Live. Love. Laugh. Dream. Create. Celebrate. It's Independence Day and the Front Porch is calling at Alabama Chanin.  This handmade American flag was quilted by their talented local artisans living in and around Florence, Alabama and showcases the positive side of US craftsmanship: high quality, organic & recycled materials, and grown-to-sewn locally...from farmer to fiber to artisan to home. 

- Lesley Scott

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The best environmentally-aware, green, cruelty-free, and karma-correct fashion and beauty blog posts of the week - brought to you by Green Chic: an exclusive (invite-only) group of the hottest fashion and beauty blogs. Who knew it was so easy to be stylishly eco?

the ultimate in eco "fashion"...Agyness Deyn in her birthday suit [Refinery29 Pipeline]
Alex & Chloe campaign for human rights [Ethical Style]
trends in eco handbags [stylelist]
Leanne Marshall for Bluefly [FabSugar]
do your hair & the earth a favor with dry shampoo [College Fashion]
eco designers embrace full figures [Eco Salon]
a Libertas earth-friendly trunk show [fashion fille]
eco-fabulous bags from Chile [Quinta Trends]
Bond No.9 gets the green bug [RedPoppy Fashion]
10 reasons to swap your clothes [Posh Swaps]
hot shoes that happen to be vegan [Fashiontribes]
win an eco-chic chair from IQMatics [Factio Magazine]
eco designers on the rise [Runway to Retail]
an eco-fab giveaway featuring BeadforLife [Looking Sharp!]
Phillip Lim goes green [Fashion Pulse Daily]

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Coco Chanel viewed Venice as a city of great intrigue - simultaneously dramatic and fragile...much like herself.  The Chanel Makeup Studio used their imagination to bring this water-themed city to life for Fall 2009 in a palette reflective of its shimmery facades, mosaics, and sparkly aquatic lagoons.  Chanel's Global Creative Director, Peter Philips, recently created Venetian-inspired runway looks for the 2009/10 Cruise show - held on the beaches of Venice - with tones of rich sienna, deep rose, mysterious greys, and dusky greens that can be softened for day or emboldened come evening.  Purchasing info at Chanel.com.

- Lesley Scott

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Coach recently launched Poppy, a fun and flirty new bag and clothing line - along with a fun contest to find the quintessential Poppy Girl. Think that's you? Then create your own Poppy scrapbook page using Coach Poppy prints, hardware, and your own pix for a totally personalized, Poppy-perfect design. The Grand Prize Winner will get their scrapbook page transformed into animated wallpaper downloadable at Coach.com/Poppy and on Facebook, plus be treated to both a Poppy-themed weekend for two in NYC and the spending spree.  Poppy prizes will also be awarded to the Most Viral entry, the Runner-Up, the six Sign-Up Sweepstakes winners, and six Voter/Reviewer Sweepstakes winners. Enter by Wednesday, August 12th at Brickfish.com/Coach_PoppyGirl.

- Lesley Scott

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A fun sartorial antidote to the glum economic news is bright denim: jeans in bold hues like lemon yellow, vibrant aqua, cool coral, emerald green, cotton candy pink, royal purple, and luscious tangerine. To rock the look like a pro, the style experts at Cotton Incorporated recommend keeping the rest of your ensemble toned-down. "When wearing bright denim, your jeans are the focal point. Pair it with tops, cardigans, and tees in neutral colors."  Also, to balance the brightness of the color, keep the cut body-conscious, skinny, and ankle length. "Baggier cuts in bright and bold colors can be overwhelming, causing you to look larger than your actual size."  If you're feeling more daring, add a burst of color with a cotton scarf, a cotton tunic in a contrasting color, or even a shade of nail polish from OPI's BrightPair collection (designed in conjunction with coordinating Paige Premium Denim crops and shorts); alternatively, a graphic black-and-white zebra print looks fab paired with a bright.  And don't forget to care for your investment: before laundering turn your jeans inside-out, wash only in cold water with a color-safe detergent, and NEVER use bleach.  For more tips and cotton care tricks, check out TheFabricOfOurLives.com.

- Lesley Scott

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While the costumes for Beyonce's current Sasha Fierce world tour, are, to say the least, over-the-top, the clothing line it recently inspired will be more subdued in order to let the flashy accessories, shoes and eyewear do most of the talking.  "Thierry Mugler designed the clothes for the tour, but we really wanted to celebrate the style and interpret that into a collection," notes Beyonce's mom, Tina Knowles about Sasha Fierce for Dereon which includes a one-shoulder dress, faux leather jacket with portrait collar, ripped jeans with mesh and lace detailing, and a black bodysuit.  Accessories feature chains which mix silver and gold, studded shoes, and glamour girl sunglasses. Available in early fall at Macy's and Dillards. (source)

- Lesley Scott

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Willy Vanderperre photographed Iris Strubegger in YSL, Dolce, Balenciaga, Prada, Miu Miu, Chanel, Jil Sander, Ann Demeulemeester and other A-list designers for this fashion spread "A Touch of Class" in V Magazine issue #60 - on newsstands July 7th.  The fab voluminous sleeves, artistically moody florals and rich palette of hues and textures are enough to make a fashionista wish summer was over already:

Check it out at VMagazine.com.

- Lesley Scott

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Christopher Kane's monkey-print dress from his Spring/Summer 09 collection (seen here on Rihanna) caused enough of a fashion stir to entice the designer to create an entire line of silk jersey tees with additional images that include a baboon, mandril, and gorilla.  "I have always intended on doing a small t-shirt line to sit alongside the ready-to-wear collection, and the monkey story was perfect to start with," explains the designer.  These exclusive pieces are now available, but selling fast...so swing on over to My-Wardrobe.com.

- Lesley Scott

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Finally - a sneak peek at "Coco Before Chanel" in English!

Based loosely on the book by Edmonde Charles-Roux "L'Irreguliere: Ou, Mon Itineraire Chanel" with a screenplay co-written by Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liasons), the movie focuses on her early stint as a cabaret singer and her lovers who helped her break into fashion.  Translation: a fashionable helping of juicy tidbits on Miss Gabrielle.

And casting the fabulous Audrey Tautou as Mademoiselle...genius!

- Lesley Scott

(source)

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Inspired by the surreal photographs of Man Ray, the lush colours and sumptuous draperies of the paintings of Tamara de Lempicka, and reminscent of Hollywood's Golden Age, the newest LV ad campaign images have a softer, more intimate quality than the previous one, also starring her Madgesty. "After the fun we had with the Spring/Summer campaign, and the amazing reaction to it, all of us – Madonna, Steven and myself – were eager to get back together for Fall/Winter," comments Vuitton's Creative Director, Marc Jacobs, about the new campaign which breaks in magazines worldwide in August 2009.  "While the two campaigns look very different, there is also a unity about them, so it now feels like we have completed both parts of the story."  In the seven visuals, Madonna models key pieces from Marc Jacobs' Fall/Winter ready-to-wear collection for Louis Vuitton - ruffled silks, extravagant accessories and sequinned Monogram bags, as well as the sweetly ironic bunny ears that were such a hit on the catwalk.

- Lesley Scott

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Designers appear to have reached into their desk drawers for inspiration this spring, pulling out the New Wave accessory du jour: staples, pins, and zippers utilized in a variety of different ways: exposed, in contrast-color, haphazardly applied as trim, or twisted into 3D shapes.  Interestingly, the largest zipper manufacturer in the world, YKK, was one of the official sponsors of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in NYC (even the lanyard for the press badge was a zipper). From the staples on Victor & Rolf's beautifully cut wool jackets to Sex Pistols-style safety pins and cheeky punk jewelry by Tom Binns - thanks to this hot 2009 trend, low is the new high, and the functional...fabulous. 

The hardware-heavy, craftsy felt-flower cuff by Marc Jacobs inspired us to staple, zip, and pin our own...here's how:

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
- large piece of stiff black felt (8.5" x 11")
- black thread
- decorative thread or staples in gold (check the scrapbooking section of the craft store)
- 1 decorative button
- heavy-duty gold snaps (2 sets)
- gold soutache braided trim
- 1 heavy-duty jacket zipper (black with gold teeth)
- gold safety pins (1 large, 15 small)
- clear, flexible plastic (like from a vinyl tabletop cover)

TOOLS:
- snap setting pliers/hammer+die for the snaps
- stapler
- needle
- felt or fabric glue

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. MAKE THE PARTS Cut the felt into 2 abstract, oblong flower "petals" 2 flower "petals".  To make the triangle-shaped petals, cut the plastic into 2 diamond shapes.  Cut the zipper into 3 lengths, each piece measuring 10" long.  Fold each length in the center to make a rounded petal shape; secure the inside with 2 gold staples (or hand-sew stitches in decorative thread).

2. MAKE THE CUFF AND BASE From the felt, cut out the base of your flower parts: a circle measuring approximately 1.25" in diameter. Then cut a 2" wide strip that is long enough to go around your wrist plus a 3/4" for overlap for the snaps.  Use snap-setting pliers (like Dritz), or hammer and die to set 2 snaps (and their counterparts) into the ends. Because they are strong, we chose shanked snaps; alternatively, you could use sew-on snaps.

3. ADD THE EMBELLISHMENT Using a needle and thread, hand-sew your parts onto the felt base. Start with a felt petal, then a zipper petal, then a plastic petal in a corkscrew design; repeat, attaching each new petal on top of the previous one. Wind the braided trim in and out of the petals in a figure-8 pattern, securing in the center with a few stitches. Then hide all of your stitching with a button sewn into the center.  Pin safety pins haphazardly around the edge of one of the felt petals; thread 10 smaller pins onto the larger pin and attach.  Complete the look by adding yet more staples or decorative thread. 

4. ATTACH BASE TO CUFF Glue felt base to the center of the cuff.  Secure further by sewing around edge of the circle base with decorative thread.

To let the cuff rock out on its own, wear with something demure...or do a full-on Marc Jacobs style, with a nipped-in shrunken jacket, mismatched obi belt, super-long denim pencil skirt, and teeny porkpie straw hat set akilter.

Still have questions? Email me at CarlyJCais AT FashionTribes.com. Otherwise, happy DIY-ing!

- Carly J. Cais

(runway photos via style.com)

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Since its inception in 1993, fashion retailer INTERMIX has been known for their signature mix of established and emerging designers - including Stella McCartney, Elizabeth and James, Herve Leger, Balmain, J Brand, ALC by Andrea Lieberman, Chloe, Yigal Azrouel - all displayed in unexpected combinations designed to encourage innovative dressing and evolved personal style.  Their own brand image is similarly evolving, as reflected in the company's first ever ad campaign. “We wanted it to be a perfect marriage between art and fashion, uptown with downtown. The concept was really based on having classic and elegant black and white photography with a touch of watercolor graffiti to bring the edge in..." explains Khajak Keledjian, CEO of Intermix, about celebrating their 15th anniversary with a series of playful and evocative images involving the creative talents of progressive Brooklyn artist Matt Sohl, photographer Butch Hogan, and multi disciplinary creative agency ORPHAN. “Using a young, creative design firm to conceptualize the campaign keeps the INTERMIX tradition alive of nurturing young talent just like we do with our designers. This is a great time to work with ambitious and talented people who understand how quickly the world is changing.”

- Lesley Scott

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As a way to promote the recycling of second-hand clothing into something new and eco-chic, Oxfam recently launched Oxfam DIY - a new online fashion resource designed to encourage remaking what's old into something up-to-date and fabulous. To celebrate, star British stylist Mrs Jones (aka Fee Doran who has styled The Killers and put Kylie into that white-hooded catsuit for "Can't Get You Out of My Head") styled a photoshoot made up of looks created entirely using garments from Oxfam's recycling facility, Wastesaver.

And now they've teamed up again on a unique fashion design competition. Create a customized garment from old clothing or recycled materials, and upload a pic of you or a friend in it to the Flickr stream Flickr.com/groups/OxfamDIY (but hurry, entries close July 15th at Oxfam.org.uk/DIY).  The top five shortlisted designs chosen by Mrs Jones will be featured on the Oxfam DIY site, and the lucky winner will have a one-of-a-kind item designed for them by Mrs Jones.

“Seeing as I’ve always shopped in Oxfam, creating Oxfam DIY was the perfect opportunity to give something back," says Mrs Jones. "It’s a rare feeling in fashion to be doing something ethical, sustainable and worthwhile. We’ve taken a look at people’s attitudes to fashion and consumption, and are giving them the materials, ideas and confidence to create their own looks via Oxfam DIY.”

Adds Sarah Farquhar, Oxfam Head of Retail: “Oxfam DIY is about giving people the chance to express their own unique personalities through design. Our range of second-hand clothing offers a wealth of possibilities for creative minds, and this competition will give aspiring designers the chance to have their work seen by one of the best stylists working today." 

Entries close on July 15th at Oxfam.org.uk/DIY.

- Lesley Scott

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Perricone MD skincare products and cosmeceuticals are faves of celebs like Oprah...and we have a one of their bestsellers to give away, worth $120!  Advanced Face Firming Activator is formulated with a synergistic combination of Alpha Lipoic Acid and DMAE which resurfaces skin texture, reduces the look of fine lines, wrinkles, and enlarged pores, and reveals a radiant complexion - all while preventing further damage.  Visit PerriconeMD to learn more about this product line and Dr. Perricone's three-tier anti-aging philosophy.  Whoever leaves the most interesting comment here (be sure to include your email; also, the contest is limited to US residents only) by Friday, July 3 wins!

- Lesley Scott

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Noticing a decided lack of anything remotely sexy in the way of vegan shoes, Rebecca Mink - a lifelong animal and earth activist - created her own: glamorous, towering luxury kicks made from sustainable, non-animal resources including rubber, wood, cork, and organic fabrics. When she first showed up in Italy almost 10 years ago, sketches in hand, 16 factories showed her the door, refusing to consider manufacturing such an unprecedented product.  Luckily Marco Gambassi, whose family has crafted shoes for generations, viewed her project as a creative challenge.  And thanks to Italian engineering, when Mink shoes were machine-tested for durability, they outlasted their conventional counterparts, proving that non-leather is a viable footwear option for green fashionistas.  These "Vulture" cork wedges with delicate double ankle straps (as seen here in Lucky April 2009) could possibly be the perfect summer heel.  Available by special order only - email info@minkshoes.com. Check out her entire line at MinkShoes.com.

- Lesley Scott

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