bluff me

shoe·le·ry: interchangeable pieces that allow the discriminating shoe enthusiast the ability to transform existing shoes into a fresh and unique fashion statement

Refinery29′s call-out of the shoelery trend this week marked an important milestone for the burgeoning accessory classification; but if you ask me, they left out one important player to watch: Bluff NY. Born out of the economic crisis (or as founders Anna, Cara, and Jess refer to it, the “creative revolution”), Bluff NY provides a very real, very exciting way to update your shoe wardrobe. Passing fad? The fervent commenters over at jewelry designer Kelly Framel’s blog The Glamourai, don’t seem to think so. I understand why; it’s timely, an organic evolution as consumers spend less, pay more attention to detail, and grow increasingly conscious of the importance of renewing and recycling. I caught up with the innovative designers this weekend as they prepared for their upcoming holiday party/sample sale tomorrow (in collaboration with chic hair accessories line à la tête).

LFI: OK, so I know there are three of you, but whose idea was Bluff? Give me the background deets. What are your roles within the company?

AY: So, I got the idea for Bluff because I had spent 2 years working on Wall Street and had a closet full of boring pumps and boots. I wanted to spice up my shoe collection, but without breaking the bank. I went to the garment district and picked up a bunch of material, but then realized I needed to enlist the help of someone who knows how to design and create products. I called my old friend Cara (we went to high school together) who went to Parsons, and pitched my concept. The next day Cara called Jess, who she went to Parsons with as well. That very night we began to design the first collection. I work on the business end and Cara and Jess are the design/production powerhouses. We’re actually a really awesome team.

LFI: I love that the line was born out of innovation and necessity and good old-fashioned resourcefulness. Any tips for my readers about other ways to extend the versatility of one’s wardrobe?

AY: We love to recycle. The concept of reusing what is already in your closet and coming up with seemingly new outfits is exactly what Bluff is about. I personally have a  few staple pieces that are on my body about 50% of my life. A black 5 ft long tube dress/shirt/skirt is the answer to many of my fashion crisis.

CA: Almost all Bluff pieces can be worn in many different ways.  We have a blog, www.bluffny.tumblr.com, where we ask Bluff fans to show us how they “Bluff.”  We have photos of people wearing Bruiser as an awesome spiky headband, Amber feathers as a necklace, and a lot more.

AY: I also love scissors, and am constantly cutting and revising a lot of my stuff. Turning a pair of ripped tights into an arms cover (by cutting a hole in the crotch), cutting an old pair of leggings into a cute pair of biker shorts, etc.

JG: I pick a theme every morning, like 20’s meets Chloe, or Stevie Nicks.  Then I just dig through my closet and find whatever works.  I always end up finding an old piece I never thought I’d wear again, bringing it new life!

LFI: I love the innovation! If you could collaborate with any shoe line, what would it be and what would you create?

AY: Bluff NY for Brian Atwood. Yes, please. I could die for a 4+ inch heel. We’d probably do some simple studded pieces but also some over the top feather, glitter stuff.

JG: Frye. I’ve got some awesome ideas!

LFI: How have sales been? Any favorite accounts you work with or anyone who has been particularly supportive of the collection?

AY: Sales are good. We are in 3 stores and all have had repeat orders. We love all our retailers!

LFI: Very diplomatic. You are obviously the mastermind behind the sales effort. What are your best-sellers? Any items you are surprised by?

AY: Best sellers are Stud, Bruiser, Alice, and the feather pieces. I’m shocked that Night Rider doesn’t have better sales – it’s my absolute favorite, but a little eccentric, I guess.

LFI: Now that you mention the names, I love them! Who comes up with them?

AY: Names are a collaborative effort – inspired by our friends, music we listen to while designing, and just how the pieces make us feel. Bruiser is actually called “F my X” internally – you figure it out.

CA: I named “F my X.” It was a no-brainer!

LFI: When is your next collection getting released? What is inspiring you for the next season?

CA: We don’t really do the collection thing.  We started with a collection of about 14 pieces but now we are expanding that with a new piece every now and then.  Our pieces are seasonless so they don’t need to be retired after a few months.  Eventually we will have a huge catalogue of items!

AY: Some [new!] pieces will be available at our holiday sample sale! We’re inspired by what is hot in fashion, but more so by what we think women want to wear, and what makes sense as a key accessory in a woman’s closet.

LFI: If you could style a celebrity with Bluff pieces chosen by you, who would you dress and with what?

AY: We gave Alessandra Ambrosio one of our pieces and I would absolutely die to see her in them. We gave her the Achilles because it is what we had with us, but I could definitely see her in the Amber Duster.

CA: Jess and I are in agreement on this one right now… Alison Mosshart.

LFI: Describe the Bluff-ette in three words.

AY: The bluff-ette is a fun-loving, trend-setting, innovative thinker.

JG: Stylish, creative, rad.

CA: Really into fashion.

Sample sale Wednesday, December 16, 6-10 pm, at 277 W. 10th st, apt 1k (between Washington & Greenwich), with à la tête. Above, 1. Alice, 2. Easy Rider, 3. Through the Hole, 4. Achilles, 5. Bad Things, 6. Amber Duster

brian ulrich: copia

Two weeks ago I made a fairly routine visit to Riverside Plaza Mall in New Jersey with assistant. The mall was bustling at 9 AM, before opening time. Mall workers were getting their morning coffee, there were seniors waiting for Maggiano’s to open (really who can blame them), and there were moms in Lululemon powerwalking around the mall (I guess it’s too cold to walk outside?). We wondered who these people were who hang out at the mall before the stores are even open — shopping being the ostensible purpose of visiting one. I spend time in malls because I work in the business, but when I want to play or shop, I turn to the city streets or the internet. Malls are a suburban thing — a community center and retail metropolis rolled into one. There’s no place for a mall in the city; as more and more people flock to urban centers to live and work, the raison d’être of such spaces is severely questioned.

So when I came across this interview by Nozlee Samadzadeh of Brian Ulrich, I was intrigued. Brian Ulrich is an artist who deals with questions of the economy, consumerism, and illusion in his project, Copia (the Latin word for “plenty”). An inspection of his website www.notifbutwhen.com, reveals a deeper look into American consumerism. Ulrich’s eerie oeuvre takes us through thrift stores overflowing with deserted spoils of the retail boom, piles of unused hangers stuffed into shopping bags, soon-to-be-waste in bulk, and jaded post-American Dream shoppers trying to make sense of the endless supply of products.

Most of the works take place in middle America, although there are some photographs from the UK. His series of photographs of abandoned malls, Dark Stores, is hauntingly beautiful and highly disturbing (especially for someone who works in retail… eeks). A mall closing is more than just an abandoned building; it’s the quick dissemination of the community whose livelihood depended on the mall. In the article, Ulrich touches on the concept of the “retail ghost town” and how the malls could possibly be repurposed, although many cannot be. These images are almost post-apocalyptic and very representative of what’s going on right now in America, although many people are unaware of this phenomenon. Some of the newly closed malls just look creepy, but images like JC Penney, Dixie Square Mall, 2009 and Belz Factory Outlet Mall, 2009 look like frames straight out of The Road or 28 Days Later. Something to think about.

not in my backyard part II

I have mixed feelings about this. Less than two blocks from my office from this Friday-Sunday there will be a Target pop-up holiday shop, carrying, among other things, the Rodarte collection. Maybe the traffic will bring some business to the hood. That’s not so bad. But I am as yet undecided about whether I will be venturing over there. Entrance at the Highline entrance on Gansevoort + Washington. I’ll report back later with some pictures.

renato almeida, makeup artist

“I hope you know you are the luckiest girls in here!”

This is how my girlfriend, Miss Cris, and myself are greeted at Saks on Saturday morning upon being spotted by some cosmetic counter ladies. We have brought in our own ringer: makeup artist Renato Almeida. Instead of becoming territorial and aggressive as these women and men are known to do, they gather around us and watch in awe as Renato transforms my face from slightly overslept with more than a few spots into something flawless – luminescent even. Now I understand what Norma Desmond meant when she said “I’m ready for my close-up.”

Renato, a native Brazilian who I first met through MC and her hubby, is Shiseido’s National Makeup Artist; as such he travels around the country making appearances and doing makeup for a lucky few. The rest of the time he is backstage at some of the industry’s biggest shows – Carolina Herrera, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior – or working on editorials at W Magazine, Vogue Brazil, and L’Officiel. He has done the makeup of Gisele, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, and Cindy Crawford, among others. W recently profiled Renato as an up-and-comer to watch.

Although he loves Shiseido and he becomes animated when describing some of his favorites (Total Regenerating Cream, which he endearingly had no idea cost $260) , he doesn’t play favorites when it comes time to pick out the best of the best in each category. He is effusive and earnest in his endorsements of certain products (a good concealer is a must), and brushes off others as unnecessary (there is not much difference among translucent powders). He takes me from Shiseido and Clé de Peau to Chanel, from Giorgio Armani to Laura Mercier, and mentions Urban Decay is one of his favorite mid-tier lines and that MAC has the best eye shadows. At the Dior counter, while he explains to us the merits of contouring, a young, clownish woman, who has clearly been abusing her makeup counter all day, interrupts him and shows us the Natural Glow Sculpting Powder, demonstrating how it is used. He politely goes silent and lets her finish, then looks at me and utters a brusque, “No.” And we’re off to the next counter.

When Renato hands me a small mirror, I hardly recognize the face looking back at me. I am a better version of myself – a more worldly and sophisticated one. My features are acentuated in all the right places, none overwhelming the others, balanced and appearing as if I have no makeup on at all. All the makeup ladies are regarding me approvingly and fawning over Renato. This is why I love makeup so much; the right product can truly make a difference. I believe this, despite my knowledge as a salesperson, which dictates that I wholly understand that the business of beauty – really the business of any kind of self-improvement is still business – can prey on our insecurities, and often the person behind the counter will pile on more and more superfluous products for the sake of the sale, not the customer’s well-being. But some products obviously work, as Renato has so skillfully demonstrated, and I observe the cosmeticas furiously taking notes about what combination of products he has used on me. That will be a sale no one regrets.

Miss Cris, herself one of the gorgeous models who Renato has said is bored to have her makeup done, informs me she is of the former mindset. “No matter what products I use,” she says, “my skin is always the same.” Disturbingly perfect? “It doesn’t matter. It’s all the same.” She is a pro at doing her own makeup now, and knows all the tricks. At each counter she samples colors on the inside of her honey-colored wrist and turns on her heel as the counter minions approach her. Yet at the Chanel counter she pauses when Renato proposes a new lipstick for her. “This color,” he assures, “is the right one for you.” Her face goes slack and she turns her chin up obediently as she assumes the makeup-face she has undoubtedly mastered over the years. She admires her newly ruby lips in a mirror, smiles charmingly at me, and disappears to make a purchase. I can’t help but wonder if she really believes that the products she helps sell with her face are useless for normal women, or if she is just jaded after years of trying everything under the sun.

Renato acknowledges to us over lunch that there is so much out there, and most women are disoriented by the profusion of products. Like any good selection, the best products are weeded out through trial and tribulation by experts like him. I purchased or sampled almost everything he suggested for me and I will be reviewing products and looks as I try them out.

To learn more about Renato visit his website here.

crew love

One month ago I bought four items from J. Crew’s new fall collection: a cardigan, a t-shirt, a hairpin, and polka-dot tights. All at full-price! And I felt good about supporting a job well done. (Except for the tights. They ripped after one wear.)

I was walking on Prince Street and did a double-take; I thought for sure I was staring into the windows of Miu Miu across the street. I ventured in and discovered what I had been missing since my college days. J. Crew has absolutely stepped up their game in terms of fit, quality, and imagination. The value they are offering is huge and customers are taking notice — their stock is up 15.2%, the most of any retail stocks tracked by WWD. In fact, creative director Jenna Lyons scored a one-time $1M cash bonus today. I bow down to you, J. Lyons.

As for my little success story, I cannot stop getting compliments on all pieces, especially the cardigan, which I was wearing when fashionair.com stopped me to do a mini-editorial. I am loving the tweed blazer and chunky necklaces below, sure to be additions to my wardrobe come February.

photo by John Aquino via WWD

q & a

Q: I have decided my footwear buy for winter/fall is going to be a pair of black, knee high riding boots.  Can’t afford anything too expensive, under $200 (massive purchase for me).  I am hoping for something that is casual enough to wear with jeans, but nice enough to pair with a dress too.  Not really into many embezzlements right now — just something very classic. Ideas?! – A.M., United Kingdom

A: My darling frugal fashionista, no one is going to embezzle your boots away from you. I simply won’t let them. Now that we’ve got that cleared up.. it’s true. Not everyone wants motorcycle boots (but don’t tell my assistant that.. I think she is on her third pair). But this season, finding those timeless riding boots is going to be a trick, for a few reasons. Retailers are torn between selling basic product, which they have been trained to buy every year, and offering something novel to a schizophrenic customer that needs to be lured back into the stores. This has created a price-value divide in which the basic product that remains in the stores is luxurious and expensive (ie a Loro Piana cashmere sweater, a pair of Theory pants), and the trendy product is seen as more of a passing fad and priced as such. So finding something basic (riding boots), at a price (<$200) is a challenge.

So, where does this leave us? Never fear. With everything out there, you will not remain bootless. Aside from vintage shopping, which is definitely a good idea (isn’t London the land of amazing vintage riding boots? Get thee to Portobello Road!), I have narrowed my recommendations down to the top three pairs below. Note that I ruled out suede (not classic and not durable enough) and heels (not comfortable enough for around-the-clock wear) and any color other than black for versatility’s sake.

3. At $215, these Bagatt boots are a bit out of the price range, but I’m in love with the cowboy shape, the subtle details, and the snakeskin leather. They have a nice 1.2″ heel but may be a bit casual for dressier outfits. Vaguely reminiscent of these which I adore.

2. Steve Madden’s Inragee wedge boots are a great shape with a low 1.25″ heel and a gold zipper detail that is the faintest embellishment. They are sleek and versatile. And no one knocks them off like Madden — check out this look-alike pair which I actually like less because of the strap and weird light-colored heel.

1. Dolce Vita OTK boots, at $198, are my top pick. The 1″ heel will not leave you totally flat and the shape is the best one here. They are not too much taller than the knee and will look cute with jeans, shorts, a skirt, dress, whatever. They are clean, modern, and dressy but not fancy. Inexplicably, I found another pair for over $100 more from the same brand. Both are good-looking boots and I imagine they are not vastly different.

Good luck and let me know what you end up with!