsey Johnson represents fun, flirty femmes.

For Spring 2012, our ageless Betsey sent some Punk/Goth Lolitas with a tongue-in-cheek take on skulls and bones. There were duo-sided skull prints, anatomically correct embroidered rib cage corsets and romantic floral skeleton prints.  Black and zippered tops and dresses.  Super bright pouf dresses were mixed with English garden rose prints in flowing long gowns. 

The models were sassy, curvy and had a naughty attitude about them that told the men in the audience who was in charge.  Bright red lips with curls styled to the side had a hint of burlesque beauty. 

Flamboyant fashion personalities Nicki Minaj and Johnny Weir sat front row to enjoy the festivities.  Of course, no show without Betsey's finale cartwheel, which she did (at age 70) and even ended with split.  She also gave credit to her daughter who more or less runs the 'bones' of the operation these days.

Always a party, models came out with big metallic balloons to celebrate the collection at the end.

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Reported by Mariana Leung of MsFABulous.com

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Ladies Who Lunch: Michelle Obama in Byron Lars!

At the recent 9/11 Memorial presentation, First Lady Michelle Obama wore a beautiful Byron Lars dress!  Appropriate for the gravity of the situation and still completely fashionably on target.


Today is the day that the much anticipated Byron Lars Beauty Mark digital presentation of his Spring 2012 Collection will become available for viewing!  As a long time fan, I for one am chomping at the bit to see it.


In preparation of the release, we met with Byron Lars to get the full scoop on the presentation!  So keep tuned into Ladies Who Lunch and MsFABulous.com for the digital presentation with interview that will be coming out soon!


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Ladies Who Lunch: Bad Girls!

Psychiatrist Dr. Carole Lieberman is not only a 3 time Emmy Award winner and TV and Radio commentator on shows like Oprah, but she is also a best selling author.

We met Dr. Carole at the Andrew Weiss Gallery in Beverly Hills, where she was reading from her new book “Bad Girls: Why Men Love Them and How Good Girls Can Learn Their Secrets”.

The Andrew Weiss Gallery has one of the largest collections of original Marilyn Monroe photographs in the world, making it the perfect place for Dr. Carole to address the Topic of Marilyn Monroe was she a Bad Girl or Just Misunderstood.

Dr. Lieberman also shared with us her collection of lingerie that had belonged to Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, and the dress that helped Kate Middleton become a princess!

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Ladies Who Lunch: The Orchid Boutique End of Summer Sale!

Labor Day always signals to me the end of Summer, but Fall officially began today September 23rd.  Time to feel the chill, smell that particular Fall smell in the air and break out the sweaters and scarves!!

But for those living in the sun belt, thinking ahead to that winter break in the Caribbean, this is the time to buy hot swimsuits while they are on sale!


The Orchid Boutique is having its "End of Summer Swim Sale" right now with a reduction of 30% to 70% on designer swimwear from L'Space, Vix, Maaji, Aqua Bendita, Betsey Johnson, Badgley Mischka, Sabz, Salinas and more!  With over 288 items on sale, from bikinis, monokinis, cover-ups, beach bags and other accessories, this is THE time to shop for beach and poolside wear!

As an extra bonus, if you find an item discounted lower at another online store, The Orchid Boutique will match the price!

Happy Shopping!


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Ladies Who Lunch: NY Fashion Week Zang Toi Spring 2012!

Dreaming of Marrakech. Malaysian designer Zang Toi was inspired by a journey to North Africa for his Spring 2012 collection. He took influences from the desert for the rich browns and the deep sapphire blue from the night sky. There were a few djeballa type silhouettes included as a nod to traditional Moroccan attire. There were gold appliques in motifs inspired by Moroccan architecture that adorned gowns and capes.

Besides travel muses, the collection was, as always, pure luxury. Zang Toi always chooses the most posh of silks and other fabrics. Every look exudes elegance and sophistication. There were a few cream and black ensembles appropriate for the day that were beautiful, but the guests here reserve their applause for his big gowns.

Kirstie Alley, most recently a favorite on Dancing with the Stars walked out as a Diva of Lincoln Center in the show finale. The burly guys of the photographers pit had been taking bets on her shape and size prior to the show, so it was satisfying to see her look gorgeous.

The ever charming Mr. Toi gave the Ms.FAB team an exclusive interview, our video will be up soon...

Photos by Mariana Leung

Reported by Mariana Leung of MsFABulous.com

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Ladies Who Lunch: LACOSTE Debuts LA MACHINE & Fragrance Launch

The little crocodile invaded Grand Central Station.  I'm not talking about an urban legend about Manhattan sewers.  Iconic brand Lacoste threw a fun soiree to celebrate their fragrances, Blanc, Vert and Bleu, as well as introduce their social media installation, La Machine.

The fragrances were inspired by the brand's signature colors.  Co-ordinating cocktails were created to fete the scents.  Lacoste's marketing director spoke about the project and actor Max Minghella declared his (personally purchased) love of the brand.  Fans and dancers performed for the crowd in an enthusiastic dance before the unveiling of the "Machine". 

While the installation was an impressive piece of art, I was still left in the dark on how the piece was interactive.  Names were projected onto the piece from their Facebook fans, and it claimed to turn a shirt into perfume.  I did see a hydraulic shelf bring a shirt up and down, while another shelf had a fragrance product on it, but didn't move.

The surprise guests of the night were Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in great form.  It was a fun musical tribute to the time when Lacoste was in it's glory in the 1980's before it's resurgence again in recent years.

See the installation below:

Reported by Mariana Leung of MsFABulous.com

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Ladies Who Lunch: Boardwalk Empire!

On September 25th, the much anticipated new season of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire will begin!

An astounding cast, excellent scripts and involvement with Martin Scorcese are not the only draws to this series!  Set in 1920’s Atlantic City, the costuming of Boardwalk Empire is extremely important.  Costume designers John Dunn and Lisa Padovani have meticulously recreated the era and brought the characters to life with their brilliant designs.

Recent winners of the Costume Designers Guild’s award for Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series and Emmy nominees for Outstanding Costumes for a Series, we were lucky to sit down with the prolific designers in their Brooklyn costume shop to talk about the show, the costumes and how they get their inspiration!

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Ladies Who Lunch: NY Fashion Week Diane von Furstenberg 2012!

 The iconic designer and head of CFDA, Diane Von Furstenburg presented one of the most talked about fashion shows so far.  She sent lots of brightly printed large florals down the runway. The designer also showed sold separates in beige, lemon yellow and pops of turquoise blue.  The prettiest pieces were the shimmering pastel day to evening looks.  There was a iridescent print used in 1960's silhouette dresses, embroidered sweaters, tops and sheaths.  The rolled neck on many looks were also quite retro.

The beauty styling was reminiscent of vintage Hitchcock leading ladies with elegant bouffant hair and ladylike pink lips.

Handbags were multiple variations of the envelope clutch.  Some were solid, some were color-blocked.  A few were produced to match the prints of the clothes.  

Fabulous four, Rachel Zoe, husband Rodger Berman, PR maven Lorenzo Martone, model

In a touching finale, Diane Von Furstenburg acknowledged the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by handing out American flags to guests along the runway.  I love the hug and kiss she gave designer Valentino when she saw him (below).

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Reported by Mariana Leung of MsFABulous.com

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