C: IS FOR CLOTHES THAT RECYCLE!

Before Fashion Week starts I wanted to highlight the world of eco-friendly clothing. We have a responsibility to our world and buying clothing that aids in that cause makes you not only socially aware but a great fashion statement. The designers are from Canada, California and Atlanta, Georgia. Maybe New York will someday catch on.


California has banned plastic bags. The fish in the ocean are chocking on the plastic and islands of plastic trash are forming. Plastic waste is a big concern. Finally Ecopurna, has created an entire line of urban outer and atheletic wear made from recycled plastic bottles. Canadians Mark Trotzuk and Steve Saldebus, manufacturer and designed a completely sustainable and truly chic way to help the environment. Using Blue Sign, a new type of rating system to ensure that the entire production system from the zippers to the dyes to the very threads are sustainable. The tiered Swing Coat and the urban Mandarin should be in stores soon. Ecopurna is ready to take on the world of eco friendliness.

The Santa Cruz company Kate Organics is soft and feminine for their Spring and Summer 2009 collection. From the simple Essential Tunic, to the long and elegant Mustique with sassy ruffle accent, to the cross-backed Picnic dress, the new collection is comfortable and casual with just enough ornament and detail to make each piece special. Crafted from organic cotton, the palette is all solid for now. But coming later this summer, Kate plans on launching some of the pieces in organic printed toile from India made with low-impact dyes. Look for their lovely frocks and adorable tops at Fred Segal.

Pelli Cha, the world’s first eco friendly demi-couture eveningwear line, was founded in 2008 by entrepreneur and designer Lindsey Pelliccia. Lindsey became interested in sustainable fashion after falling in love with Brazil. While studying in Rio de Janeiro she was moved by the sharp contrasts, the natural beauty and the pollution, the human potential and the poverty. She then decided to research the environmental impact of the textile industry. Her findings inspired her to act. What resulted is an environmentally responsible collection of gowns, each as exceptional and lovely as their wearer. Pelli Cha, as a brand, is about strength and individuality. Described as young contemporary and classy chic, each gown is made to be comfortable and unique, with luxurious textures that are delightful to wear. Our pieces are made in limited numbers, almost entirely by hand. Custom dye work, creative stitching, and unexpected details render pieces that are one-of-a-kind. Pelli Cha wants you to feel more like yourself… because nothing could be more beautiful!

Fashion can make a difference and so can you and that is a F.A.C.T.

A: Is for an Abundance of Art!

As Memorial Day ends New York City's art scene begins. For those of you who have never been apart of this, you can tour openings nightly. The biggest nights are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, in that order. This Thursday will feel like a giant block party with all ages participating, If you do not like crowds this is not for you. I am enclosing the list for this weeks goings on in Chelsea. If you notice they are intense. It is next to impossible to make all the openings but it is great fun trying. This is more of a social event than an appreciation of art. Art in NY is an experience and it is about the people who inhabit this land as much as it is the work.


THURSDAY:
Dov Lederbeg, Yael Avi-Yohan "Inspired by Kabbalah" at JKlaynberg Gallery 121 W 19 street 6-9pm
Photography: Bill Durgin "Figurations" at Merge Gallery 205 W 20 street at seventh avenue, 6-9pm
Photography: Kay Hassan, Shimon Attie "Racing Clocks Run Slow: Archaeology of a Racetrack" plus recent photos by Kay Hassan at Jack Shainman 513 W 20 street
Mario Naves "Postcards from Florida" at Elizabeth Harris 529 W 20 street
529"Surviving the Darkness: Urban Fragments" at ACA Galleries 529 W 20 street
Shigeru Oyatani "Third Plane" at Kim Foster Gallery 529 W 20 street
Amanda Means "Glass + Light" at Ricco/Maresca Gallery 529 W 20 street 3rd floor
Sokey Edorh: " Metamorphosis " at Skoto Gallery 529 W 20 street, 5th floor
Sydney Chastain-Chapman "Modulous" at Kravets|Wehby Gallery 521 W 21 street
Peggy Preheim, Ryan Gander at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery 521 W 21 street
Nathan Carter "Radio Transmission Contraptions" at Casey Kaplan 525 W 21 street
Roland Flexner, Demetrius Oliver at D'Amelio Terras 525 W 22 street
Corinne Wasmuht at Friedrich Petzel Gallery 537 W 22 street
Cosima von Bonin "The Pierres at the Petzelette" at Friedrich Petzel Gallery 537 W 22 street
Keith Tyson "Fractal Dice" at PaceWildenstein 545 W 22 street
Diana Al-Hadid "Reverse Collider" at Perry Rubenstein Gallery 527 W 23 street
Mark Wagner "My Portfolio" at Pavel Zoubok Gallery 533 W 23 street
Photography: Jonathan Calm "Projects" at Caren Golden Fine Art 538 W 23 street
Sabhan Adam "Painting with Smoke" at Cavin-Morris Gallery 210 Eleventh avenue, 2nd floor
Andy Warhol "Warhol's Politics" at DJT Fine Art 231 Tenth avenue
Allison Schulnik "No Luck Too" at Mike Weiss Gallery 520 W 24 street
Phoebe Washburn "Tickle the Shitstem" at Zach Feuer Gallery (LFL) 530 W 24 street
Diana Al-Hadid "Reverse Collider" at Perry Rubenstein Gallery 534 W 24 street
Photography: Jesse Chehak " Western Views " at Silverstein Photography 535 W 24 street
Patricia Berube at SoHo 20 Gallery 511 W 25 street, 5-7pm
Derek Buckner "Marshmallows" at George Billis Gallery 511 W 25 street
Carol Heft, Geraldo Perez, Nancy Prusinowski "Ensemble" with music by Bill Warfield Quartet at Blue Mountain Gallery 530 W 25 street, 4th floor
Danielle Julian-Norton at Reeves Contemporary 535 W 25 street, 2nd floor
"Entre chien et loup" at Kent Gallery 541 W 25 street
"More Than Words" at Von Lintel Gallery 555 W 25 street, 2nd floor
Olivier Blanckart "MoMA Don't Preach" at P.P.O.W. 555 W 25 street, 2nd floor
Peter Mallo "Odyssey" at Walter Randel Gallery 287 Tenth avenue, 2nd floor 2, at w 26 street
Photography: Paul Fusco "RFK Funeral Train Rediscovered" at Danziger Projects 521 W 26 street
521Chun Kwang Young at Robert Miller Gallery 524 W 26 street
Michal Chelbin "Strangely Familiar" at Andrea Meislin Gallery 526 W 26 street, 2nd, floor
Larissa Bates "Just Hustle and Muscle" at Monya Rowe Gallery 526 W 26 street, 6th floor
Nicoletta Agostini "Portraits" at LMAKprojects (chelsea) 526 W 26 street, #310
Photography: Kevin Cooley "At Light's Edge" at Massimo Audiello 526 W 26 street, 5th floor
Lill Tschudi, Cyril Power, Sybil Andrews "British Linocuts" at Mary Ryan Gallery 527 W 26 street
Adrienne Farb at Mary Ryan Gallery 527 W 26 street
Photography: Jane Hammond "Photographs" at Galerie Lelong 528 W 26 street
Joseph Smolinsk at Mixed Greens 531 W 26 street, 1st floor
1Alexey Kallima at Lehmann Maupin 540 W 26 street
"All Cut Up" curated by Rita de Alencar Pinto at Roebling Hall 606 W 26 street
Photography: Polixeni Papapetrou "Games of Consequence" at Foley Gallery 547 W 27 street, 5th floor
"The Form Itself" curated by Michael Buhler-Rose at Priska C. Juschka Fine Art 547 W 27 street, 2nd floor 6-9pm
Photography: Josef Koudelka "Invasion 68: Prague" at Aperture Foundation 547 W 27 street, 4th floor
Mike Bayne "Roadsides " at Morgan Lehman Gallery 317 10th avenue, 28 & 29 street


FRIDAY
Tam Van Tran at Cohan and Leslie 138 10th avenue b/w 18 & 19 street
Alix Pearlstein "After The Fall" curated by Debra Singer at The Kitchen 512 W 19 street
Melodie Provenzano "Debutant" at Lyons Wier & Ort Contemporary Art 175 Seventh avenue, at W 20 street 6-9pm
"Paradox Lost and Found" at Spark Art Center 161 W 22 street, 6-9pm"
Ronnie Bass" at I-20 Gallery 557 W 23 street
Gary Simmons "Night of the Fires" at Metro Pictures 519 W 24 street
Photography: Joel Sternfeld "Oxbow Archive" at Luhring Augustine Gallery 531 W 24 street
Baker Overstreet "Follies" at Fredericks & Freiser 536 W 24 street
Thilo Heinzmann at Bortolami 510 W 25 street
"Every Man's Life is a Fairy Tale" at Larissa Goldston Gallery 530 W 25 street, 3rd floor
3Kyung Jeon "a story" at Tina Kim Fine Art 545 W 25 street, 3rd floor
Phyllis Bramson "Kerffules" at Claire Oliver 513 W 26 street
Ivan Witenstein at Derek Eller Gallery 615 W 27 street
Jeronimo Elespe at John Connelly Presents 625 W 27 street
Yevgeniy Fiks "Adopt Lenin" at Winkleman Gallery 637 W 27 street
Alicia Ross "Sacred--Profane" at Black and White Gallery (chelsea) 636 W 28 street
"Iran do Espirito Santo" at Sean Kelly Gallery 528 W 29 street
Closing party: "Opportunity as Community" closing reception at Dieu Donne 315 W 36 street
"In Residence: Recent Projects from Sculpture Space" curated by Patterson Sims, Christa Erickson at EFA Gallery 323 W 39 street, 323 2nd floor

SATURDAY
"The Somnambulists" at Bellwether Gallery 134 Tenth avenue, at w 19 street
Sally Smart "Decoy Nest" at Postmasters Gallery 459 W 19 street
Camille Rose Garcia "Ambien Somnambulants" at Jonathan LeVine 529 W 20 street, 9th floor, 7-9pm
Meredyth Sparks at Elizabeth Dee Gallery 545 W 20 street
Mona Vatamanu "Appointment with History" at Lombard-Freid Projects 531 W 26 street, 2nd floor
Martha Colburn, Folkert de Jong, Xu Zhen at James Cohan Gallery 533 W 26 street
Martha Rosler at Mitchell - Innes & Nash ((chelsea)) 534 W 26 street

It is a F.A.C.T that art abounds.

F: Is for another Project Runway Sighting!

Another Project Runway contestant is making news and sightings have been seen. Season Four contestant, Jillian Lewis, will be gracing the globe with her fall collection. There had been rumors of a new collection, with an opening in July at SHANE & SHAWN on Mulberry Street. For those who are fans of the show will love what I just discovered. I had gone to the Apple store off 5th and while coming home at 60th and Madison n the window of Searle was an announcement. It seems Jillian will have a trunk show September 6th at their store. This comes as no surprise considering she started as a designer at Searle. Ms. Lewis has been making headlines since the Las Vegas trade shows for her relationship with Brother International. Lewis was recently a keynote speaker at Brother's annual Back to Business event, where she explained how her own Brother sewing machine helped in developing her dream to become a fashion designer. She started sewing at the age of 16, on a Brother Pacesetter 2300. Through her collegiate career at Parsons School of Design, and onto u her first complete line shown on "Project Runway." Her new clothing line, which she calls "ultra-feminine, sexy, colorful and unique. Inspiration for the line came from many avenues, including graffiti. Lewis comments that her designs transform an irrelevant art form, making her collection abstract, sophisticated and chic. Designs should express individuality, personal style, comfort and point of view. As long as the intended wearer feels great in the design, it will look great too. This busy girl is also following fashion week coverage for Spring 2009 designer collections online and in magazines. There is a lovely artsy trend in fashion right now. Experiment with an airbrush,
creating a Georgia O'Keeffe-inspired watercolor wash on clothing and add layers of embroidery. Having worked as a concept designer and illustrator at Rugby by Ralph Lauren Jillian learned the skills of the fashion trade. Ultimately, Jillian's designs are her visual poetry of the things she loves and a reflection of the world around her. Not satisfied with being just another name on the tag of another dress, it's her ambition to be revolutionary, fashion forward and to one day create a fashion empire of her own. To learn more about Jillian Lewis' new line, set to hit stores in August, visit http://www.jillianlewisny.com.

Fashion is abounds in NYC especially in the coming weeks and that is a delightful F.A.C.T.

S: Is for Solutions!

Don't give up so easily on your dreams. Persist and your dreams will become a reality. The key is to be able to visualise and see your dreams before you actually attain them. Some people call it "The Secret" but I think it's not really a secret it's about connecting your physical self and where you are going with the future and where you want to go and visualising yourself already achieving your goal.

Negative energy is felt in the following ways: tiredness, moodiness, snappiness and disregarding people's opinion, addictive behaviors, lack of motivation to achieve. You undermine yourself when immersed in this energy field.


Positive energy effects you with the results leading to: increased energy, confidence, happiness despite one's circumstances, less anxious, not easily annoyed from the little things.

I want you to consider today how much more successful you could be in your life and business. Ask yourself the following questions. What has upset you lately? Who has affected your moods through their actions or words lately? What situations have come into your life that try your patience?
How do you react when you have a trial that is challenging you? Do you give in or do you resign yourself to the fact that you can't achieve success or overcome this problem? Think about these things and pay attention to your energy on a day to day basis. Are you letting people or circumstances weigh you down and affect you? Have you got physical ailments that are always bugging you? Consider some self-reflection, some quiet time and spending some time in reconnecting with who you are and where you are going in life. Make sure that where you are going is some where positive and some where where you want to go. Don't let other people drag you along and make you fit in with their plans for your life. Don't let people drain your energy by projecting their negative thoughts and attitudes onto you. You are a unique individual and you deserve to have your own plans and ideas about things and you are very capable of achieving your goals.

I just want to leave you with an image which may give you some inspiration today. Have a great day and remember to keep smiling. It takes more muscles to frown then it does to smile and plus it looks better.

We live in trying times but there are solutions and that is a F.A.C.T.

T: Is for Taking a Stand!

Monsanto is a MAJOR force in the political arena. Each year Monsanto contributes thousands of dollars to elected officials through its Political Action Committee. Their main focus is through the millions of dollars spent each year lobbying legislators and regulators.

Here is a partial list of past players: Justice Clarence Thomas worked as an attorney for Monsanto in the 1970s. He then as Supreme Court Justice wrote the majority opinion in J. E. M. AG SUPPLY, INC. V. PIONEER HI-BREDINTERNATIONAL, INC. which found that "newly developed plant breeds are patentable under the general utility patent laws of the United States." This case benefitted all companies which profit from genetically modified crops, of which Monsanto is one of the largest.

Michael R. Taylor was an assistant to the F.D.A. commissioner before he left to work for a law firm on gaining F.D.A. approval of Monsanto’s artificial growth hormone. Taylor then became deputy commissioner of the F.D.A.

Dr. Michael A. Friedman was a deputy commissioner of the F.D.A. before he was hired as a senior vice president of Monsanto.

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was chairman and chief executive officer of G. D. Searle & Co., which Monsanto purchased in 1985. Rumsfeld personally made at least $12 million USD from the transaction.

Additionally, Monsanto has had great success in infiltrating government posts with former executives, scientists and attorney’s. This is important because Monsanto is well documented in suing and bulling thousands of farmers nationally and abroad for allegedly using their patented seed or attempting to market their dairy products as “rBGH-free.” Marketing dangerous chemicals, like PCBs and Agent Orange: Despite overwhelming evidence. Monsanto continues to refuse compensation to veterans and families for exposure to the toxic chemical agent orange and still claims it does not exist. Monsanto has sought to undermine organic agriculture and contaminate the global food supply from Argentina to Canada and has just lost in a major lawsuit in Brazil. Monsanto has repeatedly attempted to market "Terminator" seeds, to produce sterile seed, forcing farmers to become dependent on Monsanto for seed. They have bribed the Indonesian Environmental Officials. In conjunction with the United States so-called Drug War, vast swaths of Colombia has been sprayed with super concentrated versions of Monsanto’s RoundUp, contaminating Colombian communities, waterways and farms.

Monsanto has been identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as being a "potentially responsible party" for 56 contaminated sites in the United States. Monsanto has been sued, and has settled, multiple times for damaging the health of its employees or residents near its sites through pollution and poisoning.

Right now the biggest threat is soy. Monsanto is the largest producer of glyphosate herbicides through its popular brand, Roundup. Roundup has been a source of ongoing controversy, as res several studies show that it leads to the first stages of and/or causes cancer. Since Monsanto genetically modified soy to be resistant to its Roundup weed killers, the European Union placed a ban on GMed soy imports. More than half of rats exposed to GM soy died prematurely compared to rats that weren't exposed. This is due to the fact that GM soy's DNA contains bacterial genes that allow the soy plant to survive the heavy exposure to Monsanto's "Roundup" brand herbicide. Some 85 percent of the soy gown in the United States is Roundup Ready. Soy is present in the majority of processed foods sold in the United States, which mean most Americans eat Roundup Ready soy in some form every day. Soy is the food of the future. Meat will be phased out if we are to live sustainability on this planet. It is interesting, then, that the soy we eat is so infected with dangerous elements. GM soy is also grown carelessly--since there is little or no variation in GM products, the risk of an entire crop failure is much higher. Adverse weather conditions may affect a particular genetic makeup. Weeds all over the world have grown resistant to the now heavy use of Roundup weed killers, and Monsanto is struggling to deter this. In Argentina, two weeds have grown resistant. In the US, an even larger number of weeds have grown resistant, due to our long practice of spraying herbicides.

It is important to check out the candidates. Moses Mercado, Obama's top adviser is lobbyist for Pfizer, Carlyle Group, Monsanto, the NRA and the Carlyle Group. Monsanto donated $12,000 directly to Bush's presidential campaign. Hillary Clinton has strong ties to Monsanto and when John McCain was a senator guess who contributed. Our health and safety depend on our choices and that is a F.A.C.T.

C: Is for the Ultimate Clean!

We are a world obsessed with beauty and if beauty is power; a smile is its sword. Teeth whiteners and products that give us that award winning grin are in demand. The standard fee for whitening or bleaching teeth runs about $500. Costs can vary depending upon the area of the country you live in and the type of whitening treatment you undergo. Laser teeth whitening is typically over $1000. In-home tray bleaching can cost between $50. and $100. dollars for a total teeth whitening system. Store-bought whitening strips can cost as little as $25. Last night I attended an event thrown by Daily Candy for a product that releases September 1st, The Philips Sonicare R732. The is a complete system aimed at achieving two shades whiter in just two weeks. Sonicare is the Number 1 recommended brand by dental professionals and uses patented sonic technology to remove plaque and give you that feeling you get after you go to the dentist. The R732 has mode settings for Clean, Sensitive, and Clean and White. Clean mode provides the standard sonic cleaning; Sensitive mode provides a gentle but thorough cleaning for sensitive gums and teeth; Clean and White mode provides two minutes of Clean mode and then an additional 30 seconds of White mode that focuses on your visible front teeth. I found this feature an added plus because I never know how long I should brush and this takes the guess work out of it. For parents it allows your kids a timer system that will save you a fortune in dental bills. The built-in timer also pauses to let you know to clean different areas for that complete clean. Each segment runs 30 seconds in length. You also don't need toothpaste for this to work. I added a tiny amount and it foamed and cleaned my mouth like a dental assistant. Though I have only used it once, I swear I see a difference, so I can't wait to see the results in two weeks. This tooth brush is recommended for the removal of smoke stains and/or coffee, tea or red wine. It is also safe to use on orthodontics, dental work, veneers, implant material, and sensitive teeth. Included in the Box is the Sonicare toothbrush, 2 ProResults brush head (one compact, one standard), deluxe charger with cord wrap, brush head storage, two hygienic travel caps, one travel case and a 2-year warranty. I found this running between $119-$139 with replacement brushes running around $27. This may sound steep but when compared with dental whitening which weakens your teeth and this devise strengthening them, how can you not afford this.

It is said our eyes are the mirrors to our souls, which means our teeth are the mirrors to our health and that is a F.A.C.T. to be reckoned with!

F: Is for Fashion that's Sweet!

I was running late for an appointment. I had taken the 3rd avenue bus as my foot was run over by an electric wheel chair (no joke!). I was beyond frustrated until I hit 60th and saw into the windows of Dylan's Candy Bar. Low and behold there were the Hershey-inspired fashions featured on "Project Runway". One of my guilty pleasures is watching this show so to see the creations up close was a thrill. The indulgence and imagination, was there looking more deliciously tempting than on the show. I knew they had been auctioned to benefit the Young Survival Coalition. This is the only non-profit network of breast cancer survivors and supporters dedicated to addressing the concerns and issues unique to young women and breast cancer. The Hershey's auction ended March 18th so how had they ended up deliciously dressing the windows? Paula Abdul bid on the winning dress Rami Kashou made to the tune of $2,975. However the charity only earned $7,583.98. When you think about it though, that's a lot of cash for candy wrappers! Still, a good cause is a good cause. 

The challenge was to create a fun, wearable outfit from materials found at the Hershey's chocolate store, which had a lot of critics shouting "super commercial!" But this wearable eye candy is delightfully sinfully chic when seen in person and has you shouting New Year's resolutions be damned. Kats, Rollos, twizzlers, mint patties and Hershey bars made calories all that more inviting. My favorite dress, a high-neck mini-dress made of Reese's peanut butter cup wrappers by Christian Siriano is simple but elegant. Elisa Jimenez, brown velvet dress made from Hershey's pillow fabric with silver and pink detailing on a sweetheart top and separate silver puff sleeves is better in person but still not thrilling. Kit's tube-top made of Kit Kat wrappers with knotted back closures, a skirt made of oversized Hershey's wrappers and a studded belt of Reese's peanut butter cups, is what childhood dreams are made of.

 

Living in New York allows us to see three dimensionally what pure imagination can create. These fashions when seen in person give a new meaning to talented and that is a F.A.C.T.