Thanks to intern, Kara Koloini for this blog!

Rihanna and stylist, Mariel Haenn enter the Vivienne Westwood show during Fashion Week.

Coughs, sneezes and hoarse voices have been rampant at the D offices recently. Illness runs amuck this time of year and alas, it caught up with me last week. Fortunately, we have fantastic interns to take over when duty calls and we can’t get out of bed. Editorial intern, Kara Koloini was there for me when I needed her to take the reins and intervew Rihanna’s stylist, Mariel Haenn. With just a few hours notice and rain coming down in buckets this super-intern made it to the appointment and did a fabulous job as my substitute. Check it out:

While I typically spend my days at D performing a myriad of very non-glam tasks (fact-checking pieces about dog summer camps, for instance), I had a stroke of luck Wednesday when Kristin Hull got sick (sorry Kristin!), and was gracious enough to let me fill in for her interview with superstar stylist, Mariel Haenn.

You may not be familiar with the name (yet), but you certainly are with her work – besides a crazy impressive client roster including Will & Jada, Jeremy Piven, Rachel McAdams, Lauren Conrad and countless more, she’s the pro behind Rihanna’s trend-setting style.

 Follow the jump for the details on our interview, her picks for fall, and how you can take advantage of her stellar style advice!

I met Haenn at Saks Fifth Avenue Wednesday night, and picked her out of the crowd instantly. Gorgeous, with a Rihanna-esque elongated asymmetrical black bob, she was outfitted in a fitted leather blazer, second skin black pants, and sky high Louboutins, and spoke with the laid back ease of a Brooklyn girl, peppered with the perfected insight of a fashion industry vet. 

 Here’s a quick rundown of our meeting.

Her fall trend forecast: jackets with strong shoulders, rocker boots, leggings, and red lips. The look she loathes: Ed Hardy anything (we’re looking at you, Jon Gosselin). Reasons to hate her: she’s 30 and has already built a mega successful styling empire (while looking like she’s maybe 18), hangs out with Rihanna all day, and was leaving for Paris Fashion Week the day after our interview. Reasons to love her: she’s beyond sweet and down-to-earth, plus, she’s teamed up with Saks and MasterCard to make fall shopping super simple with the “Want It!” program. Haenn has handpicked her favorite pieces for fall from Saks, and added her pro advice on how to work the trendy items into your closet, making the look distinctively you and allowing for a productive (but affordable) closet revamp.

I’ve already begun stalking the Dolce Vita Marley ankle boots…which will hopefully keep me busy until my next fabulous assignment. Sigh.

*Update: We’re giving away two sets! You’ve got until noon today, Monday, Aug. 31.

Congratulations Fern and Kathy!

Let me start off by saying that I love Kate’s attitude toward skin. Even with her 19-year background in a clinical setting, she truly believes that skincare is about skin health, both inside and out. Following is a summary of  Kate’s top skincare tips and info on her Glow Kit (valued at $265 and available at Neiman Marcus at NorthPark).

PHILOSOPHY BEHIND THE LINE
“The philosophy behind my line is actually the skin health pyramid. These are five principles: protection, hydration, feed, stimulate, and detoxify.

PROTECTION: meaning you have a good sunscreen, but also antioxidants, which can be great protection.

Number two is HYDRATION. So many consumers are confused between moisturizing and hydrating. Moisturizing is more about oils, and as we age, we lose the ability to hold water in our skin cells, so what happens is as we age, we tend to look drier. Our lines start to form, and it’s because we’re not holding water in our skin cells. This is really from not having enough Hyaluronic Acid in our system. You can topically do that and internally do that. Also drink lots of water.

The next step is FEED. What I’ve learned is that the skin needs a ton of nutrients. When we eat food, it’s the last place it goes, even though it’s our largest organ, so you need to apply topically, but you also need to internally supplement. Omegas are really important. It cracks me up when physicians say it doesn’t matter what you eat how your skin reacts. That’s absurd. It’s our body’s biggest organ. If you’re putting crappy fuel in your body, guess what it’s going to show?

The next is STIMULATE. Stimulating collagen and elastin growth is key. Right when we hit about 25, we start losing collagen in our skin. It’s important to use peptides, retinols, and those types of things to really start getting that stimulation happening.

Last but not least is DETOXIFY. Detoxification is so important because you want to get rid of that top layer of skin, which really can show damage, fine lines, and wrinkles. It makes you older and makes your skin look dull. If you really do those five principles on a weekly basis, you’re going to see a huge improvement in the skin.”

THE GLOW KIT
According to Kate, the Glow Kit contains the products she thinks people most often need to achieve healthy skin, but often don’t have. ExfoliKate removes the top layer of skin. (It’s a good thing.) “You’ll see results as soon as it’s off,” Kate says. (I can tell you this is true.) Quench is a hydrating serum, which locks in hydration and leaves silky-feeling skin behind. Then there’s Deep Tissue Repair. It uses peptides to promote collagen and elastic growth at the cellular level. What I can tell you is that this moisturizer penetrates deep into the skin, but doesn’t leave a greasy residue behind.

ON A BUDGET?
For the woman on budget Kate says there are a handful of necessary products every woman (and man) should have. “A good exfoliator,” she says. The beads in the scrub should be round to avoid breaking the skin. “Exfoliating shouldn’t be dangerous.” “A good cleanser and a moisturizer that promotes collagen growth.” Kate’s favorite is obviously her own Deep Tissue Repair.

To enter for a chance to win the Glow Kit, go here and fill out the form. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

It’s really happening – Michael Ablon promised three restaurants in the Design District,( or what he likes to call Lower Oak Lawn), last spring.  I was pretty wowed by his ambitious promise for three restaurants when it’s been pretty hard to convince any local restauraneur to open in a week day only locale like the Design Center is, but Shannon Wynne has taken the plunge and is opening the Meddlesome Moth (crazy name) next spring.  In the Dallas News article he admits he may be crazy, but a) Ablon seems to get things done, b) there are really aparments right next door, and  c) designers and showroom people are notoriously fond of drinking and eating.  Plus, the old Ann Sacks place is really cool with all the mosaic and tile displays still inlaid in the floor.  Does it worry anyone that the Moth doesn’t end in O?

Tim addressed the question of how to be fashionable in a recession without feeling guilty or breaking the bank by saying that it’s “all about the accessories.” Stick with tried-and-true pieces in your wardrobe and splurge on less-expensive pieces such as jewelry, handbags, and shoes to take an outfit from day to night. He then gave a style show using outfits that “everyone has in her closet,” such as jeans and a white t-shirt and a little black dress to illustrate his style points—and to show off the Kate Spade collection, which is varied, bright, and fun!  When asked about what colors would be hot for spring, he answered, “Look around the store!  It’s all about oranges, yellows, fuschias—bright color!” When asked what about the biggest fashion mistake, he responded, “Wearing the wrong size. People tend to buy larger than they really are for comfort or because they’re afraid to show off their shape. Wearing something too big will make you look heavier than you really are. And who wants that?”

Stay with me after the jump for some more photos from the event.

Nautical Stripes (Szish says make the look modern by adding accessories like the gold belt seen in the photo)

Statement jewelry (Szish loves these hammered coin pieces)

The wedge (Szish – wearing these – says they are not only stylish, but also comfortable)

Marine-inspired bag in bold color (reminds Szish of her place in New York by the water)

White cargo pants or jeans (Szish says anyone can wear them…they come in various styles and sizes)

And here’s a peek at the men’s