Socialites Needed, & That Superior Preppy Mansion Can Be Yours

Hello-Hello, happy middle of the week to everyone, we’re so glad you popped in for a visit. Today we have a tidbit about the need for ‘socialites’. (Ahem.)

We’re talking about a casting call for TV’s Royal Pains, the show is looking for some extras in the Hamptons, Guest of a Guest has more:

Royal Pains is looking for extras for the show’s fourth season, and they’re bringing their search to the Hamptons.

Royal Pains/USA Network

The show follows a doctor in the Hamptons who makes house calls, it is a comedy airing on USA network, entering its fourth season.  Patch.com reports a casting company is going to be in Westhampton and Southampton. If interested, you’ll need to have the appropriate clothing to pull off the chi-chi look producers are going for, the story says they want:

“people with the affluent look and the wardrobe to portray the high-society Hamptons elite.”

More specifically, Grant Wilfley Casting wants:

“Both union and non-union actors…to portray Hamptonites, socialites, model-types, “ladies-who-lunch,” beach-goers, yachtsman, golfers, tennis players, owners of ultra high-end cars, bankers, brokers, doctors, nurses, orderlies, EMTs and attractive party goers.”

Below we see a still from Season 2.

USA via TV Equals

The show stars Mark Feuerstein as Dr.Hank Lawson.

USA Network via FanPop

The Patch story points out the show has shot on location previously; below we see filming last April.

Paul Robinson via Patch

Back to the casting call, here is a little more detail from the casting company, my favorite is the final bullet point, something of a BYOC (bring your own car) request.

• Hamptons locals for work on Monday, April 30 in Westhampton;
• Upscale Hamptonites for work in Southhampton on May 10;
• physically-fit people to run a muddy obstacle course/marathon (must be ok getting muddy and being chased);
• people to play Zombies (must be OK wearing zombie make-up, getting muddy, and chasing people);
• expert/professional pool players for photodouble work (5′8 or 5′10 Caucasian men);
• SAG/AFTRA members with ultra high-end luxury cars (please note make, model, year and color).

Wondering how it works if you’re chosen? Brendan O’Reilly’s story offers this insight:

Extras are typically treated to breakfast and lunch. During filming in Southampton Village in April 2011, the production set up base camp at the Coopers Beach parking lot, with trailers and a heated tent. The call time was 7 a.m., and extras were required to have their schedule free for the entire day — if someone has to run out in the middle of the day it could ruin a scene’s continuity.

We have had friends who have been an extra for a show or film, and they enjoyed it. The consensus seems to be if you do it for a day or two it is fun, longer than that and it became a touch tedious.

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Our other snippet today is about the “Superior Preppy Mansion” as described by the good folks at Curbed.com.

Curbed.com

The house was originally built around 1700, more on its the late Ambassador Francis L. Kellogg from Curbed’s story:

Educated at Choate and Princeton, Kellogg established himself as a fixture on the New York social scene, wedding department store heiress Fernanda Wanamaker Munn, before divorcing and marrying Mercedes Tavacoli, now better known as Mercedes Bass…. sailed in seven Newport-to-Bermuda yacht races, claimed ties to the Central Intelligence Agency, and, in his spare time, “raised miniature Dexter cattle, aquatic birds and exotic chickens” at Mill Pond Farm, this 25-acre estate in Westchester County.

Curbed.com

Back to the Curbed piece:

The main house, painted a most preppy shade of pink with green shutters, measures 4,500 square feet, with five bedrooms and five baths. Originally built circa 1700, the house was added on to by the venerable architecture firm of McKim, Mead, & White and decorated by none other than Billy Baldwin.

While it’s not necessarily what we would term ‘pretty’ per se, we’ll still make it today’s Pretty in Pink. The house can be yours for $5.9 million, click here for more.

Hamptons Shopping Update & YSL’s Nautical Look

Happy Friday everyone, it is delightful to be contemplating a weekend after only four ‘office days,’ no?

We share more Friday Fun today, beginning with some updates for anyone planning a little playtime in the Hamptons this summer.  There are many additions to the retail landscape, with several stores recently opening or about to open, including Crewcuts by J. Crew (inside the existing Crew store), Restoration Hardware and Steven Alan, all in East Hampton.

There are also many seasonal shops, including pop-ups from both Sam Edelman and Stuart Weitzman, as well as Trina Turk and Lacoste. It’s TBD whether Lacoste’s new home will become a permanent fixture or just a summer shop, obviously we’re hoping for the former.

Via Guest of a Guest

Lacoste actually has a line of Hamptons Bags, below we show the Tote.

MacKenzie-Childs has opened its new Southampton store, not far from Vineyard Vines.  Also adding an East End outpost, The Black Dog, long a Princess favorite.

Via The Black Dog Facebook

In addition to all of the standard Black Dog fabulosity, the Southampton store will carry several lines specific to its locale, including Ella Vickers recycled sailcloth totes.

The Black Dog via the NY Times

This weekend and next week bring more openings, including a new Bond No. 9 store in Sag Harbor.

Courtesy Photo

It makes sense, considering the firm does market a ‘Hamptons’ fragrance, as well as a ‘Montauk’ scent.

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Regular readers know we have been loathe to spend much time looking at the fall fashion collections, let alone the resort/cruise lines that have been showing in New York the last two weeks.  Spring has just been too slow in coming this year, and in many cases when it did arrive it came with deadly, destructive force, leaving us eager to simply revel in a few days of warm, sunny skies and gentle breezes. Contemplating a future need for heavier, warmer garments just hasn’t been on the radar. Until now.

Mimi Ritzen Crawford/Vogue

Today we make an exception, sharing a few pieces from the Yves Saint Laurent 2012 Resort collection.

Mimi Ritzen Crawford/Vogue.com

The entire line carried a strong nautical vibe (sometimes overly so) in seagoing colors and details, as well as bright florals reminiscent of island tides.

Mimi Ritzen Crawford for Vogue.com

Very bright, very fun, perfect for a beachy escape.

Today’s final note consists of exciting news here at the Prepatorium, in the form of an announcement from our friends at Clairebella, they are officially Greek licensed!

That means very shortly we’ll be offering Clairebella’s wonderful accessories personalized with your favorite Greek organization.

Clairebella

May you enjoy a delicious weekend, marked by relaxation and good times.

“Ultimate Luxury Beauty Brand” Coming to Targét

Hello-Hello!

Because things are a tad busy here at the Prepatorium, we have a dribs and drabs kind of post, lots of unrelated tidbits with the only underlying theme being a hope readers might find one/some/any moderately interesting.

We jump right in with word about Frédéric Fekkai:

“In a further sign of the tectonic shift taking place in the beauty world, Frédéric Fekkai, one of the ultimate luxury beauty brands ever to hit Fifth Avenue, is headed for Walgreens.”

And also to Targét, according to this story in Friday’s Women’s Wear Daily, that is where the quote shown above above comes from.

Courtesy Fekkai via WWD

It seems not everyone is pleased by the news:

“And the fallout has already begun: Sephora immediately said it will drop the line.”

Currently sold in upscale locales like Saks and Neimans, Andrea Nagel’s story says both Target and Walgreens are among mass retailers expected to carry the line. If you have already been buying premium hair products at Target, look for something about the launch in your mailbox:

“These customers are set to receive direct mailers just prior to launch which have been designed to “introduce” the shopper to the Fekkai brand…”

The mailers will include samples. The products are already shown on Target’s site, with a February 21st date for availability; pre-ordering is possible. (One interesting note: many sites show Target as already carrying some Fekkai.)

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Some may remember this post taking a quick glance at the new OlsenBoye line for JC Penney from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Nylon has more photos of upcoming pieces, and while the line doesn’t really speak to a prep look, we thought a few items merited sharing, for a variety of reasons.

Courtesy Photo via Nylon

We thought some might like the blazer shown above, not yet available on the Penney’s web site.  It seems logos are definitely part of the line’s look.

The distressed flannel shirt is one of the items currently available for purchase.

This next piece surprised us.

Courtesy photo via NylonMag.com

Why? It seems to bear an uncanny resemblance to this spring’s homage to Stephen Sprouse for Vuitton, designed by Marc Jacobs.

The Olsens generally show more savvy than that exhibited in the tee’s design.

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Good news for those of us who share blind adoration a fondness for Mad Men: the cult hit received multiple Golden Globe nominations today, including Best Drama, as well as Best Acting nods for Don and Betty, January Jones and Jon Hamm (seen below with Tina Fey at the Emmys in September.)

Mark J. Terrill/AP

Time magazine ranked the show as the best television show of the decade in a recent story.

BTW, if looking for interesting work:

“… AMCtv.com is currently looking for one or two Mad Men Moderators as well as a number of Senior Talk Forum Members who would post relevant topics, guide conversations, and share thought-provoking insights on the show and its talented cast and crew.

Click here for more information.

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Finally, for those interested in the Hamptons, we have a real estate opportunity.

Courtesy Sotheby's

Tory Burch has listed her home in Southampton; she is asking $17.9 million.  Ms. Burch is moving nearby, so have no fear about there being a roof over her head.  The existing residence is rumored to have significant water damage; the new owner is actually getting pre-approved plans for a new structure.

Courtesy Sotheby's

Here is the Sotheby’s listing and here is the WSJ story.

Until next time!

Blake Lively + Tory Burch = ???

Hello-Hello everyone!

We jump right in today, as we’re leaning towards the possibility of a ‘hit and split’ as it were, meaning something akin to a poorly constructed post with even less import than one generally finds in these quarters! Hee-hee!

As we careen ever-closer to the season premieres of several television programs even TP is amazed at the volume of press devoted to same! (Ummm… this post and countless others would be called…??? Quite.)  This morning we noticed a story in WWD (Women’s Wear Daily, subscription req’d.) about fashion designers making cameo appearances on season 3 of Gossip Girl:

PHOTO: Giovanni Rufino / The CW

As you can surmise from the photograph above showing actress Blake Lively arm-in-arm with designer Tory Burch, Ms. Burch will be seen on the show this fall. In fact, word has it a special set was constructed to look like the inside of the designer’s office.

Also making an appearance on G2, designer and actress Georgina Chapman, half of the Marchesa label. Readers may have seen her in The Nanny Diaries or perhaps Factory Girl.  The WWD story shares a bit more about the designers-on-tv phenomenon:

“This isn’t the first time “Gossip Girl” has tapped real-life members of the fashion flock to appear on-screen — Nacho Figueras shot scenes in Greenwich earlier this summer for the show’s Sept. 14 season premiere, and Tinsley Mortimer had a guest spot last year.”

Both designers are can be seen in the October 5th episode.

Speaking of Gossip Girl… (how many times have we used this hackneyed phrase?) … it seems that the show’s marketing minds have come up with a Fall promotional campaign deemed by some to be more outrageous than those for Seasons 1 or 2.

PHOTO: Kurt Iswarienko/The CW

As someone who has never watched a full episode of the faux-prep program, we do have to admit the still photos for this year’s marketing campaign really have a touch of elegance. However, we shall refrain from using the 3-letter acronym used in the promos that is the primary irritant, as it is vulgar.

Speaking of vulgar, we have this image courtesy of the next issue of Elle Magazine:

Courtesy Elle

Have Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick gone goth? (Is that proper usage of the term…?) Or is it more of a look channeling the popular Twilight style?

Also, as we mentioned Tory Burch up above, we wanted to share this as well, arriving in this morning’s electronic in-bin:

Looks like an opportunity to acquire some new looks at a fiscally friendly price point.

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A few more retail headlines for those following the comings and goings of certain preppish brands:

J. Crew’s new Crewcuts store has opened on Madison Avenue:

Courtesy Photo via WWD

There are eight other Crewcuts stores, including NorthPark in Dallas (seen below) but this newly-opened shop is considered the flagship.

The story points out one styling point about the kids collection:

“… none of the apparel or accessories would qualify as “mini-me” versions of items in the adult J. Crew collection…”

Mrs. Newlywed, are you smiling?)

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And with one last retail note, the new Stubbs & Wooton store has opened, also on Madison Avenue. This is not an additional store, it is a relocation for the brand from their previous spot on Lexington, in the old Sigerson Morrison spot ‘neath the Carlyle. (The other shops are in Southampton and Palm Beach.)

Fashion Week Daily

There are loads of goodies on hand, including the flannel slipper with Pink Poodle, along with the firm’s classic needlepoint designs.

But much as we love pink and green, we’re not sure we’re up for the new camouflage needlepoint.

What do you think ladies? Is camo cool, whether it is in a slipper or a handbag? And if deemed fashionable, is it prep? (You know our answer.)

G’Bye for now, tune in tomorrow for a madly put-together post about another TV show premiering soon!

Gossip Girls Haunt the Hamptons & Here’s One for the Military

Here in the corner condo at the Home Offices of the Preppy Princess Intergalactic (or Interplanetary, either will do) Headquarters, we are most definitely ready for a Friday. My goodness. Sheesh. We are aware it could always be worse – you could be sweltering in Southern California, and we remain hopeful we don’t have a Melted Miss Muffy Martini. (Was it really 106 in Burbank?) Or you could be at the brand-spanking-new Ikea stores that opened this week in Red Hook (Brooklyn) or Atlanta; talk about a zoo! In chatting with friends, it appears both locales have enjoyed scenes not unlike a party at an SAE house or feeding time at the great ape display at your local zoo!

Or you could be in Southampton looking at this.

We hope you are fortunate enough to be reading this while sitting on the porch at your cottage on Nantucket or at the Cape or Macatawa, perhaps Pismo Beach or Half Moon Bay…. sigh. If you are reading it from the Hamptons, you may have already encountered Gossip Girl filming for their upcoming season. We have never, ever, actually known a human being who would get off the train attired like this. You are in a suit, or you are in khakis and a blazer, or you are wearing jeans and a button down, you know the routine. Three argyles all at once and spectators and the shorts…? No. Not even close.

But hey…you’re at the beach. Literally and figuratively. It matters not. By the way, for those not quite in the know (The Princess included) this would be actor Ed Westwick, a Brit who plays a rather slimy fellow named Chuck Bass. There were other celeb sightings: we were told that any females in the vicinity of actor Chace Crawford tend to swoon, or get a bit giggly, as seen in the photo below. You know, teenage, pre-teen, post-teen, tweens, you name it, almost any female breathing in and out could be susceptible, at least from from what we understand.

We move on to female co-stars Blake Lively and Leighton Meester who play teens at the all-girls prep school the show revolves around. Both are seen on the set.

Ms. Lively (this is where TP asks if that is her given name?) is often referred to as being possessed of a ‘preppy style’ or ‘aesthetic’, she is shown below in a Rag and Bone dress that we’re not finding overly ‘preppy,’ although we do love-love-love it. (Psst – it’s on sale too!)

One interesting tidbit about the show shooting in the Hamptons comes from Lauren Le Vine’s story in The Cut Blog (New York magazine online): she reports that no one, as in nobody came to the open auditions for the show held at Pink Elephant last weekend.

We were told to come “dressed upscale and camera ready,” which had us a little nervous as to whether we’d be up to the competition — but then … there wasn’t any. The massive line of Gucci-clad teenage girls never materialized. Instead, the line maxed out at just four people (including us) and none of us were teenagers. We were amazed. How could only four people want to be on the BEST SHOW EVER?

They were casting for an “old-money, glamorous, White Party” in the Hamptons, and were looking for people with “upscale looks and wardrobes … Upper East Side high society, conservative prep-school teenagers, elegant bourgeoisie.”

Let’s take a moment to think about this…. would you have gone?

We thought not. So we’ll move on to our next topic if that is acceptable to you…?

The Princess would like to take a moment for a ‘shout-out’ (… it’s a term we have heard previously and we do hope we have the appropriate usage here) to the folks at Christopher and Banks. The retailer has announced they will provide military personnel a 10% discount every day, starting tomorrow, June 23rd. This is EVERY DAY for active and retired military personnel and their families. How cool is that? Personnel must show a military ID and be in person to receive the discount, which makes sense to TP. Are you familiar with Christopher & Banks? We weren’t, so we were forced to find out more. Above, the evidence. A khaki skirt for about $25 and striped knit tee for $19.97, both of which looked perfectly presentable to us.

Above you see the company’s Intarsia Boxes Cardigan at $45.50 accompanied by the Everyday Fit Tee for $15.50. To kick off the military discount, Christopher and Banks and CJ Banks stores will boost the discounts to 20% for a two-week period from June 23rd – July 6th, and make it 30% if personnel bring a friend to the store with them. For more information, TP recommends reading a copy of the snooze release here or contacting a store near you directly. The Princess was amazed to read there are 500+ Christopher and Banks stores (serving Missy sizes 4-16), 250+ CJ Banks stores (serving sizes 14W-24W), and 39 Acorn stores catering to a “… more affluent customer.. a distinct shopping experience for women who prefer upscale, boutique fashions…(sizes 2-16)…for women who seek spirited fashions..” The Princess will not snarkitize the beauty of what the company is doing for the military with any comments about their description of their Acorn stores division.