Mr. Mickey's Fashion Week Favorites: Day 2

February 8, 2014, 7:40 am

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Mr. Mickey is weighing in every morning this glorious F/W' 14 New York Fashion Week to tell us about all of the clothes (and cute boys) catching his eye. Take it away, Mr. Micks!

Mr Mickey LOVES an old school big name model and Jason Wu had Adriana Lima open the show. Hello! She once dated a Prince of Liechtenstein!

The Kate Spade presentation had lots of sparkle, which always gives me a thrill, but the biggest thrill was chatting with creative director Brad Goreski and Anna Kendrick. I saw Anna on Broadway in High Society when she was 11. Such excitement for a Broadway baby like me.

I met the man of my dreams Gerard at the Pedro del Hierro presentation. I mean honestly he's the man of my dreams -- he's gorgeous, South Asian, tall, dark and handsome. And offering beverages. I'm in love.

Oh yeah, and my favorite look at the Pedro Del Hierro presentation was this plunging neckline in black lace. Very Helmut Newton!

At Paper we're cuckoo crazy for Lindsay Degen. I loved her presentation's glow-in-the-dark knits and braided hair. I never get bored with the creative use of braids.

Georgia May Jagger is pretty irresistible. Who doesn't love a gap-toothed grin? At Rag & Bone she looked particularly fetching in a personalized blouse. I wonder if that comes in Mr. Mickey (in a ladies size 18 please)!

I love it when designers find new places to put sparkle! Thanks, Nicole Miller, for this shiny skirt!

I'm addicted to the show The Fashion Fund, which documents the ups and downs of being a finalist for the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund. One of the contestants is Misha Nonoo, who makes pretty, glamorous, wearable clothes. At her show my favorite was this sweatshirt look. Sweatshirts in fancy fabrics always feel cool.

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Trending: Braid Tails

February 8, 2014, 11:10 am

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Beauty looks at Adam Selman Fall 2014. Photos by Duffy.

Last season on the runways old-world braids were the rage -- with romantic Rapunzel-style ones at Rachel Zoe and Giles and halo braid crowns at Naeem Khan and Rebecca Minkoff. But off the runway we've spotted a return of '90s style braid tails. Lindsey Degen (a Mr. Mickey favorite) and Adam Selman, Rihanna's costume designer and River Island collaborator, brought them into the fashion forefront with their fall collections this week. Inspired by '90s streetwear and the era's music culture, think iconic cornrow kings like Snoop Dog and Coolio, hairstylist Duffy transformed Selman's model's hair into multiple rows of messy braids. And  these neo-cornrows aren't quite the tragic trend of the early naughties -- a la Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake (or Kesha's continuous attempts) -- they're thicker and fewer in number. We're particularly into the girls who rock 'em with bleached hair and dark roots -- they look like spines! -- see below.

Duffy's braids at Adam Selman's Fall 2014 collection.

Braid tails at Degen's Day-Glo Fall 2014 presentation.

Bleach braid rows outside Dover Street Market in NYC.

Some serious spine-like braids on the street last New York Fashion Week. Photo by Tommy Ton.

Prabal Gurung's Streaker, Fashion Week's Douche Prince

February 8, 2014, 3:04 pm

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Photo via @MadeFW

Though New York Fashion Week has technically been in full swing since Thursday, things didn't really get started until today, where the Gods of Attention-Seeking Narcissists granted us with our first fashion week streaker at Prabal Gurung!

The streaker, who tore down the runway in some sort of leopard jock strap thing and a crown (definitely our lookspiration for going out tonight), was quickly apprehend by guards. But not before a few seconds of skipping merely down the runway in his get-up. Really, if you're not going to go full Soy Bomb and really maximize your momentary time to shine with dance moves that make Elaine Benis look like Michael Jackson, we ain't got time for you. This is how it's done, folks:

Mr. Mickey's Fashion Week Favorites: Day 3

February 9, 2014, 8:12 am

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Mr. Mickey is weighing in every morning this glorious F/W' 14 New York Fashion Week to tell us about all of the clothes (and cute boys) catching his eye. Take it away, Mr. Micks!

Awesome Alexander Wang zig-zag top worn by Hanne Gaby Odiele. I love anything that makes me think of Missoni and any hugely blown out print!

This season,Prabal Gurung really felt the influence of his native Nepal and I loved the collection. It was his strongest ever and so confident in its point of view. Plus the colors of South Asia are delicious!

I had never seen the work of this young designer Calla and stumbled onto it at MADE Fashion Week at Milk Studios. I loved it. I'm always discovering great designers at MADE.

Scott Studenberg and John Targon are already a fashion world sensation after one season. Their line Baja East is featured in the windows of Barneys NY during NYFW. The handsome duo showed a tight collection of pieces for men and women all dripping with their trademark relaxed luxury. I particularly loved the animal prints!

I like when Joseph Altuzarra feels the artsy craftsy vibe.This halter top felt luxurious but artisanal. What a combo!

Knock 'em dead in red with Lacoste! I wear a navy blue Lacoste polo every day but this red suit (with matching backpack) made me think I might need to mix it up color-wise.

Pharrell at the Bionic Yarn x G Star Raw for the Oceans event. Bionic Yarn is an incredible company that makes yarn and fabric from recycled plastics. They just announced a collaboration with G Star called "Raw for the Oceans," which will take waste plastic retrieved from the ocean and make it into Bionic Yarn used for denim designed by BY creative director, Pharrell. What an amazing way to make the world a better place while making cool clothes!

Mr. Mickey's Fashion Week Favorites Day 1

Mr. Mickey's Fashion Week Favorites Day 2

The Sochi Mascot Bear Is Terrifying

February 10, 2014, 6:15 am

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The Sochi mascot bear has been dubbed "nightmare bear" by the Internet. No question, dude will DEFINITELY murder you in your sleep after freaking out from a bad batch of 'ludes. [Buzzfeed]

American figure skater Ashley Wagner got caught muttering "bullshit" to herself after getting her fourth place score. USA! USA! [Deadspin]


In case you missed this video all over your Facebook news feed this weekend, here is an amazing clip of a confused squirrel trying to hide nut in a dog's fur. The dog just starting on politely the whole time is what really makes it. And the squirrel's tiny paws. Too cute! [Jezebel]
  Be mine. [Tastefullyoffensive]

Prince hair chart for your files. [Mlkshk]
 
11 sweet seconds of Bob Costas saying "pussy riot." [TheClearlyDope]


A+ [Reddit]

He's just being honest. [Mlkshk]

Rabbit shaming with Pipkin the very naughty bunny. [TastefullyOffenisve]
 

Mr. Mickey's Fashion Week Favorites: Day 4

February 10, 2014, 7:30 am

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DKNY

Paper's own Carlos Santolalla and his bf John were among the downtown dignitaries in the DKNY show. Angel Haze, Brandee Brown, Chelsea Leyland and Hannah Bronfman joined 'real models' to showcase Donna Karan's kickier younger line DKNY and I loved the energy.

Public School

Every look at the Public School show was major. So chic. So European. Such a strong point of view. It made me wish I was the world's chicest cartoon villain so I could wear those capes! The womenswear, which they showed for the first time, was also spot-on.

Sparkle flats at Manolo Blahnik

Manolo Blahnik is still the king of fantabulous fantasy footwear and he showed a gallery full of his signature styles. This season we particularly felt the sparkle flats. Maybe it's because we're getting old and maybe it's because we know sexy can be comfy too.

Trompe l'oeil details at Band of Outsiders

Trompe l'oeil is my favorite fashion effect and I flipped for the cape with trompe l'oeil toggles and the skirt with trompe l'oeil waistband and pocket. Band of Outsiders is such a fun line because it's smart but also cool and relaxed.

Photo by NY Daily News 

DVF's golden finale

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of her signature wrap dress, DVF's show featured a finale of models in gold dresses dancing on stage with Diane and the show's musical guest St. Vincent. No designer blooms in the spotlight more than DVF!

Ten Thoughts on Girls' Latest Episode: "Free Snacks"

February 10, 2014, 9:00 am

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This week, Hannah starts a new job and Shosh finds a new boy...

1. We love that Ray is surprisingly fluent in media-speak
Ray totally calls it that Hannah's hired by GQ to write advertorials rather than articles -- who knew he was so conversant in media nitty gritty? Maybe if the hospitality industry doesn't pan out for him, he could join PAPER Publishing.

2. Hannah's style is looking more and more like a late-fiftysomething aging hippie mom living in Northampton 
The past few episodes have seen Hannah ditch her ill-fitting rompers and mesh tank tops in favor of more conservative, high-waisted chinos and sleeveless tops straight out of a Land's End catalog.

3. Thank god GQ's office looks like every other shitty media office we've been in
Disclaimer: we've never been inside GQ's offices before so we have no idea how accurate their depiction was but it felt like a relief that even a fictional representation showed the office as drab and boring as most other corporate media offices are. But that snack pile looked pretty great -- was that Mast brothers chocolate Hannah dumped onto the conference table??

4. Marnie behaves like a bitch to Ray because she thinks she's too good for him...at first
Our theory about why Marnie was being so awful towards Ray is twofold -- she's embarrassed that they hooked up, obviously, and she's also not quite able to drop her guard and let someone into her life that doesn't fit her conception of what he should be like or look like. (Or maybe we're being cynical and she's actually trying to observe the 'friend code' and not get involved with her friend's ex...nah.) Ray's not as hunky as Charlie or Booth Jonathan and probably doesn't fit into Marnie's notion of what her boyfriend -- or casual lay or whatever -- should look like so all she wants to do is shut. it. down. Until, of course, Ray persists and all her pent up irritation just bursts open into lust. The whole situation still seems very weird and mismatched and despite all this talk about lust, we don't really see the chemistry there. We're curious to see where this goes and hope Shosh gets dragged into the fray at some point. As we said last week, it's been too long since the girls had conflict among one another.

5. We have a crush on Hannah's new colleague Joe
"Advertorial guy Joe" (played by Michael Zegen) is awesome and weird and a little socially unaware (remind you of anyone?). At first we totally thought he had a thing for Hannah but later on it became clear he has a longstanding crush on their colleague, Karen. Zegen told us back in December that it's totally inaccurate to peg Joe as "the new Charlie" and Hannah and Adam still seem pretty solid so...will he not get to bone any of the four Girls girls? Karen seems way cool, though, and we could get behind a little GQ office romance.

6. Jessa may have found her true calling
Her bullying, nihilist salesgirl schtick is surprisingly effective when it comes to slinging over-priced kid's clothes.

7. Jenna Lyons was perfect as the scary, impassive boss
Though she's not an actress, we think Jenna Lyons nailed the right tone as the dispassionate boss whom you can never totally read. That whole scene in the conference room was perfect, actually. We can 100% picture reading a Neiman Marcus-sponsored advertorial in GQ about the "Millennial Man's Man," "Mr. Midnight," or the "Gowanus Yachtsman." And we know a million guys who could pass for a "Kaballer" -- but they all live in L.A.

8. It was really depressing when it finally dawned on Hannah how easy it is to get used to corporate perks
The story of a naive, idealistic youth living in the big city to pursue her creative passions, only to trade them all in for the financial temptations of the corporate grind is real cliché but we still had a little pang for Hannah when she realized that she's not all that special -- that all of her colleagues started in the same exact place as she did and are now writing about "Gowanus Yachtsman." Just like Balzac's Lost Illusions -- the original version of Hannah's very predicament -- in which the central character becomes seduced by free dinners, theater tickets and parties, Hannah catches herself being bought for a pathetically small price: free snacks. 

9. Shosh needs a break from her mind -- so she picks a guy that doesn't have one
As much as we've been shitting on Shosh lately and as much as she often behaves like a blathering tween, we think she's actually very thoughtful beneath all that upspeak and sock buns. Her hyper-analytical mind was well-matched with Ray's equally cerebral brain but now that she's starting to freak out over college graduation and her future, her anxieties are in overdrive and she needs to be with a calming presence. A chill presence. A dumb presence. Enter Parker.

10. Fingers crossed we get to find out what happened to Caroline
I hope this isn't the last we'll see of Caroline. Adam's reaction last week to the news that Hannah had kicked his sister out was too alarming to just let the character flit away. Completely unsolicited plot suggestion: let's see her pop up selling tarot cards and amulets at Bushwick's occult bookstore, Catland, after Jessa quits her job at the bougie kid's store and decides to apply for a job there, instead. There's something about Caroline and Jessa's energies that would be really interesting/really combustible together... 

Best lines of the episode:

"You just said 'snack room' and everything blurred.'" -- Hannah

"Fedoras are worse than genocide." -- Joe

"I've seen Ken Burns' jazz documentary seventeen times. Does that count?" -- Ray

"I could sell these on Etsy for 20 bucks each. People are fuckin' stupid." -- Adam

Trending: Super-sized Scarves

February 10, 2014, 9:45 am

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SUSIE BUBBLE (Center) and FRIENDS (Photo by Phil Oh)

Boy, this winter is relentless. But as any good fashion plate -- or fashion victim -- worth her salt knows, snow and sleet and wind are just part of the sartorial challenge during New York Fashion Week. This season we're seeing lots of well-dressed ladies and gents strike a balance between fashion and function with the help of some super-sized scarves. No longer simply worn for warmth or pointless accessorizing fluff, these voluminous wraps come in extra-long tangerine-tinged faux fur (Susie Bubble, above), blanket-sized plaids for layering outside moto jackets (above) or pretty patterns to wrap babushka-style for extra coverage (Miroslava Duma, below). Designers are feeling the need to fend off the chill, too: models were seen swathed in oversized wraps on the Prabal Gurung, Tibi and Edun runways. The message is...it's cool to be cozy. Now, can we just crawl into the one from Baja East, the buzzy new label known for 'loose luxury,' lie down on the fuzzy-faced fur by Hyein Seo for VFiles and sleep 'til spring? 

 

MIROSLAVA DUMA (Photo by YoungJun Koo)

PRABAL GURUNG (Photo by Julio Gamboa/BFAnyc.com)

TIBI

HYEIN SEO

EDUN 

BAJA EAST 

THAKOON

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The Inside Scoop With The Business of Fashion's Imran Amed

February 10, 2014, 10:20 am

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In the Internet's endless abyss of fashion blogs and websites, Imran Amed's trade news site, The Business of Fashion, stands out as a trusted, must-read component of the fashion media landscape. After quitting his job at the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, in 2006, Amed began writing BoF as a blog once or twice a week in hopes of understanding an industry that fascinated him. As the walls of the highly controlled and exclusive world of fashion began to crumble thanks to the digital revolution and social media boom, Amed found an audience hungry for more information on the once elusive industry. Feeding a parallel interest in business and fashion with retail reporting, show overviews, global market columns and insider profiles with CEOs and creative types a like, Amed watched his passion project slowly turn into a successful business in its own right. They reached a landmark last September with the launch of BoF 500, a global guide to the fashion industry's top players. Now a major player himself, Amed and BoF enter 2014 with new infrastructure, including a full-time team of 10 and a London headquarters. We caught up with the editorial entrepreneur in between shows at Men's Fashion Week in Paris to talk about the state of the fashion business.

Maggie Dolan: How do you view Fashion Week through a business lens?

Imran Amed: Fashion Week is possibly the most glamorous trade conference. It isn't like other industries that might organize something in Las Vegas or someplace in the suburbs, but effectively, Fashion Week is a trade conference. It's an opportunity for the industry to connect, and that's the most valuable part. All the conversations people have while waiting for shows to start or as they are having dinner or in the back of taxis. Deals are done, relationships are built, it's where the business happens and clearly for me that's the most interesting.

MD: Have you made any deals on the front row?

IA: Probably. I have certainly secured important stories or met people for the first time. When
we were talking about raising money to build the site up, those conversations happened during Fashion Week. It's a great time to meet with people because all the movers and shakers in the industry are in the same place.

MD: What was your motivation behind the BoF 500?

IA: Sometimes when you read how fashion is portrayed in the media you can think that everyone is spending all their time going to parties and drinking champagne, but actually, people work really hard in fashion and there are some very talented people -- people who can be creative and commercial, people who have incredible vision about aesthetics and experiences. I've been incredibly fortunate  to see a fashion industry that goes beyond New York, Milan, Paris and London and that goes behind the boldface names. The whole industry is this incredible, thriving group of people and I thought it would be interesting to bring them all together and show the diversity of fashion. 

MD: The BoF 500 print edition has become a collectible. A few years ago everyone was talking about how print was dead, but major online entities like Net-A-Porter, Style.com and now BoF are producing print content. How do you see the value of print evolving in a digital world?

IA: We used print as a way of launching something. When we came up with the idea to do our print edition we weren't sitting around the table saying, "OK, let's do print." We had this digital platform where BoF 500 came together, where it was living and breathing and constantly changing for social media. We thought, "Well, how are we going to launch this? How are we going to create a moment where everyone pays attention and is talking about it?" I do think there is still a value in print. I think the fact that people are now trying to get a hold of our issue shows there is still value in the physical object. Plus there is real value in being able to offer something that fits across print, digital, social and video because consumers are accessing brand content from across all those platforms. It's about using print intelligently. We thought about timeless content. Insight, analysis and storytelling -- a good story is good today and a good story is good five years from now and a good story is good 50 years from now.

MD: Fashion and blogs have always had a complicated relationship. What do you make of IMG's decision not to ask bloggers to Fashion Week?

IA: Well, I am going to wait and see what actually happens when New York Fashion Week starts. I met with the IMG folks in London the other day, and they were explaining some of the changes they were making, but I don't get the sense that the idea is to block people out. I think we are at a stage now where some blogs have really become part of the fashion media, and I don't really see a massive distinction between a website like Fashionista, which started as a blog, and some of the more mainstream media that also have websites now. Media's converged and I think good media, good editors, good bloggers will all still have access to the shows.

MD: Having access is really important to your work. When you were first starting out, how did you get access?

IA: I found that the best strategy was to let things happen organically. I wasn't a journalist. I didn't go out and pitch stories to people. I didn't go out and make opportunities. I just let things happen. Most of the time I was writing down ideas that were bouncing in my head. It's only as the site developed that I started to understand the dynamics of how media works and story pitching. I've really learned everything on the job. At the beginning it was very hard to get into shows. I didn't get into a lot. I had to sneak into shows or friends would get me in. The most natural thing to me was to let things happen really smoothly and softly. 

MD: How would you describe the relationship between fashion houses and journalists?

IA: It's a symbiotic relationship in the best instances. The journalist is looking for a really great special story to tell, an interesting image or an exclusive, and the brand is looking for the most appropriate media to which it can tell its story. In the best situation you really do feel the symbiosis where someone will call with an exciting thing to share and they are looking for the best way to get it out there. If you have the right audience, approach and professionalism, then I find the relationships with fashion brands to go really well. Where it breaks down and where things get difficult is where the brand really tries to control the message. But that's the job of PRs, to manage communication, and most journalists understand that's what their role is. There are certain lines that some brands try to cross from time to time, but it's up to the media outlet how much they allow a brand to exert control over their own content. We think it's really important to maintain as much independence as possible in our reporting so that we can tell the story in our own voice. That's what our community is looking for -- our analytical, opinionated and authoritative voice -- and that's what we stick to.

MD: How do you see digitalization affecting access to the conversation?

IA: We're here at Men's Fashion Week in Paris and there are hundreds of thousands of people participating that were never able to before. They aren't sitting in the shows or trying to get in; they are watching online or watching the images come through on their Instagram feeds or they are having a chat about it on Twitter, and that conversation by far drowns out the official conversation. It's true for every consumer-facing brand, but especially true in our industry where people are so passionate about fashion and luxury brands.

MD: Now that fashion shows are becoming a digital experience, do you think the Fashion Week experience will always exist?

IA: It really depends on what day you ask me this question, but I think there is something still really special about the fashion show experience -- seeing the clothes in person and feeling the mood. I would say that the current Fashion Week system is broken. Is it the end of the fashion show? No, but I think we need to reconfigure the system so it fits with the new era in which we live. If I was to do all the men's shows in January, then all the haute couture shows in Paris, then all the women's shows, I would be at Fashion Week for six or seven weeks. The cycle of fashion operates on this kind of seasonal basis where you order clothes six months in advance. That operational cycle is completely out of sync with the communication cycle of fashion, which happens instantaneously. I think there will always be some form of fashion show. It's just a matter of what the format is, who the audience is and what the timing is. I think that's up for change.

MD: Do you see companies looking to change?

IA: Yes, and it's really interesting. Tamara Mellon doesn't participate in Fashion Week. She does these intimate presentations six weeks before her collection is going to drop in stores or online. She says there are no seasons. She creates certain products that are always available and then she creates monthly drops. There are certain brands that are playing around with new business models, and I get really excited when I see that because I think innovation in the way the fashion business works is the trick now. For good or for bad, a lot of the fashion industry is antiquated in the way it does business, but let's face it, the world has gone through incredible change in the last seven years. I think that's why BoF resonated. We've really tried to explore and understand what all of this change means for the industry. When I see businesses that are taking risks and doing things differently, I think that's really impressive, and who knows what's going to work, but if you don't try to do things differently then nothing is ever going to change.

MD: Do you think the fashion industry truly welcomes change? 

IA: It's interesting because in one respect fashion is all about change -- the products change every season, trends are always changing -- but on the other hand it's an industry that is very slow to embrace change. For real change to happen--because sometimes the fashion industry does operate  a little bit like lemmings -- you need someone with a really courageous attitude to say, "I'm going to try something different." Then everyone sits and watches, and if it works, they all pile in. We saw that with Natalie Massenet and Net-A-Porter. When she was trying to come up with this concept of selling luxury online, people were telling her she was absolutely mad. And now, everybody is trying to build up some online luxury business. I would really like to see more innovators in fashion and we really try to celebrate them on the site because that kind of dynamism and innovation is what keeps an industry interesting and keeps it sticking with the times.

MD: Where are the most interesting developments happening in the fashion business?

IA: One of the things that I've been obsessed with since starting BoF is the impact of the Internet and digitalization on how the fashion industry works. I see a convergence happening between the physical retail store, the mobile phone and e-commerce. Physical stores are almost becoming customer service centers for the digital customer to try on clothes before buying items. We're calling it "omni-channel commerce" where consumers interact with brands across lots of channels. Watching the physical, the digital and the mobile experience all converge has been really interesting.
 
MD: How is the business of fashion different from any other business?

IA: The business of fashion is unique because fashion is one of those rare industries that is genuinely driven by creativity. Without the creative talent and the ideas that we have in fashion, there would be nothing to sell. Everybody in the world is touched by fashion
in some way, whether it's subconsciously or consciously. That said, the fashion industry
is also very competitive. You can only sustain yourself for a couple of seasons without understanding what you are trying to achieve from a business standpoint. Even if you have pots and pots of cash but you're not running a business, then you aren't going to be successful. There needs to be a real fundamental understanding that fashion is a business, not an art form.

MD: Do you think the creative people in fashion appreciate the opinions of analysts and journalists? 

IA: I think they do more and more. What's surprising to some people and fascinating to me is that 60 percent of our industry audience is creative. When creating and designing BoF and thinking about the content, I always have the philosophy of right brain and left brain. We want to create stories that are accessible to both sides of the industry. One of our goals is to offer business people insight into the creative process and to offer the creative people some insight into the business process. We don't use complicated or business-y jargon or industry slang; we try to keep everything totally accessible and the result is that 50 percent of our audience has nothing to do with the fashion industry. They are just interested in the business of fashion, and that's really the defining principle of what we do.

Grooming by Ann-Marie Lawson
Shot at The London Edition

10 Etsy Finds: A DIY Valentine's Day

February 10, 2014, 11:00 am

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1. Twin Peaks

Not only is this necklace the cutest nod to David Lynch but it's also the twee-est way to show that, just like these peaks, you and your Valentine are inseparable.

2. Red Cat Tank

The perfect tank to wear for those who could give a shit about Valentine's Day, cat-lady stereotypes, and sub-freezing temperatures.

3. It's Complicated Issue #1 -- Totally Crushed Out

Edited by Judy Berman and Niina Pollari, It's Complicated is a zine exploring feminist writers' love/hate relationships with artists including Charles Bukowski, Eminem, and Ayn Rand.

4. 2014 Beer Pairings Calendar

Give Seamless a break and cook a low-key, romantic dinner with help from this illustrated beer and food pairing calendar.

5. Mountain Range Wrapping Paper

An unexpected and beautiful way to wrap your gifts. You'll have to step it up from last-minute Duane Reade wrapping paper at some point.

6. Tropical Flower Pattern Underwear Set

A lady can never have too many cute bras and underwear.

7. Rough Diamond Stud Earrings

Like your boyfriend before you starting dressing him -- a charming diamond in the rough.

8. Text Me, ASL? Earrings

So we can all remember love in the time of Tinder.

9. Gold Envelope Necklace

Why say with words what you could say with a gold necklace?

10. Personalized Paper Dolls

Personalized paper dolls made in your likeness because you know what? You deserve it.

Here's What Instagram Would Look Like If It Had Been Invented In the '80s

February 11, 2014, 6:30 am

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What if Instagram had been invented in the '80s? FLOPPY DISCS. [via Hyper Vocal]

Lil B makes The Cos do 2 Chainz's "I'm escaping spiderwebs" dance move. [via Coin Farts]

Scope Downworthy, a site that takes some of Upworthy's most obnoxious headlines and re-writes them as they really should be. [via downworthy]

Watch what happens when a Portland, Oregon reporter interviews an attractive -- and foolish -- couple jogging during a snowstorm. [via Rats Off]

Curling cat! [via Julia Segal Time]

Meet our new favorite Tumblr: Venmo Lucas, which parodies those ads you see everywhere for that mysterious money-sharing app.. [via Venmo Lucas]

Here's a great clip of dudes blindly guessing the price of makeup and hair products. "Uh, this hair dryer says 'New York, London and Paris' on it so I'm gonna say it's $200." [via Buzzfeed]

Here's a compilation of your favorite songs and misheard song lyrics. No, I don't think "we're ready for fish jelly." Uh uh. [via Pleated Jeans]

Mr. Mickey's Fashion Week Diary: Day 5

February 11, 2014, 9:14 am

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Mr. Mickey is weighing in every morning this glorious F/W' 14 New York Fashion Week to tell us about all of the clothes (and cute boys) catching his eye. Take it away, Mr. Micks!


Three of my favorite second generation rockers Georgia May Jagger and Alexandra & Theodora Richards hosted a little breakfast time shindig for Sunglass Hut at Lincoln Center. I love starting the day with a little dose of blonde gorgeousness.


I made a cameo appearance at the HSN Lounge today and those of you who know Mr. Mickey, know he's addicted to home shopping! It was a thrill to meet my favorite HSN on-air hostess Colleen Lopez and to see one of my favorite designers Byron Lars. Good times!



I was mad for plaid at Tommy Hilfiger. Why are all my favorite looks worn by either Malaika or Hanne Gaby?
 

Kenneth Cole - what can I say? Gloves, hat, bag, suspenders and, yes, a bow-tie. I love a heavily accessorized man!

As an editor, I love a pullover with a message. This Karen Walker 'Young, Willing and Eager' jumper really speaks to me. Probably because I'm young, stubborn and lazy.

Meet Shoshonna's New Boyfriend On Girls

February 11, 2014, 9:45 am

≫ Next: Getting Zen At Home With Chuck Grant

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[WARNING: SPOILERS]

Since the beginning of Girls' third season, we've learned that Shoshonna has moved on from her break up with Ray by getting laid. Apparently, a lot. But until this past Sunday, we hadn't gotten to see her in action -- let alone meet any of the guys she was hooking up with. In the most recent episode, we finally see Shosh having some R-rated adult fun time with one of her new suitors, Parker, a very chill dude who Shosh allegedly once said was "so dumb that he couldn't find the library." Played by actor -- and Zosia Mamet's real-life boyfriend -- Evan Jonigkeit (the two first appeared together in the critically-acclaimed play, Really Really), Parker seems to be a dim-witted, easy-going yin to Shoshonna's analytical, high-strung yang. Curious to know more about Shosh's new love interest, we spoke to Jonigkeit about his new role, what it's like filming sex scenes with your significant other and what's ahead for the young actor.

How did the role come about?

Lena [Dunham] and [executive producer] Ilene Landress came and saw Zosia and I perform in Really Really a year ago. They saw how Zosia and I work together and they asked me if I wanted to do it -- I didn't have to audition. It started as a walk-on role in a different episode and they wound up liking the character and expanding it. That's how Sunday's episode came to be.

How did Lena describe the part to you?

That [Parker's] sort of douchey and stupid. [Laughs] He's certainly not an intellectual equal to Shoshonna.

Were you aware going into it that you guys would be having a pretty intense sex scene?

Yeah. But Lena's really great about [those scenes]. When somebody's in a sex scene, she makes sure to find out peoples' comfort level and what they are and are not okay with. I was game. My only caveat was I didn't want [Parker] to be cruel to [Shoshonna] in any way during our sex scene. Lena was like, "Of course, of course, of course."

Is it difficult filming scenes like that with your real-life girlfriend?

Yes! It's really weird! There's forty people in the corner of the room and you're like, "Okay, I'm gonna go ahead and take my pants off now. Zosia, you ready to go?" It's a little uncomfortable but everybody on the set is a pro and we had a good time. Everyone was really chill about it.

In your mind, why do you think the Shosh and Parker are drawn to one another?

The way I imagine it is that Parker is sort of simple and he needs to eat and he needs to sleep. These are his motivating factors. And for Shoshonna, who's so cerebral about everything and is trying to figure things out and moving at such a rapid pace, he offsets her in a nice way. Even though [their relationship] doesn't seem destined to be anything because they're so different, they are kind of good for each other. We'll see.

Had you been watching Girls before appearing on it?

Oh yeah. But I got on the train a little late. I started watching around the end of the first season or start of the second season so I had to catch up -- but I love it. One of the things that I think often happens with TV shows is that someone makes a show and they do the first season and then they get a writing team who dilutes the essence of what the show is. Whereas Lena's been able to maintain [her voice] and hasn't tried to fit in or conform to what anybody might expect or want. She's been true to the storytelling that she wants to tell.

A little while back there was a funny video floating around showing a fake trailer for a Girls spin-off, Boys. Do you think anyone will ever make a real spin-off like that?

I'm not sure to be honest. There are things that are wonderfully specific and unique to a woman's point of view on growing up and going through her twenties and men are so compartmentalized and don't have the [range] of feeling girls have. But maybe I just haven't thought about it long and hard enough. That's just my initial thought.

What's next for you?

I might be shooting something in April out in Montana but it's pilot season right now and this is my first time experiencing it because I've been fortunate enough to be working during my last two pilot seasons in New York. I'm also still auditioning for Broadway shows.

And you'll also appear in X-Men. How was shooting that?

It was a wild, wild experience to be part of such a large production and something that's so beloved. We shot in Montreal, which is such an incredible city.

Did you have some good poutine?

I did have some good poutine. It was fantastic.

Photo by Matteo Prandoni / BFAnyc.com

Getting Zen At Home With Chuck Grant

February 11, 2014, 12:15 pm

≫ Next: Metronomy Teams Up With Michel Gondry for "Love Letters" Video

≪ Previous: Meet Shoshonna's New Boyfriend On Girls

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There's a lot to be said about how a person puts together their everyday looks. We teamed up with Gap for Styld.by and asked some of our favorite super-cool kids around town -- including Cobra Starship front man Gabe Saporta, actress and musician Tennessee Thomas and photographer Chuck Grant --  to show us their most wearable get-ups.   


Up first: Chuck! If she's not snapping portraits of rock stars and celebrities (including her sister, Lana Del Rey), the L.A.-based artist is perfecting her inverted locust pose in the yoga studio. And when she's at home, you'll find the Cali zen girl straight-chilling, aligning those chakras in her Gap Always Skinny jeans. We sun salute you and your awesomeness, Ms. Grant! 


Head to Gap Styld.by for more looks from Chuck and stay tuned for styles by Tennessee and Gabe.

Metronomy Teams Up With Michel Gondry for "Love Letters" Video

February 11, 2014, 2:30 pm

≫ Next: 10 Observations On This Week's Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Swollen Tongues + Will Smith's Ex

≪ Previous: Getting Zen At Home With Chuck Grant

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British indie rockers Metronomy have teamed up with acclaimed French director Michel Gondry to release a cute new video for the band's single "Love Letters." While Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind) is no stranger to making music videos -- he's previously worked with Bjork, The White Stripes, Beck, and more -- "Love Letters" is his first music video since 2011. And it was worth the wait. Shot all in one take, the clip features the band jubilantly performing in some sort of trippy box-cum-DIY recording studio. Think of it as a  kitschy modern art exhibit-meets old-school jam sesh.

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10 Observations On This Week's Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Swollen Tongues + Will Smith's Ex

February 11, 2014, 3:30 pm

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1. Carey: There is something super not right about Yolanda's relationship with Mohamed Hadid. I get that they do the whole "we're divorced, but we're friends! See????" thing, which I guess is good for the kids, but there is somewhere in their divorce settlement that Yolanda gets to use Mohamed's behemoth abode for her own personal use? Not only did Yo-Yo lead the interior decoration/remodeling of her ex-hubby's castle (remember when she told the Latino construction workers to go HOME AND LEARN ENGLISH??) she's now using it for her prized flamingo, Gigi's, "Arabic themed" graduation party. And this is all going doing just DAYS after she and David hosted David's daughter from a former marriage's WEDDING at Muhammad's pad. So, Yolanda hosted her stepdaughter's wedding at her ex-husband's house. David and Mohamed were/are apparently besties? I'm trying to process this. This all goes into my theory that Mohamed and David traded Yolanda. One night, David and Mohamed were sitting around smoking cigars and David was like, "Yo, Yolanda's really cool," and Muhammad was like, "Wanna marry her?" and David was like, "...Sure." and then the two fist bumped and made out a little.

2. Eli: Yolanda is apparently on a diet for some reason, and I'm really not sure what she is allowed to eat. She can't eat bread -- but she smells it -- and apparently even turns down fruit. I don't know what diet doesn't allow you to eat fruit -- I always thought that was one of the "good ones." I'm just gonna guess that Yolanda's diet mostly subsists of her sitting in a shallow pool of water and sucking on a pebble for sustenance.

3. Carey: Carlton and her porn-y husband David are about to throw a big fancy 40th anniversary bash for David's family's financial company, StockCross. Carlton repeats over and over again how the Gebbia's have made soooooooo much money and how thankful they are to their clients for throwing wads of cash at them and making them rich. All of David's brothers look exactly like him -- the only thing that separates David from his bros is his giant crucifix necklace and that he is married to a witch. I liked when Carlton gives us a liiiiiiittle backstory after we see her greeting her very Goodfellas looking father and mother-in-law, about how she started working for the company before she was a leathery praying mantis, and ended up "marrying the boss's son" (she says that was a sly grin). Good for you, bb. Good for you. The best part of the episode is when Kyle learns she was "uninvited" to the StockCross soiree after Carlton sent her an email that said, "You're uninvited, but Mauricio can still come." You gotta hand it to Carlton. She has no shame, and I think more people should implement that tactic. You just know Mauricio went to bed that night, secretly relieved that he was still invited.

4. Eli: When Carlton walks around her husband's work and vaguely points at stuff, it reminded me of the general energy I always get from the housewives whenever they're "working on something" -- it's like when you give a baby in a car a fake steering wheel so it can feel like it's driving. It's like "Event Planning by Fisher Price." Mostly just wild gesturing and occasionally mumbling to themselves "chars..."

5. Carey: Speaking of the StockCross party, what was up with Kim? Why was she even there? I love her transparent digs at Kyle. She clearly knows the bad blood between Cartlon and her sis, but damn well if she's not going to show up to that event and hug and kiss Goody Gebbia and talk about how they saw some squirrels that one time. Lisa and Ken spot Kim as she sort of stumbles onto the "red carpet" for the party as the Brits are leaving. Where in the hell had she been before this event?! She looks disoriented and bewildered (more so than usual) and I kiiiiiiinda got the sense that she was um, let's just say....not all there. She seemed wasted, to be blunt. She had that old Kim slur going hard, and she was all huggy with Carlton and Brandi. Maybe I'm just being unfair, but it felt like our Lady of the Sad Canyons was hovering in the stratosphere again. I reaaaaaally, really hope that's not the case!

6. Eli: I can't get over someone whose chyron presents them as "Current Queen Of The Universe" like Joyce's friend. I assume that's because she's Miss Universe, but still, that's not the title with which an adult presents themselves. You might as well introduce yourself as "Hi, I'm Jerry, I'm King of the Faeries."

7. Eli: Also: Will Smith's ex-wife was at the party. I didn't know that he had an ex-wife but she was apparently at the party, and it was a BIG deal. People were in a maelstrom, just flitting about. "Will Smith's ex is here." "Did you see Will Smith's ex?" "That woman used to be married to Will Smith." "This party has such a chill, Will Smith ex vibe. Probably because Will Smith's ex is here."

8. Carey: Meanwhile, Brandi had an allergic reaction to something she ate. Ahem. The entire episode her tongue and throat were swollen and she could barely speak. She hikes around Griffith Park with Kyle with a hand brace and a swollen mouth/tongue and it was kind of amazing. I don't know, Brandi is kind of growing on me. I think I would love to get dinner with her and drink wine and let her hijack every conversation and make it be about herself while I eventually give up trying to talk and just eat all the bread and nod and get quietly drunk. I hiked Griffith Park once, and even if it was broad daylight, I kept worrying that I was going to get murdered and buried in some ditch. Even scarier, would be to run into Brandi while hiking Griffith Park; she'd be in an arm brace, or using crutches, with a swollen tongue and a swollen throat, frantically trying to tell me about how she hears her missing ghost dog crying in the wind at night.

9. Carey: On the topic of ghosts, Stassi from Vanderpump Rules is now my fav ghost on TV. She just haunts the screen, making these little cameos on Housewives. I want her to show up on every show on every channel on every TV in the world. I want to see her on C-SPAN. During a speech, the camera will pan to the corner of the room where Stassi is sitting next to the Rep from Ohio, pulling her hair out of a messy side bun she wore during her shift at SUR, and turning to the politician next to her and mouthing, "What the fuck are they talking about?"

10. Eli: I don't really understand who Stassi is.

Mid '90s James Franco Is Everything

February 12, 2014, 5:30 am

≫ Next: Top 10 Celebrities We're So Embarrassed to Have Crushes On

≪ Previous: 10 Observations On This Week's Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Swollen Tongues + Will Smith's Ex

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Happy Wednesday! Start your day with mid-90s James Franco wearing a Billabong t-shirt and barrettes. [Anastasia Beaverhausen]

For all you cold-hearted Valentine's haters out there, here's everything wrong with the movie the Notebook. [Uproxx]

Valentine's Nightmare Alert: The DIY makeout pillow, made with the mouth of a CPR dummy and a pillow. [Uproxx]

Behold, your new favorite Tumblr: The Shoshi Olympics, in which Shoshana from Girls partakes in all of your favorite winter olympics sports. [ImWithKanye]

Hanger got the better of me. [Mlkshk]

Do not even with this goat. [AfternoonSnoozeButton]
  Cats are terrible at apologies. [TastefullyOffensive]

Top 10 Celebrities We're So Embarrassed to Have Crushes On

February 12, 2014, 8:00 am

≫ Next: Mr. Mickey's Fashion Week Favorites: Day 6

≪ Previous: Mid '90s James Franco Is Everything

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Ahead of Valentine's Day this year, we took a little straw poll at Paper HQ about all the celebrities we're most embarrassed to have crushes on. From reality stars to douchey singer-songwriters, here are the top ten guys we're sorry/not sorry about wanting to send a box of Sweethearts to this year.

10. Ed Westwick
As much as it pains us to admit, we're a little turned on by that Deep V.

9. Adam Levine
Adam Levine has been on the cover of this magazine and just FYI he ate a banana while lounging on some throw pillows while he was being interviewed.

8. Zayn Malik from One Direction
What's not to love about a barely-legal British boy bander whose eyelashes are longer than Lady Bunny's?

7. Jared Leto
Jared Leto is a "kaballer" personified and we would totally let him realign our chakras any time. 

6. Mario Lopez
We go weak in the knees for any man who accessorizes his wedding ring with a pair of grills. Just embrace it, just embrace it.

5. Scott Disick
What can we say? We swoon over a man with a teenage modeling past and a title (even if it was purchased over the Internet).

4. Drake
Can we be your ChampagneMami, Aubrey?

3. Brody Jenner
He has a very adorable Instagram account filled with pictures of dogs and horrifying selfies of him on private planes. Pea$e brotha.

2. John Mayer
C'mon, you already know what this man's O-face looks like and it's disgusting and hot at the same time. Oh god, what is happening to us? Send help.   

1. Shia LaBeouf
Never say never ;)

Note: All photos come from our shame crushes' personal Instagram or Twitter accounts.

Mr. Mickey's Fashion Week Favorites: Day 6

February 12, 2014, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Why Shaun White Losing the Olympics Is Good for Snowboarding

≪ Previous: Top 10 Celebrities We're So Embarrassed to Have Crushes On

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Mr. Mickey is weighing in every morning this glorious F/W' 14 New York Fashion Week to tell us about all of the clothes (and cute boys) catching his eye. Take it away, Mr. Micks! 

Rodarte's collection was so many things: intellectual, eccentric, nerdy, shiny and chic. What a combo. I was particularly in love with the sparkle coats and the glasses.

Diesel Black Gold smartly showed cool, modern clothes that hipster girls will want to wear. With stuff like this sleeveless mini dress with metallic studs, a girl's ready for a night out in Wiliamsburg or the LES.

 

I always love a pants off dance off and this Tory Burch blouse with no pants feels young, cute and sexy all at the same time.

 

Vera Wang makes some of the sparkliest jewelry in town and this drippy necklace turns any look into an Academy Awards moment!

 

Luella Bartley showed her first collection for Marc by Marc Jacobs and this look brought back fun memories of Luella's old collections. It's cool and girly but still put together and cute.

Remixed by Midnight Magic, this Company Freak ode to Andre Leon Tally is divine.

Why Shaun White Losing the Olympics Is Good for Snowboarding

February 12, 2014, 11:00 am

≫ Next: Shinola Taps Bruce Weber -- and Detroit -- For Its New Campaign

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There's a side to snowboarding you won't ever see on NBC or on packs of gum or Target commercials. It was represented on Friday, when Sage Kotsenburg won the Olympic Gold for slopestyle snowboarding. While all the talk leading up to the Olympics suggested that this event -- on the Olympic stage for the first time -- could not be won without the controversial flashy triple-cork move, Kotsenburg showed everyone otherwise. The trick itself is symbolic for a larger struggle in the snowboarding community between artistic integrity and commercial success. Since private corporate sponsors pay snowboarders rather than an established team or association, being a professional snowboarder requires not only skill but also good salesmanship. It is easier to wow the crowds and win competitions with big flip-and-spin maneuvers, but it's more impressive, as Kostenburg showed us, to win without them.

Shaun White, on the other hand, has sold snowboarding's soul, succumbing to the pressure to flip and spin for a few million dollars in endorsement deals. The Olympics are entertainment, and the people want a spectacle. Shaun White gave them a spectacle and made millions in endorsement deals because he is fun to watch. But White also stole the spotlight from snowboarding, drawing the most attention to himself rather than the sport's validity and recognition as a whole. 

Granted, Sage Kotsenburg also flipped and spun his way to victory just like Shaun White did when he first won gold in the halfpipe, but Kostenburg balanced that with style and originality on the rails portion of the competition. And, ultimately, it's his actions off the slope that make him the people's champion. Kotsenburg is all about the snowboard community. During the medal ceremony, Kotsenburg invited his close friends and fellow medalists, Mark McMorris (bronze, Canada) and Staale Sandbech (silver, Norway) to stand with him atop the podium, a beautiful representation of the community aspect of the sport.

Moreover, the snowboarding community appreciates how Kotsenburg draws inspiration from all areas of the sport -- not just the competitive scene. The majority of professional snowboarders do not compete in the X Games or in the Olympics but rather take their skills from terrain parks and apply them to urban settings or the back country. Inspired by skateboarding, urban snowboard crews take to the streets at night from Boulder to Boston to Montreal, attempting to find the gnarliest stair sets or other urban features you can somehow bonk, slide, or tap.  Most of these snowboarders would tell you that what they do is more akin to an art form than a sport. Snowboarding provides a means for free expression of the body the same way any type of dance does. Kotsenburg draws upon all of this in his contest runs, looking to his competitors and every day snowboarders for inspiration. That's rare in the contest scene.

Kotsenburg is not the only one trying to bring the sport back to its stylish roots. Fellow Team USA member Danny Davis is also trying to emphasize style over aerial acrobatics and faced off against the ever-present Flying Tomato last night, both of them ultimately losing the halfpipe competition to Russian superstar Iouri Podladtchikov and Japan's Ayumu Hirano and Taku Hiraoka. Shaun White has said he doesn't consider his lackluster performance last night as an end to his career -- he told Today that he might return for 2018 at the age of 31. White would be wise to re-assess his relationship to the snowboarding community in the meantime. The difference between Danny Davis and Shaun White is clearly portrayed in what they chose to do when their sponsors let them build their own halfpipesi. When White got this opportunity, he built a private halfpipe for him alone to ride and improve on, keeping his progress secret to keep his competitive edge. When Mountain Dew approached Danny Davis with a similar proposition, he invited all of his friends to come hang out and practice on it. Its name? The "Peace Pipe."

Photo via @Shaun_White