FASHION AND STYLE

Latest fashion news, shopping and beauty tips and more

Project Runway recap -- Joe wins, Daniel out

by Kim Crow/Style Editor

Wednesday August 20, 2008, 10:49 PM

BravoTV.comJoe wins the night and immunity for next week's contest, perhaps the first time that has been accomplished by a designer with a mullet and a middle part.

It was a quiplicious night on "Project Runway" when the 11 remaining designers were asked to design a look for a bevy of bodacious drag queens, one that expressed each lady's stage personna, as well as expressed their own creative voices.

BravoTV.comJoe's cute sailor-girl ensemble won raves from the judges for what it highlighted and what it hid, best summed up by RuPaul as "the candy."

These gals certainly weren't the docile SILENT models the designers are used to working with, those half-starved clothes hangers for their creative visions. No, these ladies were some mighty giant clients in personality and stature, not to mention fake boobs and eyelashes.

Super-suburban Joe rose wonderfully to the challenge, though he was clearly out of his element, not to mention his comfort zone. But not only did he design an impeccably fitted garment, a sassy "Ann-Margret goes on the Love Boat" pink sequin pantsuit, he listened to his client and adjusted it to better fit her own self-ideal. The same can't be said for Daniel, who touted his superior taste level yet again, but produced a merely pretty dress when over-the-top is what should have been on his tasting menu.

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Fashion Flash: A classic white suit can be a bargain

by Brenda Junkin

Wednesday August 20, 2008, 7:17 AM

Allison Carey/PD Christine Picard Bowers makes a stylish statement in white.

CHRISTINE PICARD BOWERS, 32, LYNDHURST

Hillary Clinton wears pantsuits, Marlene Dietrich wore trouser suits, and Cleveland's Christine Picard Bowers wears sleek, sophisticated white trouser suits.

It screams power, competence and ambition.

Picard Bowers, a business development manager at Calfee, Halter & Griswold in Cleveland, loves her smart, sophisticated suit.

"I wasn't looking for a white suit," she said. "I chose it because I think all-white looks striking and classic at the same time. As long as a suit is the right fit, it can be striking. A different cut and this suit wouldn't have looked right on me. It wasn't even on sale, which is what I look for when shopping. But I tried it on, the fit was perfect, I had to have it."

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Cleveland Fashion Calendar:

by Kim Crow/Style Editor

Wednesday August 20, 2008, 6:00 AM

Thursday-Sunday
Audrey's Sweet Threads, 28843 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere, will host a Donna Degnan trunk show. 10 a.m-7 p.m. Thursday, Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Call 216-831-8880.

Friday
Lush Boutique's grand opening at Eton Chagrin Boulevard, 28699 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Call 216-381-8888 or go to www.lushboutique.com.

Sunday-Saturday
Saks Fifth Avenue, Beachwood Place, 26100 Cedar Road. Designer Shoe and Handbag Focus Week. For more information or to make an appointment, call 216-292-5500, Ext. 380.

Information about Cleveland-area fashion events open to the public should be sent to: Kim Crow, Fashion Editor, The Plain Dealer, 1801 Superior Ave., Cleveland, OH 44114 or faxed to 216-999-5488. Items should be received at least two weeks before the event.

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Summertime tends to turn us into slobs at work

by Kim Crow/Style Editor

Tuesday August 19, 2008, 7:00 PM

Back in June, right before their summer break, third-graders on the West Side of Cleveland invited me to visit their classroom.

We had one of those routine, what-I-studied-in-school Q&A sessions -- I was starting to bore myself, I have to say -- and then one determined student asked for my opinion on school dress codes. I hesitated, mostly because I didn't keep on the path of the bad-guy wheezing speechmakers I remember so well from my own school days. So in my best politician manner, I asked what they thought about their school uniforms, which (if I remember correctly) were khaki pants or skirts topped with blue or white shirts.

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Cleveland style news

by Kim Crow/Style Editor

Tuesday August 19, 2008, 5:17 PM

Eco-chic fashion show

Dante Lucci Salon in Rocky River is planning a "360 Fashion Show," an eco-friendly event designed to raise money for Childhelp, an organization created for the prevention and treatment of child abuse.

During the event at 6 p.m. Sunday, the Dante Lucci staff will adorn models in environmentally friendly clothing, makeup and hair products. Wigs made of landfill materials; clothing, both vintage and recycled; and organic cottons from Green Clean will be featured. Euphor, a line of "green" hair products, also will be featured. The festivities will be held at the Wine Bar Rocky River (1313 Linda St.; 440-799-4300).

The $25 admission includes an "eco-tini" from 360 Vodka, munchies, goodie bags, the fashion show and more. All ticket proceeds benefit the cause. Call 440-331-7222 for tickets and more information.

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The Itlist, Aug. 20

by kcrow

Tuesday August 19, 2008, 5:05 PM

A new hair religion

Regardless of the weather, you always want your hair to be your best accessory, right? To that end, the British-based GHD (Good Hair Day)[swa: cq: ] company has got us covered. We tried -- and loved -- the ceramic infrared flat irons, which smooth and condition locks of all types, including very curly, unrelaxed African-American hair. The irons [tfo: (what GHD calls them) : ]lock in moisture and deflect humidity, making it look like you have a hairstylist on call daily. Irons start at $195. Go to www.ghdhair.com/us/ to buy online or to find a store location.

-- Tia Fountain, The Plain Dealer

Having deep-set lids, I am generally not an eye-shadow person, but Stila's Backstage Beauty palettes have me reconsidering. The three palettes are inspired by looks the company's makeup artists did for New York runway shows in February. The palettes are gorgeous three-packs of complementing smoky eye shades, combined with an onyx eyeliner, all wrapped up in a lovely leatherlike case tied with a leather rose-bedecked ribbon. $40 at Sephora stores.

-- Kim Crow, PD Style Editor

Susan Smith, owner and buyer for Fibres Boutique in Woodmere, was inspired by a column we wrote a few weeks ago on preventing foot blisters to share her own tip. "We have the perfect solution for your readers -- Save My Feet Blister Elixir. Many customer testimonials and my own personal use can attest to the value of this amazing product. I do not really understand what makes it work, but after many, many 8-10 hour days of walking at trade shows, I can truly say it saved my feet!" It's $25 at the store, located at Eton Chagrin Boulevard, 28699 Chagrin Blvd, Woodmere; 216-831-4875.

Reader panel review

"I have always shied away from lip glosses because of how sticky they can be -- especially on windy days, when it becomes a hair-meets-lips story. That said, Her Glossiness is really a fine product. At first, the colors frightened me. Then I realized that their names and indeed, actual color in the tubes, have no bearing on what they look like when applied. For instance, 'Next Question Please' is a lovely neutral shade on the lips, and 'Kiss You' may be bright lavender in the tube, but it's sheer when applied. I would recommend Her Glossiness to anyone who enjoys a subtle shine to their lips without a lot of sticky gloss."

-- Barbara M. Norris, 54, Olmsted Township

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Fashion Week SS09 preview: Lyn Devon

by Kim Crow/Style Editor

Tuesday August 19, 2008, 3:29 PM

New York Fashion Week kicks off Sept. 5; our favorite designers give us a preview of their thoughts for Spring/Summer 2009:

Lyn Devon says one of her inspirations for her spring collection is this "very natural, effortless, real" portrait of Lee Radziwill, taken by Andy Warhol, from Radziwill's book "Happy Times."

Inspiration: "Spring 2009 is about the woman who embodies the ingenuity of American sportswear. She effortlessly mixes elements -- menswear-inspired tailoring with feminine silk dressing, energetic color with tempered neutrals -- in a style that is impromptu, confident, and entirely her own.

Devon's philosophy: "I design with the needs of my customer in mind. She wants fashion, but she values practicality and invests in clothing that speaks to her uncomplicated perspective on dressing."

Learn more: www.lyndevon.com

Where to buy: The retailer closest to Cleveland is the chic Helen Yi boutique in Chicago, 1645 North Damen, 773-252-3838.

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Face-lifts give way to plumping cheek fillers

by Evelyn Theiss/Plain Dealer Reporter

Tuesday August 19, 2008, 2:50 PM

Roadell Hickman/The Plain DealerDarcy Providence of Lyndhurst's yoga-toned figure is complemented by a full, youthful face made possible in part to injectables.

Catherine Deneuve once made a now-famous declaration that women over 40 have to choose between their fanny or face.

She didn't say fanny exactly, but you get the point. If you keep your body in fighting trim, your face probably will be gaunt. If you stay plump enough for your face to remain full, your derriere won't be your best asset.

But women today -- actresses and celebrities in particular, but not exclusively -- are making clear they will not choose. They want a lean body plus the fuller face of a younger woman.

Plastic surgeons and dermatologists are calling this the "new" face of rejuvenation -- an approach that adds volume to the face instead of the traditional methods of face-lifts.

"You don't want to change your looks," says Dr. Anthony Griffin, director of the Beverly Hills Cosmetic Surgery Institute. "And actresses and celebrities really don't want to do that, though some inadvertently have.

"Face-lifts make the face tighter, and when you pull on the skin, it gets flatter. You don't look like yourself anymore. Some actresses we've seen pictures of have had disastrous results."

Griffin didn't name names, but compare how different celebrities such as Faye Dunaway, Jessica Lange and Cher look now than in their youth, no matter the tautness of their current skin.

You be the judge on the kind of work -- if any -- they've had done.

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