I lied to Rebecca Minkoff

My mom and I are home after a bustling weekend in NYC. Millions of New Yorkers and tourists, thousands of yellow taxis, hundreds of street meat carts and at least ONE naked angel in Times Square.

Landing as the first day of NY Fashion Week (Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week) got underway, celebrities, models, editors and designers bombarded the city for a serious SS14 fashion frenzy. Which of these categories do my mom and I fall under? Clearly, we are celebrities.

I was excited to be in the city during such an important time; to relive the energy that I normally only live twice a year through live-stream video, re-grams on Instagram and designer & blogger updates online. But, THEN it happened. I found myself entering the heavily secured doors inside Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week beside bloggers who have over 200K Instagram followers alone.

HOW? WHY? I was given the opportunity to experience a day in the life with only 80 other lucky fashionable fans. American Express teamed up with iconic handbag turned wearable apparel designer Rebecca Minkoff to produce a new way into the very VIP world of fashion week. A private party hosted by Kelly Osbourne with an up close look at the models fresh off the SS14 runway, a live interview with Rebecca and a solid performance by Janelle Monae to close out the show.

SHUTUP. Seriously. This happened. Someone pinch me.

POSE. Going in. Inside the doors of MBFW.A fashionable crowd waiting to enter the Rebecca Minkoff runway show. Myself, enjoying a BECK’s beer… still in shock. The host of our party and live-streamed by Kelly Osbourne. She is adorable.The models seconds after the SS14 show. Excuse my blurry photos. My excitement overtook me. I jumped in front of the runway. RM SS14 line had a blatant Latin American feel to it – embroidery and loads of colour and playful shades. We also saw bomber jackets, parachute dresses, sexy tomboy appeals and serious mesh patterns detailed in leather. Those boots? I die.The very humble and down to earth designer joined us for a up close and personal interview sesh with Kelly. We learned her love for those great tassel heels and picking one favourite look from her collection would be like picking a favourite child. Janelle Monae ROCKED it out. Her performance for the party was phenomenal. I felt slightly guilty for previously making fun of her on my blog. Forgive me Janelle?

PAYCE.

You must be wondering about my little white lie to Rebecca. I am still kicking myself. Rebecca had made it clear she wasn’t taking photos with fans. I knew my only way to her would be to jump on the runway to catch her on her way out of the party, so of course that’s what I did. I stopped her and let her know that I was part of the crew and we would need a photo together. SHE agreed. As I handed my camera to someone to catch the memorable shot of her and I…

…the camera died. True story. KARMA!

x Courtney

Dirty GrillZ

Celebrity grills.  Why is this happening? Gold and diamond encrusted grillZ are only sort of cool if your Flavor Flav and if it happens to be 1983.

I hope that none of you are eating right now.

Madonna x.

I am not sure what is worse, the vein or the grill. At 55, Madonna is still pretending she isn’t aging. Please retire “M-dawg”.

Katy Perry x.

RAWR. Yes! VERY scary indeed Katy.

Kelis x.

Kelis’ grillZ match her skin. And her hair. I don’t get it.

Chris Brown x.

Not sure why I included Chris, I don’t think anyone expects anything better from this Rihanna woman beater. DURRR!

Rihanna x. speak of the devil

A gun? Of all things. Classy. Wash yo’ mouth out!

Brooke Hogan x.

MAKE IT STOP!

So it turns out money can buy you love; AND mouth and gum disease. HOPE tha BLING is worth it guys.

I am officially convinced to make my own grillZ and snap a photo. Stay tuned on my instagram for the reveal: frankiilynn

x Courtney

Lisa Tant @ Holt Renfrew

Hi friends. What better way to transition into Fall (admit it, the end of summer is near!) then have a close up look into the upcoming FW13 trends, presented by a Canadian editorial icon of mine, Lisa Tant. I am predicting seeing looks conducive of beautiful greens, statement jackets and maybe even a slouchy beanie or two.

Lisa Tant is currently the VP Fashion Editor of Holt Renfrew, after leaving her legacy behind as the EIC at Flare Magazine.  Anyone who knows me, knows that it is my DREAM to one day rock the title Editor in Chief – ideally founding my own magazine – but I’ll take the EIC title happily for an established brand any day. Stay tuned for photos and Lisa’s personalized looks for Fall.

Who’s coming?

x Courtney

What’s In A Name?

So, what is in a name? Especially a celebrity name. Well, if it’s Hilton, West, Lohan or Olsen it means the ability to add the title fashion designer to their resume without ever having studied fashion – undoubtedly using their famous name to “develop a fashion line”.

Now I bet you’re expecting me to come down hard on these celebrities for cashing in on their popularity and sticking their names on clothing lines. After all, they hire designers and ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ their concepts. They have very little involvement besides some modeling, promotion, and keeping guests waiting for personal appearances and runway shows. Shit, I forgot the most important thing… collecting their paycheques.

Most people understand that brands like Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Halston, McQueen and Balenciaga are designed by others. They have to be: these designers have been dead for years. But the creative brains who take these brands over have wallowed in their expertise for years; lived and breathed the industry, some even working with the icons themselves.

So you’re right folks. I am coming down on these idiot celebrities – would you expect any different?Stick to what you know Britney… lip synching and bad acting. It’s one thing to take credit for the way your stylist dresses you but it’s quite another to be a fashion designer.

Where do I start.

Lindsay Lohan – Artistic Advisor for Ungaro

She may have launched her own 6126 line of fashion leggings in 2008, but it appears that Ungaro jumped the gun in thinking that meant Lindsay Lohan was capable of serving as an “artistic advisor.”

Lindsay’s spring collection with the label started out as a joke and ended in tears. It was deemed disastrous, cheesy and outdated but who was surprised? Nothing like sending heart-shaped nipple pasties down a Paris runway. fuckyourdumb.

Heidi Montag – Heidiwood

Coming to bargain bins near you: Heidi’s short-lived Anchor Blue collection was just as tacky and cheap as the “designer” herself. Is it any wonder it didn’t last?

Paris Hilton – Paris Hilton

Launched in 2007, Paris’ line of dresses, jeans and t-shirts often sported an image of herself on them. While she didn’t actually “design” design them, she did spend a year submitting her personal Facebook and scrapbook photos and approving those designs that would bear her name.

Paris’ checklist: terrible singer, lame boyfriends, famous mostly for on-camera pouting, and excessively eager to merchandise herself regardless of actual quality, CHECK!

Rihanna – Rihanna for River Island

See previous rant here: http://thebuttonupblog.com/2013/02/18/rihanna-for-river-island-lfw/

Madonna – Material Girl

Just retire already.

Kanye West – Kanye West, Kanye for A.P.C.,

This isn’t the first time I’ve made fun of Kanye and it probably won’t be the last. His recent collaboration with A.P.C. consisted of said plain white t-shirts, devoid of any imagery, bedazzling or special characteristics and priced at $120 each. Those fuckers sold out virtually instantaneously after going on sale online. These idiots even crashed their official site. Why? A terrifying display of how consumers are truly under a spell of celebrity worship. However, even with his sellout-in-minutes success, Kanye is still totally irrelevant in the fashion world.

Jessica Simpson – Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson may have made a 1 billion dollar empire with her successful clothing lines, but her dresses and staples are far too tuttie fruttie for me.

On a less hateful note, there are a select few celebrities who have proven that their passion for designer duds can translate into successful clothing brands.

Gwen Stefani – L.A.M.B

Known for her unique sense of style and previously being a fashion icon as lead for the band, No Doubt, the launch of L.A.M.B (Love Angel Music Baby) in 2004, reflects Stefani’s flirty rock and roll style which we are so familiar with, in her music.

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen – The Row, Elizabeth & James

These fashionable twins added to their growing empire with the introduction of their high fashion label, The Row. They also found a following for their second fashion line, Elizabeth and James, named after their younger sister and brother. Then again remind yourself that with their success, they have been accused of ripping off lines such like Rick Owens and being absent through production.

Nicole Richie – House of Harlow 1960, Winter Kate

Some of my fashion friends may not agree with me on this one. Fair enough. I follow NR on Instagram and she has become one of my all time style icons. Forget the trash you saw on the Simple Life – she has transformed into a bohemian chic goddess. I have made plenty of room for Nicole’s House of Harlow 1960 accessories line and the Winter Kate collection in my closet.

Fashion A-listers, professors, editors and critics have publicly frowned upon celebrity fashion lines and collaborations, defending the notion that they are consistently taking the spotlight from fresh and young fashion creators who’ve worked their asses off and deserve to be recognized. What do you think? More local, less Kanye.

[images c/o fabsugar.com,starstyle.com, nicolenews.com, various sources]

x Courtney

Tattoo Tights & Kanye

Hey there. Long time! Some may say paper wizards “writers” can suffer from this thing called writers block. That’s an excuse for their absence to putting thoughts into logical and intriguing sentences and stories. I call mine Ryker’s block. Have you met him?

Ryker is my son. He’s weeks shy of 18 months old and I am positive their is a maximum security prison somewhere named after him. He’s just a child, can I blame him for my lack of posts? Yes, yes I can.

I was browsing through my usual daily fashion news and came across Karl Lagerfeld’s face on someones leg. Karl Lagerfeld might be my hero but even with that I wouldn’t accept anything less than $1,000,000 – fine, $100,000 – to tattoo his face on my body. Turns out that they are actually tights. If Karl Lagerfeld isn’t for you, how about Jean Paul Gaultier or Kate Moss with a mustache! The temporary portraits by UNUS x Buggy are fun and you can find them on UNUS, an online shop specializing in Japanese leg-ware. Not my typical online shopping hangout.

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If having a temporary portrait on your leg doesn’t appease you, they have some other slightly less in-yo-face designs that can add a bit of cool for a wild night out, how about lightning bolts or zombies? You can check the rest out here: http://unusjapan.ocnk.net/product-list/3

In other random news, Kanye is officially collaborating on a design collection with French house A.P.C. The collection apparently features a hoodie, jeans and a t-shirt. Is this a joke? I wish. I would expect blanged up, sequinned denim and perhaps a hoodie made of gold and leather since this idiot’s style is nothing near simple. It’s all very confusing as A.P.C. has brand characteristics of clean lines and a very minimalistic approach.

Kanye’s debut collection bombed in 2010 at PFW. Dude… your irrelevant in the fashion world, your only fan is Kim K and maybe now that baby of yours too, South Central.

I’MMMMMMMMMMMM BACKK!! Have a great week you good-looking readers, you.

x Courtney

Black Wedding Gowns

Insert Billy Idol – It’s a nice day for a white black wedding.

It’s uber typical and also obviously tradition for a blushing bride to wear white on her wedding day – you know, because all brides are pure. Are they really? But, last week Canadian Shanae Grimes (from 90210) recently made heads turn and eyeballs pop when she walked down the aisle in a black wedding gown. Clearly, wearing Vera Wang.

We have seen more and more boredom with white gowns over the last few years and more brides incorporating red, purple or opting for solid blushing pinks or creams but choosing a solid black gown typically reminds people of sorrow and even mourning – not exactly the best way to start off your new life together. Unless, of course your parents hate your fiance, then, it probably fits.

I like the idea of a black wedding gown, its original and old traditions seem to be fading. Black is worn less at funerals now and more at weddings. It is a rich and dramatic colour. However, Shanae’s gown was awful. Ugly. Tacky. Prom dress-esque. The low cut halter is severely outdated and the tulle bottom looks faded, cheap and depressing. We can mock Shanae for her awful choice of gown but we can only really blame Vera, why? Just why.

Shanae looks classy with her cigarette.

Because I do like the idea of a black wedding gown, I knew that there had to be some exquisite and beautifully designed ones out there. It’s too late for myself, but if you ever want to be a stand out bride, try something similar to one of these.

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[images c/o theweddinghunter.com, weddinginspirasi.com]

Okay seriously, this kind of makes me want to get married all over again.

x Courtney

No Wonder We Can’t Find Kanye

UGH. Don’t hate me for starting your glorious long weekend off with this.

When you think she can’t get any worse, she actually cuts off her own circulation and stuffs her bloated, swollen feet into Givenchy. Kim K is nearing her July due date and STILL has yet to succumb to the comfort of pregnancy. That looks painful, so painful and gross, so gross.

Swelling is a given in pregnancy, especially nearing the end of your term. Good lord woman, throw on some flip flops and give those hoofs a break – toenails could use a trim too. x.

Clearly she is not ashamed x. c/o Kim K instagram

Now that I have spoiled your lunch, grab yourself a delicious beverage and embrace the long weekend. Stay safe friends. Party on.

[images c/o fashion.telegraph.co.uk]

x Courtney

Eat My Shorts

For a guy that Karl Lagerfeld said was the only designer who could ever succeed him at Chanel, Jeremy Scott’s ode to Bart Simpson seems sort-of less insane.

It may be old news now, but since I have recently added the yellow-skin, spiked hair, little freak to my closet I had to share the news. Bart Simpson wore the same blue shorts and red shirt for two decades, so a hit on the catwalk for Jeremy Scott was a refreshing change and proved he can be high fashion material. An ode to Bart Simpson ain’t cheap folks – Jeremy had to get permission to use the character on his designs of course and it cost about the same as an arm. Or half a leg.

Jeremy Scott is known for his colorful, bizarre designs that usually refer to pop culture like Mickey Mouse and was even the first designer to dress Miss diva Piggy. The American born and based designer who is clearly suffering from a never ending acid trip defines the law of daydreamer expression.

How the hell does someone NOT in the ninth grade rock the Bart Simpson ensemble?

Something like this folks:

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EAT MY SHORTS MAN! Da-na-na-na-na-na-na-na Da-na-na-na-na-na-na-na BART MAN.

[images c/o various websites]

x Courtney

Bad Maternity Style

Baby Alert!

No! Not me, good lord. Thankfully, its my sister in law that has a bun roasting and there is nothing more exciting than being blessed with a new baby in the family. Of course, with the growing belly, the baby kicks, the tiredness and GIFTS brings the scary world of maternity style. My SIL talk about it… alot – the good (rare), the bad and the Kim K. Duh, you know that she gets her own fuckyouredumb category.

Never does that ‘what-the-hell-am-I-going-to-wear’ dilemma come into play more than when you are pregnant. You know those skinny jeans and asymmetrical crop tops that used to look good—or should look good, or would have looked good—now they don’t, they really don’t. They’re bad, really bad.

From my own baby mama experience, comfort and style are key, but even the trashiest of the trash richest of the rich miss the memo with what happily fit the new bod in week 12 can be down right wrong in week 20. So yes, even celebrities who can burn money even fall prey to heinous maternity choices.

What Kim Kardashian has chosen to wear since she has been pregnant have amounted to pure eye pollution. Kardashian defends her choice of maternity fashion by complaining that she can’t find clothes that fit her now. Seriously? How much money does this bitch have. I bet she’s regretting those ass injections now!

Whatever her motivation is, she needs to quit it. And she’s not the only one who deserves a fashion thrashing for their faux pas. Let’s laugh look at some of the worst of the worst:

When I was searching for bad celeb maternity style, I came across Katie Price. You think Kim K is bad? This girl is straight-up idiot. Is she high? She can’t be… she’s pregnant.

DISCLAIMER: Sweet pregnant friends! Please, don’t attempt ANYTHING you have seen today. It’s repulsive! It’s insane! It has to be illegal in some states. Here is a few hot mommy preggie tips that I lived by when my baby oven was baking away.

Stick to solids x. Whether you need a bathing suit, classic top or a damn ball gown, solids are usually a safe maternity bet. Clearly, not everyone would agree, as the endless amount of geometrics, graphics, and florals printed on everything labeled maternity is overwhelming, but solid-colored pieces are generally a good choice for everyone. Think a black turtleneck and great dark jeans paired with fabulous bracelets, shoes, etc.

Splurge on premium denim x. If you want to splurge on something, denim is the place to do it. Premium jeans really do make a difference in fit and appearance, and they will be your go-to look for much of your pregnancy AND even after baby is born. Citizens of Humanity, 7 for All Mankind, Hudson, Paige Premium, True Religion, and J Brand all make awesome maternity jeans. Go for dark bootcut or dark skinny and you won’t be sorry.

Pay attention to accessories and grooming x. A little extra time spent on these areas goes a long way. Trust me, you may FEEL disgusting at times but you don’t have to LOOK disgusting, seriously. Add a great statement necklace or feather earrings and just that will make an otherwise-boring tee look custom. And break out the make-up. Sometimes applying a little more eye makeup or blush, or spending a few more minutes flat-ironing your hair, will give you just the extra polish you need. Your man will love it. Really, he’ll thank me.

Look for maxi dresses, tunics, and leggings—the trifecta of modern maternity wear and COMFORT.

However, even now, with endless resources for moms-to-be, maternity wear can still be mystifying. Good luck, god speed.

[images c/o various websites]

x Courtney

Bryanboy x Karl Lagerfeld Watches

There are three things I love. 1: The house of Alexander McQueen. 2: Karl Lagerfeld. 3: My ability to never get tired of eating cheeseburgers.

There is one thing I do not love. 1: Bryanboy.

KL happens to be a master of Haute Couture, coincidentally enough, he also happens to be a fashion master of high-end/low-end collabs; being the first to ever team up with H&M. Now, the man who is brutally honest and awesome, has officially launched a selection of seven seriously bad-ass watches with Fossil, all designed and reminiscent of the Lagerfeld aesthetic with black metallic leathers, chains and pyramid studs. They retail for $195-$595.

I knew as soon as I saw these, I needed to get one for my husby. I was pumped.

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THEN I watched the video. Oh, the video. Dissapointment set in. Heartbreak set in. I felt sick. There he was… Bryanboy. Could I put my husby in something that someone I despised promoted?

Bryanboy x Karl Lagerfeld watches

We all know him. Horrifically enough, this thing offends and disgusts me on a pretty regular basis. Sure, he’s a legendary fashion blogger, he wears hundreds of thousands of dollars in high-fashion designer freebies, he travels the world on someone else’s dollar and never misses an invite to any fashion week show – but he is raunchy and repulsive, nasty and obnoxious. After numerous Twitter updates from Bryanboy regarding gay anal sex and sexual references that were beyond offensive, it was clear I loathed this prick. UNFOLLOW!

Karl, you’re cool enough that I would let you be my dad, what happened?

[images c/o thefashionisto.com]

x Courtney