Igor Spektor

In a very friendly, relaxed and airy Stardust Penthouse atop the Beverly Hilton, guests of Debbie Durkin’s 2015 edition of the Eco Luxe Oscar Style Lounge could receive posh perk-ups, including blow-drys, organic spray tans and make-up touch-ups by OC Hair & Makeup. Celebrity pets were treated to eco-friendly goodies from Canadog and other vendors.
   Choices Recovery was the very timely charitable focus of the event, and reps from the organization were on hand to educate and raise awareness of the options that exist for those struggling with substance abuse. To set the mood, Durkin’s team joined forces with innovative company Under Canvas, known for its retreat packages to such healing destinations in the US as Moab, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. The hotel penthouse was transformed into a glamorous camping-style escape (hence ‘glamping’) with stylish hunting lodge-chic décor. Élan Event Rentals, LBPS Events and Frances Lynn Creative Florals provided beautiful assistance in setting the mood for both the day- and night-time festivities (hosted by Real Housewives of Orange County cast member Gretchen Christine Rossi and Chris Booker of AMP Radio).
   Attendees included nominees and winners from the crews of films such as American Sniper, The Theory of Everything, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Hobbit and Whiplash. They included Ben Wilkins (Oscar winner, Whiplash, for best sound mixing), Elise Robertson (Oscar nominee, American Sniper), Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou (Oscar nominee, Guardians of the Galaxy, for make-up and hairstyling), Jason Canovas (Oscar nominee, The Hobbit, for sound editing), Lisa Bruce (producer of The Theory of Everything), Kevin Sorbo (Hercules), philanthropist Nancy Davis (Race to Erase MS), Carolyn Hennesy (Revenge), Ken Davitian (Borat), Christian Oliver (Alarm für Cobra 11: die Autobahnpolizei), Amanda Adrienne, Claudia Wells, Kelly Perine, Jillian Murray, Craig Scime, Cassandra Michaels, Daisy Jacobs, Suzan Brittan, Adina Porter, May Wang, Andrea Bogart, and our friends Donna Spangler and Richie Benveniste.
   Daytime guests stopped by for make-up, spray tans and hair touch-ups from nationwide mobile company OC Hair & Make-up, stocked up on pet gear from CanaDog and KD Pet Protector, and canine babysitting services from Gardena-based Camp Run-a-Mutt. VIPs left with gift bags containing gift certificates for dog collars by Let There Be Collars and complimentary services at Animal Healing & Wellness. Humans got certificates for free candles at Sugar Mint Candle Co. and complimentary sessions at Body & Brain Yoga in Burbank.—Elyse Glickman, US West Coast Editor, and Leyla Messian, LA Correspondent

Igor Spektor

Israel David Groveman

Depending on how you see it, an Oscar event staged in a small courtyard and an adjoining room can either read as “exclusive”, “intimate” or “scaled down”. While the roving day spa-and-boutique complexes staged on sprawling estates of 2005 have found their place in Hollywood lore, in 2015, they are pretty much replaced with self-contained pocket-sized lounges whose live vendors support the theme of an event’s charity of choice. And sometimes, less really can be more.
   This go round, Rita Branch and Amy Boatwright’s Secret Room Beauty Bar & Luxury Lounge trumpeted the organization Fashionomics Live!, which offers high school students an engaging career exploring process behind the scenes at businesses and events. The group’s Tour Stop and Pop-Up internship programme helps students embrace the process of exploring multiple professions and careers in fashion and other industries with the intention of helping them become better prepared for their college years.
   Tony & Guy took over one corner of the W Hotel Westwood’s courtyard (where Red Carpet Events staged their pre-Grammy celebration), treating VIPs to with spa, beauty, massage and hair services, while those waiting could sip on new branded coffees from Guy Fieri and the Cake Boss and snack on decadent ice-cream-flavoured yoghurt from German company Müller or sip BrainToniq energy drinks. Ancestry.com was also on hand to provide a perspective on the unique things that made the guests (literally) what they are today.
   After those nifty touch-ups press and celebrities could stock up on fat blockers by Calorease, vitamin gummies from Fiber Choice for immunity and metabolism boosts, heartburn relief from Gutsy Chewy, brow boosters from Revitalash, and fantastic wine from Argentine and Chilean producers. Silver Jewelry by Night Fox by Kate Finley was the fashion highlight of the event, with its rough hewn elegance offset by semiprecious and precious stones. Kate’s pieces are hand-crafted from recycled sterling silver and gold using techniques such as Torch fusion (connecting metal without solder) reticulation (surface of the metal is heated to melting point and then quickly cooled) and lost wax casting.
   Bags reserved exclusively for celebrity guests included vouchers for vacations at some of the world’s great resorts (including Anantara, Waiakea, Old Bahama Bay, West Glow Resort & Spa and the Aria Hotel in Budapest) as well as fashion and accessories from LeTarte, Elizabeth Jane, Huit, Paula Callejas and Uzurii Swarovski-encrusted flip-flops.—Elyse Glickman, US West Coast Editor

Above Night Fox by Kate Finley was the jewellery stand-out at the Oscar edition of the Secret Room Beauty Bar & Luxury Lounge this year.

Kathryn Wilson, arguably New Zealand’s best known shoe designer, whose first appearance was in Lucire’s pages, has branched out with a babies’ range of footwear, called Baby Wilson.
   Wilson had already extended her core Kathryn Wilson range, with Miss Wilson and the children’s line Little Miss Wilson.
   As a new mother herself, Wilson’s new line for autumn 2015 is a hand-made unisex range for babies aged six to eighteen months, in supple calf leather, with cream, gold and black shades, along with cute polka dots on some designs. The first style, Lola, is a lace-up bootie.
   The new range is now available at Kathryn Wilson retailers, and online at www.kathrynwilson.com.

There’s nothing like a carefully plated delicious meal that will get conversation started at the dinner table. Food generally brings families and friends together, and like food, fashion tends to gather hungry crowds just the same. A room full of thirsty appetites, whether desiring a glass of shiraz or craving a fresh take on classic silhouettes is all digested best with a dose of sustenance.
   Flow, a burgeoning fashion label founded by two sisters, Victoria and Veronika, understands how to design in harmony. Their Belgian–Ukrainian label, not to be confused with the Malaysia-based clothing retailer of the same name, embodies the art of creating just the right amount of what the Swedes call lagom, and it shows throughout their collections.
   Pieces are not overly designed. Instead, garments are braised predominantly in pure silk and cotton, then enriched by colour or finishing shape. The sisters experiment with volume, whilst using the unconventional as an undercurrent in designing. The result is a pensive (spring–summer 2015) collection full of playful prints with child-like embraces, Japanese-inspired shapes, and a modern perspective on sportswear.
   The designing pair has managed to produce a smörgåsbord of distinct and charming garments to satiate fashion palates, especially if it favours edgy, artful, and quirky styles. Nonetheless, the pleasant appeal of a Flow garment might also be the fact that it can be worn by diverse women. ‘The most essential is to have that “special something” inside of you. That feminine, sensitive and elegant, yet kindly ironic thing that is very Flow. It is more about chemistry and common wit,’ the designers said, regarding the Flow woman.
   So, what’s the secret to the flourishing brand? Well, their approach to design is much like a gourmet recipe, using key ingredients to craft a tasty and well balanced dish to savour. Their main course is just also served with a side of passion, meticulousness, and confidence. And, like your grandmother’s recipe secrets, when it comes to the artful process, they prefer to keep it close to home.
   In fact, the sisters are involved in all aspects of the design process. However, having just under a dozen people in their design team certainly helps. ‘When we seek new co-workers, we primarily seek professionals who can become new members of the family. Creation of a collection is a group process and mutual understanding has great influence on the result,’ the designers confessed.
   In their spring–summer 2015 collection, you will see a palette of red, white, and blue with accented colours that look as vivid as a fresh floral bouquet. Pieces like the pyjama-esque silk garment with kookaburra bird drawings are eye-catching. The line is full of sprightly, sophisticated sportswear with a contemporary gracefulness that’s hard to ignore. But, that’s mostly because of the designer’s underlining influence, including the œuvres of Niko Pirosmani and Ivan Semesyuk. ‘The spirit [of the line] is childish and patrician at the same time,’ the designers said.
   Flow’s offerings come in a range of styles, with pieces that can easily be translated into workwear, or casual elegance for the avant-garde art enthusiast. There are silhouettes for the classic fashion darling, as well as separates that exemplify opulence at its very core. The designers have fused a nourishing concoction of culture and art, creating a smart fashion paella, all which seems to give them a discerning compound of depth and simplicity.
   The young brand’s maturity in execution and outlook is well seasoned. And, with only a handful of collections under their belt, there’s much that they have already learned from having a fashion business. ‘It requires lots of time and enormous sources of energy … true fashion is always about the dream, the feeling, and the humanly approach,’ Flow said.
   You may view Flow’s upcoming autumn-winter collection at the BeNext showroom during this Paris fashion week, and at the Tranoï exhibition shown in Milano.
   For more information, visit www.flowthelabel.com.—Tamara Madison

A Lucire special promotion

‘If a man suddenly gives you flowers, that’s Impulse,’ has been one of the most famous catch-phrases of the last generation, since Fabergé introduced it in South Africa in the 1970s. Variations on the theme have come and gone, and in 2015, Impulse moves to a new generation with Bambi Northwood-Blyth—one of Lucire’s newsmakers of 2013—and her husband Dan Single, formerly of Ksubi, fronting its latest campaign.
   Northwood-Blyth has been securing campaigns, including fashion label Ba&Sh, because she somehow taps into the Zeitgeist. She also has her own fashion line, B.BAM, and her sense of style and levity have made her more real and endearing to her fans. At Impulse, she joins former Lucire cover girl Zippora Seven and Erin Heatherton and was even placed in charge of the brand’s Instagram for one week.
   The new video, which broke for Valentine’s Day, is not just about the day itself, but embracing love, life and friendship every day. It’s unusual in featuring a real-life married couple who are very much in love, and Northwood-Blyth’s popularity among fashion cognoscenti, plus her social media following, bring it right into the mid-2010s. Gone is the “flowers” theme in favour of the couple on a getaway, and emphasizing that true love isn’t just about that initial “impulse” that drove the original, and perhaps dated advertising. It’s about a real partnership between a couple, in everything they do.
   Like Northwood-Blyth’s other appearances, there is a genuine feel to it, even though the Impulse campaign is more stylized than her own social media, which have shown more behind-the-scenes material. It’s bound to earn her even more fans, while helping to reinvent Impulse as less fanciful, and more part of a real, lasting, romance.

Post sponsored by Unilever

Dan Lecca

Above Lie Sangbong’s autumn–winter 2015–16 looks, which also feature in Lola Cristall’s forthcoming New York report.

Our final clips before Lola Cristall’s Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week report for the fall–winter 2015–16 collections are below, with videos from Michael Kors, Jenny Packham, Zang Toi, Lupe Gajardo, the Art Institutes, Bibhu Mohapatra, Lie Sangbong, Francesca Liberatore, Leanne Marshall, Thomas Wylde, Anna Sui, Erin Fetherston, Iijin, Malan Breton, Tokyo Runway, Sergio Davila, Dorin Negrau and AmFAR.
   Our London Fashion Week live player is currently on our home page. On the main part of the site, NYC beauty editor Jamie Dorman has her picks for skin-like foundations, while publisher Jack Yan samples the Peugeot 308 Allure Blue HDi in our ‘Living’ section.

Michael Kors

Jenny Packham

Zang Toi

Lupe Gajardo

The Art Institutes

Bibhu Mohapatra

Lie Sangbong

Francesca Liberatore

Leanne Marshall

Thomas Wylde

Anna Sui

Erin Fetherston

Iijin

Malan Breton

Tokyo Runway

Sergio Davila

Dorin Negrau

AmFAR

KVR Creative/courtesy Doris Bergman

Even if seasoned Hollywood PR pro and impresario Doris Bergman asks for feedback on her events, the truth is that with her Oscar-Valentine and Emmy events, she consistently “knocks them out of the park” (as we say in the baseball-crazy USA). Once again, West Hollywood’s Fig & Olive restaurant played host to the Seventh Annual Valentine Romance Oscar Style Lounge & Party, and the vibe was friendly, appetizing (lots of fresh-from-the-oven goodies from F&O’s kitchen) and quite stylish for both the celebrities and attending press.
   Seven, however, proved to be particularly charming for Doris, not only with her mix of guests and products, but also lots of surprises. While her roster of talent (including Rosa Blasi, Sofia Milos, Deidre Hall, James Kyson Lee, Lisa Vidal, Lisa Ann Walter, Kelsey Scott, Carolyn Hennesy, Rénée Taylor, Joe Bologna, and Greg Grunberg) enjoyed this favourite family reunion of sorts, the icing on the Valentine’s Day cupcake was a visit from LA’s enduring designer Sue Wong. While her selection of dresses for the A-listers dazzled, it was a whole other matter when the belle of the ball strolled in to witness for herself celebrities falling in love with her artistry all over again.
   As Sue and Doris greeted each other, it suddenly hit me that both women have a lot in common, including making every invited guest to their soirées feel welcome, accepted, well fed and fashionable. The motherly love exuded at the event provided a perfect backdrop for official charity Wednesday’s Child. KTTV Fox 11 News’s Los Angeles presenter Christine Devine was present to support and answer questions about her signature cause beyond her weekly local broadcasts. Celebrities were encouraged to bring new, unwrapped gifts, including clothing, accessories, electronics, sporting equipment, monetary donations, etc., for a post-holiday gift drive for teens currently living in foster care.
   The returning and still fabulous perennials filling out the Fig & Olive garden included MDSun USA skin care, Silvana K Designs jewellery, Arbonne Essentials’ nutrition products, Spongelle bath products, Kama Sutra, Twisted Silver by Debra Mitchell, Single by Galina Sobolev, Telic (with new bling accessories), and Model in a Bottle (now with a sensitive skin formula).
   Although Samiah appeared at a certain Golden Globes event a few weeks ago, and in spite of the fact that the mercury hit 30°C (86°F), the bespoke coat designer showed her presence could stand up to a seasoned veteran like Sue Wong in both her artistry with fabric and her ease with guests from all walks of life. Shangri-La of Luxury helped clear the air for prosperity with delicious home and body fragrances, as did candles from the new Burbank boutique Shoppe 815. Beauty mavens could rejoice with an opportunity to test out all-natural hair care from Pura d’Or and the Kelley West Microderm360° Dermabrasion Tool and skin care line. Another motherly touch: the rep encouraged guests to use it responsibly and check out special demos at microderm360.com/ before putting this Home Shopping Network best seller to work.—Elyse Glickman, US West Coast Editor

KVR Creative/courtesy Doris Bergman

Day five of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York was the biggest day of the week, as we showcase videos from the fall–winter 2015–16 collections below from Parkchoonmoo, Carolina Herrera, La Petite Robe, Angel Sanchez, Dennis Basso, Pamella Roland, Reem Acra, Prabal Gurung, Vivienne Tam, Libertine, Badgley Mischka, J. Crew, Lela Rose, Naeem Khan, Michael Costello, and Skingraft. Taoray Wang, Oudifu and Georgine appear on our pages for the first time.
   Carolina Herrera showed an aquatic-themed collection with wool and organza, with blues and greys. Chiara Boni’s La Petite Robe got us into the Italian mood with classic songs played as the audience arrived, and through the show itself, with ‘Volaré’ and ‘’O Sole Mio’, displaying a creative use of stretch jersey and sheer fabrics. Reem Acra went romantic with embellishments, layers and lace, with blacks, reds and golds; Vivienne Tam also used lace to good effect with her collection, along with rich, floral patterns evoking chinoiserie and Victorian costume.
   Taoray Wang, helming a label that first appeared for the spring–summer 2015 catwalks, was a pleasant surprise, with her sense of drama and volume: statement coats, big collars, turtle necks, dotted prints and angular shapes made us sit up and notice, and we believe she’s a label to watch out for. This was a classic winter collection that we believe will hit the mark well when autumn hits the US. Georgine used plenty of metallic, shimmering fabrics as it took us back to the second half of the 1970s.
   A more comprehensive report led by Paris editor Lola Cristall will appear in an upcoming issue of Lucire.

Parkchoonmoo

Carolina Herrera

La Petite Robe

Taoray Wang

Angel Sanchez

Dennis Basso

Pamella Roland

Reem Acra

Prabal Gurung

Vivienne Tam

Libertine

Oudifu

Badgley Mischka

Georgine

J. Crew

Lela Rose

Naeem Khan

Michael Costello

Skingraft