Kate Middleton Wears Abi Ferrin, and Other Abi News

Kate Middleton in Abi Ferrin leggings (photography courtesy of www.dailymail.co.uk)

Getting the perfectly polished Kate Middleton into your designs must feel the ultimate celebrity victory. It has long been a goal of local designer Abi Ferrin’s, and it has happened. See the Duchess above, sporting Abi Ferrin’s leggings during a ski trip in early March.

I found this out during a recent visit to Abi’s South Side on Lamar studio, where I also got to see the spring 2013 collection and a sneak peek of fall. The spring lineup consists of Abi’s signature stretchy fabrics in bold prints and new shades and floaty sheer dresses and tops. I’m particularly fond of this flirty Honey dress with a cozy jersey body and textured chevron sleeves.

Fall is equally texture-focused with silky patterned dresses, the trademark Nikki dress in two-toned jersey, and leather embellishments.

Hangers full of Abi Ferrin pieces in signature stretchy fabrics and colorful prints

(left) Super soft Freedom tees in shades of spring and (right) a flowy spring Honey dress for hot summer months

This Biggest Loser Contestant Shed Pounds and Shopped Krimson & Klover Boutique on TV

If you missed Monday night’s episode of The Biggest Loser, I won’t spoil anything for you–mostly because I don’t have a TV and didn’t catch it myself–but I will tell you this much: Contestant Alex, 24-year-old from Carrollton, selected Krimson & Klover backdrop for some shopping on Monday’s show. Video here.

Freak Out! The Man Repeller Comes to Neiman Marcus NorthPark in Dallas!

Leandra Medine in Man Repeller x PJK and two looks (photography courtesy of Man Repeller x PJK)

I heart Leandra Medine, fashion guru behind The Man Repeller, but who doesn’t? Let’s all jump up and down now because she’s coming to Dallas to visit Neiman Marcus NorthPark Wednesday, March 6, and maybe we can fawn over and profess our love for her, I mean, meet her. In celebration of her capsule collection with PJK, she and the NM gang invite you to come have a drink, peruse the clothing, and you know, stare in awe at her hopefully extra man-repelling ensemble. And because I can’t say it any more Man Repeller-y than it is on the invite:

So mark your calendar for Wednesday, March 6, from 6 pm to 8 pm at Neiman Marcus NorthPark in Cusp on Level One and RSVP to rsvpnorthpark@neimanmarcus.com.

Kira Plastinina’s Fall 2013 Lublu Campaign, Shot By Tommy Ton, Features Jessica Nowitzki

Kira Plastinina, left, and Jessica Nowitzki, right (photography by Tommy Ton)

We just talked about Kira Plastinina, Russian fashion designer and SMU girl, opening her first Lublu boutique here in Dallas this spring. I mentioned her florid spring collection, full of color (notably her neon yellow floor-length frock), but her autumn collection tops it. The fall 2013 campaign was shot by Tommy Ton, famous street style photographer, and features our own Jessica Olssen Nowitzki, Goss-Michael Foundation associate director and wife of Dirk Nowitzki. Also, making an appearance is beloved Man Repeller, Leandra Medine, in a print I’m head-over-heels in love with. I need that full, striped floral print skirt.

Man Repeller Leandra Medine, left, and Claire Distenfeld, right, in a dreamy skirt (photography by Tommy Ton)

Our Inside Look at the Golden Globes’ Fashion

(photography by Tracy Regan)

When I discovered our media development department’s very own intern, Tracy Regan, was hitting up the awards show, I knew I wanted her inside scoop for ShopTalk. Who really looked good? Honestly. Who looked uncomfortable? Did anyone trip? Basically, I wanted gossip, and Regan provided:

The 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards had its hits and misses, with a carpet full of sex appeal, chic cutouts, and old Hollywood glam.

Co-hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler looked the best I have ever seen them. During Amy’s quick carpet appearance, in a shirtless Stella McCartney tuxedo, she acknowledged the stands stating, “My chest is going to pop out if I lift my arms up, so I can’t wave to you guys.”

While blood orange was a popular hue for the gowns, some of my favorite picks went in other directions.

Jump for more juice. (Spoiler: apparently, Taylor Swift was bored).

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Dallas Celebrity Gift Guide: Nha Khanh, Fashion Designer

In continuation of this week’s mission, Steal Dallas Celeb’s Wish Lists, I bring to you three prized items from a beloved local designer,  Khanh Nguyen of Nha Khanh. At this point, “local designer” is underselling this accomplished creator and mommy. She blew everyone away with her 2011 debut collection and has since been picked up by stores all over the country including Saks Fifth Avenue. Nguyen’s signature pieces have been spotted on celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Brooklyn Decker, Giuliana Rancic, and Ahna O’Reilly and, in November, she was honored with the Rising Star Award by Fashion Group International. So, yeah, she’s kind of a big deal.

Under $50: Senhoa Simplicity unisex cord necklace with antique brass chains, $49
Under $500: Jo Malone Orange Blossom Luxury Candle, $425 at Neiman Marcus
Unlimited: Christian Louboutin Donue open-front bootie, $1,295 at Neiman Marcus

Dallas Celebrity Gift Guide: Amber Venz, rewardStyle President

I’m always thinking of ways to get local notables to spill their personally curated shopping lists. The holidays are a perfect time for a such a request, so I sent out a note to a handful of my favorite Dallas fashion gurus (our local style celebs, if you will), inquiring about the current state of their wish lists. I’m sharing the results with you this week. First up, Amber Venz, former jewelry designer, inspiring blogger, founder of rewardStyle, and internationally loved style setter.

photos courtesy of retailers

Under $50 item: Canadian Birch Straws, $8 at Anthropologie
Under $500 item: Cult Gaia Headband for resort, $100
Unlimited price item: Balmain spring 2013 RTW dress

Highlights from Victoria Beckham’s Very (Very) Exclusive Dallas Event

photography by StyleSheet

Victoria Beckham made her final stop in a three-city tour yesterday at Dallas’ downtown Neiman Marcus. She posed for photos and headed upstairs to a very private spring 2013 runway show, which she topped off with a Q&A session with Bag Snob’s Tina Craig. We had the honor of not only attending the show and chit chat, but sitting directly behind her and her perfectly coiffed messy ponytail. After an intro by Jim Gold, Neiman Marcus specialty retail president, Victoria Beckham took the mic to tell the room full of perfectly polished ladies how “gorgeously glamorous” they looked and that she was “at a loss for words.” (She also mentioned she’d never seen so many diamonds.) I’d been wondering what kind of role Posh Spice would play–coy and quiet? removed and haughty? sexy and smirky?–and she was none of the above. She was perfectly delightful. Funny even, ending her intro speech with “I’m going to be hanging around afterwards. I’d love to meet some of you and chat, try clothes on, be girly, and have some fun.” How cute, right?

Now, a few highlights from the Q&A:

On her design philosophy…
“I always want to design things that I would want to wear myself. I love women and I want to empower women. I want women to feel beautiful and feel confident.”

“It’s about clothes being flattering. Nothing too challenging. Sucking in the bits that a lady wants to suck in and creating an incredible shape.”

“Nothing’s too complicated. You get in, you zip in, and you go.”

On having children…
“I have so many kids. I really do. I have a lot of children.”

On her first handbag…
“The first bag I ever had was actually a Gucci carrier bag. One of my mother’s friends bought something from Gucci and gave me the bag that it came from. I used to carry my schoolbooks to school in the Gucci bag, day in day out, until the bottom fell out.”

On her new spring 2013 collection…
“This is the first time I’ve introduced separates to my line, so not only do we have signature dresses, we have shirts and blouses, skirts, trousers. There’s lots in this collection.”

On her handbags…
“Everything is custom-made for us. The bags are all handmade in Italy. So it’s really important that I can offer my customer the best quality in everything from the bags to the clothes.”

“I just want to make women feel good and special. And every time somebody takes one of my bags out of their closet, I want them to feel special. That’s why I do what I do.”

Storage Wars’ Mary Padian on TV Stardom, Finding Weird Stuff, and her Fabulous Refurbished Furniture Store

I love when some of our magazine’s stories don’t get posted online. It gives me delicious scoop to post on ShopTalk. Like the story about Mary Padian, owner of home shop Mary’s Finds and as of late, reality star on Storage Wars: Texas. She’s our November issue’s Person of Interest. If you haven’t visited her restored furniture shop yet, you’re missing out on some crazy cool housewares. This weekend’s the perfect time to go. You can score some serious deals by stopping off at her Hoopty Sale. Joslyn has the scoop. But first, read this Q&A. Then, print it out and have her autograph it this weekend. Kidding, don’t. Unless you really want to…

Person of Interest: Mary Padian
She turned her Design District furnishings store into a starring role on Storage Wars: Texas. –by Zac Crain

Q: We’ve been trying to do this for a week, but you’ve been busy shooting.

A: God, I mean, it’s taken up most of my time. I didn’t think it was going to be this time consuming. I mean, it’s a full-time job. [laughs] Yep. We go to at least two auctions a week. [They bid on the contents of abandoned storage units, essentially sight unseen.] And then we have to excavate the units and see what we have. So it’s an all-day thing. And then, if we’re not doing auctions and excavating, we’re doing appraisals, or I’m doing refurb stuff.

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A Little Chit Chat with Bobbi Brown: On Dallas Women, Her Newest Book, and “Very, Very Black Mascara”

As you may have heard Bobbi Brown was in town this week, blessing beauty lovers with her words of wisdom and signing her new book, Pretty Powerful. I’ve been a fan of Bobbi Brown and her love-what’s-good and don’t-hate-on-what’s-bad approach to makeup since my mom bought me my first beauty book, Bobbi’s Teenage Beauty. So when the opportunity to interview the beauty sage, entrepreneur, wife, and mother of three, of course, I was so in. Joslyn and I tag teamed the chit chat and took away some interesting factoids. My favorite tidbits below.

Bobbi doesn’t think Dallas gals are too gaudy.
“In the 20 years that I’ve had the company, it has really toned down a lot. A lot of Dallas women look like they can be in New York. They’re really kind of simple and paired down.”

On her new book, Pretty Powerful, and its message to beautify based on your personality:
“Makeup needs to fit your style. Some women look great in an atomic orange lipstick that I had out there that was for a moment, and they want that as their everyday lipstick.”

On her newish BB cream:
“BB creams are for textured and oilier skin.” (She doesn’t use one herself.) “Use it in place of foundation. For a fresh face, go with corrector, concealer, BB cream, and you should be done.”

Bobbi’s on-the-go ritual:
A ponytail, nice earrings, comfortable clothes, shoe selection, concealer, corrector, tinted moisturizer, blush, eyeliner, mascara.

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Want to Shop Pat Smith’s Closet?

photography by Susan Bellson Photography

Pat Smith has many titles: philanthropist, mom of five, former Miss Virginia USA, last year’s 10 Most Beautiful Women in Dallas winner, yes, Emmitt Smith’s wife, and now, clothing consigner. From Monday, August 27 through Wednesday, August 29, you can shop a few of her “luxury items” online at The Real Real, a resale e-tailer. You’ll have to sign up (it’s easy) to explore the goods, but it’s all for a good cause. The proceeds from the sale will go to Treasure You, a non-profit women’s organization.

Sea of Shoes’ Jane Aldridge Spins as DJ Paris Vidal

DJ Paris Vidal aka Jane Aldridge from Sea of Shoes (photography by William Neal)

Beloved Dallas fashion blogger Jane Aldridge from Sea of Shoes is wearing more hats these days as she’s added DJ to her resume. Spinning under the name DJ Paris Vidal, the style star hit the decks at Texas Theatre’s Yesterday’s Gold concert this weekend. Though we weren’t able to get a listen ourselves, Jane’s eclectic wardrobe and quirky inspiration makes me think a personal music compilation of hers would be just as interesting. See more photos from the event here.

Jane Aldridge's choice of shoes for the evening (photography by William Neal)

What’s in Courtney Kerr’s Bag?

photography by Matthew Shelley, design by Charlotte Tobin

We’re long overdo for a purse spill with Most Eligible Dallas star Courtney Kerr. Roll your eyes about the show if you must, but sit down with the hairspray queen, and you’d like her immediately, regardless of your preconceived notions. She’s quick, funny, and totally down-to-earth honest. Since the show ended, local buzz has included talks of casting for MED Season 2 and whispers of a solo show for Courtney, so I asked. A coy response suggests a new project is in the works, but the specifics… TBA. In the meantime, take a look into this accessory-stuffed clutch.

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Kendi From KendiEveryday.com Does the Brahmin Catalogue

Kendi Skeen from kendieveryday.com in Brahmin's summer 2012 catalogue (photography courtesy, er, stolen, from Brahmin's summer 2012 catalogue)

Our very own (well, McKinney’s very own) cute-as-a-button Kendi Skeen from kendieveryday.com and owner of one of our fav shops, Bloom, stars in Brahmin’s summer 2012 catalogue with only two other young ladies. You. Go. Girl. And I think you deserve a round two with those Christian Louboutins. Check out the catalogue and shop the looks at our Galleria Dallas store.

Lovely Jane Aldridge of Sea of Shoes Does the Barneys Catalog

photos by Mario Sorrenti, courtesy of Barneys

Jane Aldridge of Sea of Shoes blog fame hinted that she spent a little time in front of famous fashion photographer Mario Sorrenti’s lenses back in November, but now we know why. Josyln from D Home rushed over this morning with the newest Barneys New York catalog, starring the lovely red head amongst several other style icons.