NYC Prep Handbags? When Pink & Green Isn’t Pretty

Hello-Hello everyone, it is another stellar day here in The Great Midwest, we hope all of our friends in the southeast have a respite from their weird weather soon!

We have a couple of quick ‘hit-and-split’ items today as it is our heavy volunteer duty afternoon.  We begin with a mournful SOTT (Sign Of The Times) that took us quite by surprise.

Courtesy The Shophound

Not that TP isn’t generally fond of the color combination seen above, but in this case the pink and green signs carry sad news: Beau Brummel is closing their New York store. While carrying more European styles than those of the kind TSU (The Spousal Unit, aka The Consort) would wear, we are still glum to see the shop departing.  For anyone interested in picking over the bones in some great bargains, the price points are now discounted by 75% according to this story over at the Shophound.

We are far more despondent about the recent news Smith and Hawken is shuttering all of their 56 locations; the upscale garden stores are holding going out of business sales with most merchandise marked down by 20%, furniture by 30%.

If clicking on the link to their website, one sees their eloquent farewell:

There’s no word on what this means for the Smith and Hawken line at Target. For more details we suggest this story at the Dallas Morning News

Sniff.

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Another interesting fashion tidbit about the Wretched-Show-We’ve-Never-Seen: there are now handbags created for Bravo’s NYC Prep television program. Below, the Kelli bag as carried by the Kelli character on the show.

Courtesy Bravo & Kooba via Luxist

A better look at the bag from Kooba.

Courtesy Bravo & Kooba

One may order the bags via Bravo or Kooba. There are also bags for Camille, Jessie and Taylor. (These are other primary characters on the quasi-reality show allegedly portraying the lives of preppy kids on the UES.) If shopping for the bags on Kooba however, be advised they do not have the names of their characters. For example, the bag carried by Kelli is actually named the Kristie.

Below, the Jessie aka Blake bag from Kooba.

Courtesy ShopBravo.com

Are we the only ones finding it rather odd one of the four bags in the NYC Prep line is named Blair? (For those not really fans of Gossip Girl, one of the lead female characters is named Blair Waldorf.) Why would there be a purse in the NYC Prep line with the same name as a primary Gossip Girl character?

We’re guessing that despite the “designed exclusively for Bravo’ language these are pre-existing Kooba styles.

Courtesy Bravo & Kooba

The bags are priced at $595.  FYI, we are not negative about the marketing minds that came up with such a creative cross-channel tie-in. To the contrary, in many ways it is marketing brilliance; we simply question how many fans of the show can actually afford one of the Koba purses.

Below, a photo yesterday of the Blair character just mentioned, as played by G2 actress Leighton Meester while she was shooting a scene in the city with co-star Ed Westwick.

Courtesy Just Jared

We had to share the cute dress seen in this photo of Miss MeesterAnother photo of Ms. Underwood, also sehot on location yesterday. (One can see costar Blake Lively behind Ms. Meester.)

NOTE: TP is committing the ultimate in hypocrisy by being such a crankenstein regarding NYC Prep (and on occasion Gossip Girl), having never seen either program. Why is this hypocritical?

Because for lo-those-many-years in television TP (and The Consort at times) wailed and whined about individuals calling the television station to voice complaints about programs or stories that had not yet aired. (Despite directing others to cease any complaining about said calls.) A common response was “But sir, how can you know you won’t like the _________ if you haven’t seen it?!”

(For anyone wondering, posing what may sound like a logical question to the caller rarely helped. Presumption of rational thought processes on the part of most individuals calling TV stations is not wise.)

At most stations the Programming department handled the bulk of the calls, but if it was a news story (heaven forbid), folks dialed directly into the newsroom. We would repeat the same mantra about “How can…” in these cases, only we were likely to be a bit more terse. (“Likely?”)

Thus our relentless whining comments about the two shows mentioned above are really beyond the pale.

We do not apologize.

But everyone knows the Princess is generally a happy soul; any momentary trips into the UCCZ (Uncommonly Courmudgeonly Conduct Zone) should be regarded as rare and isolated incidents demonstrative of TP’s old age, lacking in any value whatsoever.

We’re almost out the door, may everyone have a simply splendid rest of their Tuesday!

More Election Fashions Including Michelle Obama’s $10,000 Earrings, Sneak Peek at Thakoon for Target, Preppy Updates

It is Friday, and what a magnificent thing that is… sigh. “And visions of bubble-baths danced in her head…”

We start with more photos from Election Night in response to the ongoing inquiries we are receiving related to Cindy McCain’s dress (a suit), as well as Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin’s apparel.

PHOTO: Jim Bourg/Reuters

There isn’t really loads more to report.  However, we can share new information regarding the future First Lady’s earrings on Tuesday night, hopefully seen in the photographs that follow.  (We do apologize in advance for their large size; clearly we are trying to show those beautiful earrings!)

PHOTO: Morry Gash/AP

They are by Loree Rodkin, crafted of white gold and diamonds. UPI spoke with Ms. Rodkin about Ms. Obama wearing her design election night:

“Loree Rodkin, a Los Angeles-based designer of expensive jewelry, said she was surprised and pleased to see Obama wearing her earrings. Rodkin said the design retails for $10,275 a pair — and were not a loan.”

PHOTO: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty

The earrings look light and lacy, and very feminine, stunning on Ms. Obama.  In the online bio at her website the designer is described:

“…known for her noncomformist visionary approach to jewelry making…. has designed jewelry for most of Hollywood’s brightest stars including Madonna, Mary J. Blige, Cher, Aerosmith…”

According to the Browns Fashion website, the earrings are available for ordering now, if one is so inclined:

Courtesy Browns Fashion

If interested in purchasing the earrings, one must email Browns, they are not currently available on the site.

Here is a photo someone named Diablo Cody (?) in what is a similar style if the skull and crossbones are removed:

 

A Loree Rodkin ad from May, 2008:

 

TheEssentialist.com

For a good look at the designer’s work, try these items at Glimpse, or the selection at Blue Bee.  It would seem from surveying a variety of retailers and other sites that a fair amount of Ms. Rodkin’s work is done using images of skulls, daggers, and other “goth” (?) motifs. (Is that the term…?) Here is the designer in a press photo:

 

Courtesy Loree Rodkin

Our journalism background requires us to point out that Cindy McCain received substantial criticism for wearing diamond earrings at the Republican Convention valued at $280,000. A popular magazine estimated them to be 3 carats in size; the report was not confirmed or denied.

Today the Obamas attended a parent-teacher conference in Chicago:

PHOTO: John Gress/Reuters

Otherwise, the onslaught of newsprint and airwaves devoted to the Narciso Rodriguez dress worn by Ms. Obama election night continues to grow.

Back to the continuing questions here at the Prepatorium regarding Cindy McCain and Sarah Palin and their election night dresses.  Actually, neither wore a dress; they both were attired in what TP would call a “cocktail suit.” (Oh dear, that may reveal a bit too much information regarding our age, shall we say. There you have it.) And here we have the photo:

PHOTO: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Ms. Palin’s dark navy suit is by Tahari, and we have lots more information on it as well as several more photos, here at Wednesday’s “extended election night fashions” post.  That post reveals the only store where the navy color is available.

A reminder on the Michelle Obama book, the biography by WaPo reporter Lisa Mundy; reports indicate it is selling fast; why this would surprise anyone is beyond us.

LizaMundy.com

Readers may remember hearing about Target’s upcoming collection by Thakoon Panichgul, a designer Michelle Obama has worn several times. We have early photos showing some of the designs thanks to the always on top of things people at Nylon magazine.

 

As detailed in a previous post, this is one of a handful of designers favored by Michelle Obama. The collection is due to debut at the retailer on Christmas Day.

 

The pieces look very beachy, ideal for one’s resort wardrobe over the winter holidays. And that is perfect as the collection debuts in the middle of winter, on Christmas Day. That seems rather odd, doesn’t it?

The coat won’t work on an elderly prep like TP (sniff), but it will look darling on most anyone else.

 

Prices for the pieces will range from $20 to $70.  Also to debut On Christmas Day, the Erickson-Beamon for Target Collection, another line Ms. Obama is seen wearing. Here is a preview picture of what to expect, courtesy of the oh-so-hip Nitrolicious.

 

Courtesy Nitrolicious.com

Erickson-Beamon has already collaborated with a retailer, Urban Outfitters.  That line is available in the UK at the Kensington High Street and Oxford Street stores, as well as at the UK online site. Below, their Crystal Cube Necklace from that line:

 

Erickson-Beamon for Urban Outfitters UK

If the subject of designer collaborations with Target sounds slightly familiar, perhaps it is because just this Tuesday we talked about the surprise announcement of Target’s upcoming line with edgy designer Alexander McQueen.  We now have a date for that collection to be available: March 1st, 2009. If seeking more information and photos showing multiple pieces from each designer, this post is fairly comprehensive, albeit in a bloggage sort of way.

We close with few quick hits on preppy goings-on …

• Talbots has confirmed they are selling J. Jill
• the oh-so-stylish Third Coast Preppy found this fun article about the Lilly Pulitzer exhibit that opened at the New School for Design at Parsons
• Online shopping is now available at Lilly Pulitzer! FULL DISCLOSURE: An awesome preppy blogger discovered this outstanding information, and we cannot remember who it was, but they deserve the credit, not us. (If you know, please let us know so they might be properly thanked
  • NOTE: We owe our thanks to the incredibly gifted Teddi, as we read about this in her superb blog, Jewish Girl in WASP’s Clothing.  🙂
• The über-preppy television show known as Gossip Girl has another star landing a big endorsement opportunity: Ed Westwick (who plays Chuck Bass) is the new face for K-Swiss. Below, the actor shooting in New York Thursday:
  

And a reminder to enter our Great Preppy Giveaway Contest by leaving a comment telling us one thing you are thankful for related to America …one thing about the United States for which you are thankful. Remember, if you mention this contest on your blog, you are then eligible to send the snappy Madras photocards to a friend! And the best part of this?  It is all free! Here is a quick glance at the Primary Prize, the Scout Tote:

Bungalow Scout Tote

And here are the Holly House Madras photocards, also from the Preppy Princess store.

Holly House Photocards at PreppyPrincess.com

For all of the details and information, just click here.

Have a splendid weekend!

Preppy Manny Ramirez?!? Who are Michael Phelps Favorite Designers?

Regular readers know what a baseball fan The Princess is, and won’t be surprised to learn she is watching playoff games when she should be working while simultaneously working very hard for the Preppy Princess. She wastes countless hours occasionally scans a headline or two about the sport; imagine her surprise upon reading this in a Sports Illustrated story about superstar Manny Ramirez:

“Manny Ramirez looked jarringly preppy in a gray, argyle-style V-neck as he stood outside the Dodgers clubhouse not long after his Game 1 destruction of the Cubs in the NLDS last week.”

PHOTO: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty

Manny Ramirez? Preppy? Methinks not. This is an extraordinarily gifted athlete best described as a baseball savant, to modify a term in the story. Part of what makes Manny “Manny” is the hair.

PHOTO: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty

“He didn’t look like his rumpled on-field self at all: He was polished, with dreads cut neatly. And then it happened … his inner Mr. Magoo materialized. Manny emerged in a corridor of Wrigley Field, but he wasn’t looking for the Dodgers’ team bus. He wanted a taxi to take him wherever Manny likes to go — outer space, perhaps.”

We’re struggling to remember the last time we saw hair like this on anyone described as “preppy,” although it is actually clear in the story the author doesn’t think he is either.  Manny is a lot things, many of them good, some not-so-wonderful, but preppy is not one of them.

After our recent post all about cardigan sweaters we could hardly omit sharing this one, sported by Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick, otherwise known as Chuck Bass.

TP thinks it is this one from Brooks Brothers:

A friend who struggles with the fact we don’t watch the show is constantly tormenting us with updates and the weekly plot synopsis of the upcoming episode. We have to admit Monday’s show title is really very clever: “New Haven Can Wait.” One of the funnier things in the upcoming episode has to be “Chuck’s” kidnapping, hypothetically carried out by Skull and Bones members while visiting Yale. Honestly.

We are trying to decide if it is a sign of advancing age that we aren’t crazy about Taylor Momsen’s look seen during Friday’s shoot …

PHOTO: Splashnews

Or her photo spread in the next issue of Crash magazine…

It just all looks a little, well, unnecessary. We didn’t realize she played “Cindy Lou Who” in the “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” but after thinking about it we definitely see the resemblance.  Sadly, we had the same reaction to the dress (nightie?) worn by Blake Lively, who plays Serena van der Woodsen on the über-hot show.

PHOTO: Le Poulin/Splash News

Another silly Sunday tidbit: Michael Phelps has more than one favorite designer.  In speaking with the good folks at NY magazine the Olympic star said he considers Giorgio Armani and Diesel.

PHOTO: Mike Stobe/Getty

Of course he also includes Lacoste among his first-string, although we have never been able to confirm the fashion  house is an official sponsor, as Speedo is. And when asked about going to Fashion Week next time around?

“…we asked if Phelps got invited to Fashion Week. “I have no idea if I did or not. I’m not sure where I was at that point, but I was traveling and I was super busy.” But if the designers in Paris had invited him to the shows, he so would have gone! “I’ll go anywhere. I’ll go enjoy myself. Come on — it’s fun going to those things…”

One heads-up for anyone still interested in the Phelps Phans tee-shirts we mentioned in a post back in August: they are gone.  Apparently the phrenzy is either over or just too much to keep up with, we’re not sure.

And with that we say ta-ta for now.