The Fashion Informer

Random Questions For…Be & D

Be Inthavong and Steve Dumain may come from completely different backgrounds – Be, a former monk, grew up in Laos, where his family owned a silk mill, and earned a degree in biology from Texas Christian University after emigrating to the US, while ex-screenwriter Steve hails from a horse farm in upstate New York and studied international business, Spanish and art at UVM. But they couldn’t be more similar with it comes to their shared love of fashion and design, which led them to launch the eponymous handbag brand, Be & D, out of their loft in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in 2004.

The line, distinguished by exotic skins, rock chic metal studs and custom hardware, was an immediate hit with fashion insiders and celebrities, with the original Garbo bag selling out across the globe. Many iconically-named satchels later (Ava, Crawford, Greta, Twiggy), Be & D is an international phenomenon, and the cute boys from Brooklyn are building on the success of their handbag line with the addition of a new shoe collection, which debuted this season, featuring their signature studs on the heels of shapely pumps, along with quilted patent booties and python peep-toe sling backs. And for spring, they're unveiling an art- and architecture-inspired bag collection based on the works of Klimt, Miro, O'Keeffee, Kahlo and the Getty. Next up: a new Be & D e-com site, which is set to go live on December 1st (www.beandd.com).

The Fashion Informer tracked down the bag men on the eve of their e-com launch to get the lowdown on what they do when they're not making women's fashion dreams come true.

So, Be and Steve…

Who is your biggest style icon?
BI: I don’t have one person in particular that influences my style. For me, my style is influenced by my state of mind, mood, geography, age, love and things I see everyday.

SD: Be! Honestly, nobody puts it on as good as he does. And I'm lucky to get to see it on a daily basis. I dress very "down,” but I love to make and see beautiful things on braver people.

Favorite holiday?
BI: Labor Day is actually my new favorite holiday. [It makes me] realize the importance of rest and having more free time outside of work, even though it’s just one extra day.

SD: Fourth of July. Fireworks make everyone fall in love and exude happiness. On the roof of my loft building on the Brooklyn waterfront, we have huge parties with bands and there have been as many as 800 people. We dance all night overlooking the Manhattan skyline.

What's the best part of Thanksgiving?
BI: Families and friends getting together and the long process of cooking. It also reminds me of my native culture where we cook large meals during a festival or ceremony and we eat and sleep off the same food for days.

SD: It's less about the holiday itself for me, and more about being with family and friends and eating a ton – especially stuffing! I'm half Italian, so my mom and my grandma Rocky (Roccatella) make an amazing sausage stuffing. My family is huge, so there are kids running all over the place and so much food. I love to bring friends of mine from other countries; it's an amazing experience for someone who isn't American.

For what will you be arrested (hypothetically speaking)?
BI: Possibly, for getting into a fight with a TSA airport security screening personnel for making me throw away my cologne.

SD: Indecent exposure in a bowling alley.

What's your favorite piece of jewelry or item of clothing?
BI: My black hand-woven silk scarf from my aunt’s silk mill in Laos. The work is intricate and reminds me of my native culture.

SD: The turquoise ring I wear on my right hand. It was my dad's in the 70's and it's awesome. He's our business partner now.

How do you stay in shape?
BI: I run and lift weights.

SD: Yoga's become a big part of my life. Whole grains only and good proteins - and dessert only when it's amazing....blah blah blah, health health health. Now it's more of a way of life, so I don't think about it too much. That works. I’ve always been a bit of a yoyo body type having eaten a diet that consisted only of pasta and meatballs for the first 16 years of my life.

If given the opportunity, what one question would you like to ask God (assuming s/he exists)?
BI: I wouldn’t want to ask anything. Rather, I’d like to thank him for always, always being there.

SD: Hi God, what's my score? And what sandals goes with this robe - or should I ask Be?

Do you believe in love at first sight?
BI: YES!

SD: Yes, and that scares the hell out of me. Now ask me if it lasts forever, and I'm even more scared.

What's your beverage of choice?
BI: Daytime: Water. Nighttime: Very chilled Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

SD: Green tea.

If you found $15,000 cash in a brown paper bag, how would you spend it?
BI: I would buy a nice large round table for our studio. Then I would buy myself a pair of boots.

SD: Is it in singles or hundreds? Pay for next season’s leathers!

Tell me about your all-time favorite Be & D accessory.
BI: The Kiss bag. It was a way to show our emotional aesthetic, connect with art and show our honesty to creativity.

SD: The new bag we call the Kiss bag, based on the painting of the same name by Gustav Klimt. It was really an amazing process to work on with Be, because it was so important that it represent the piece of art honestly while staying true to our form.

What's the one grooming product you can't live without?
BI: Redken’s Hair Maneuver. I would die without it!

SD: Dr. Broner's. That awesome mint soap that makes you tingle in the summer when it's so hot in New York you can't see the sidewalk thru the humidity. I always bring a giant bottle of it as a little gift to friends in Europe and they love it!

When you were 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?
BI: A plastic surgeon. I was a horrible nerd!

SD: A magician! I made my mother drive me to the next town over to go and hang out with the owner of a little magic shop.

What was your nickname growing up, and what's your nickname now?
BI: My nickname is Be, which is also my middle name. Be became my legal first name when I became an American citizen.

SD: Meatball or Dumain. I was a little, round, curly haired kid. And then when I lost a bunch of weight it changed to sausage for a few kids but everyone loved meatball so it went right back. Stevie D soon after that and still by some friends. People just always pick that naturally.

When are you happiest?
BI: When I close my eyes now and think about the wonderful things that have happened to me. And I’m even happier thinking of more to come.

SD: I'm happiest in the woods or on a mountaintop.

Stay tuned next week for Random Questions For...Lucy Sykes and Euan Rellie.

Random Questions For…Michael Kors

It’s been a busy season for luxury sportswear king Michael Kors. He showed a well-received spring 2008 collection in September. Opened a lifestyle concept boutique in New York’s hip-again Soho in early November. And he’s currently reprising his role as judge par excellence on the just-debuted fourth season of Bravo’s fashion reality show, Project Runway. With a schedule like that, is it any wonder his favorite pastime is lying on the beach reading trashy fiction?

The Fashion Informer caught up with the perennially tan jetsetting designer just before Thanksgiving, when he was en route from Korea to St. Bart’s (you know how you do).

So, Michael…

What’s your favorite off-duty activity?
Lying on the beach with a trashy novel or celebrity biography.

What’s the last book you read?
“The Grand Surprise” by Leo Lerman.

What’s in heavy rotation on your iPod?
Madonna, Abba, Prince, Mika, Rolling Stones.

What did you do last weekend, and what are your plans for this weekend?
This past weekend, I flew back from a work trip in Korea and did press for my new store in Soho and Project Runway. Next weekend, I’m flying to St. Bart’s for rest and relaxation.

Favorite getaway spot?
Capri, Italy.

Tea or coffee?
Iced tea, all year round. I don’t drink hot liquids.

What was your first job out of school?
Salesperson at Lothar's boutique, then I was the in-house designer of their signature label.

What’s your favorite store in the world?
G. Lorenzi in Milan. They have the most fantastic things and I buy something every time I go there.

What is your favorite work of art?
Ron Galella paparazzi photographs from the 1970's; they are a constant source of inspiration for me.

What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
Iced tea and a slice of cheese.

What’s your dream job (other than your current occupation)?
Movie or theatre producer.

What's the most challenging part about being a judge on Project Runway?
Having people on the street telling me I’m mean. If these designers think I’m tough, try reading a review from Suzy [Menkes], WWD or the Times.

When are you happiest?
Lying on the beach with no appointments.

Project Runway airs on Bravo Wednesday at 10PM EST. For more info on Michael Kors' new stores, visit http://www.michaelkors.com/.

Stay tuned next week for Random Questions For…Be & D.

Marc Jacobs New West Village Stores Officially Open

Marc Jacobs Collection and Little Marc stores - located across the street from one another on W. 4th and Bank Streets in the West Village - opened to the public Saturday afternoon.

Although the shops have generated a ton of publicity, when The Fashion Informer stopped by on Monday, both boutiques were totally devoid of customers, though we were happy to join the Collection store staff in whiling away the time playing The Name Game. "F!" prompted cute sales clerk #1. "Ummm, Farrah Fawcett?" I ventured while trying on sunglasses. "We already did her," sighed cute sales clerk #2. "We've been playing for hours..."

Let's hope business picks up before they run out of letters.

Photos © The Fashion Informer

Loeffler Randall for Target to Debut December 30th

CFDA Swarovski Award winning accessories designer, Jessie Randall, will unveil her hotly anticipated limited-edition Loeffler Randall for Target collection on December 30th, and it will be in-store through March 23, 2008.

The collection includes clutches, satchels and totes in cream, brown, gold and rose gold tones in patent and linen fabrications, priced from $20 to $50, as well as two styles of flats in the aforementioned colors plus black, which will sell for $30.

Photos courtesy Loeffler Randall for Target

Rogan Gregory Wins Top CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Prize

Last night at the kick-off gala to the 7th on Sale event at New York's 69th Regiment Armory, designer Rogan Gregory - the man behind the Rogan, Loomstate and EDUN labels - took home the 2007 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize ($200,000 and a year-long mentorship with an industry executive), with Phillip Lim and jewelry designer Philip Crangi named runners-up (they won $50,000 each and a year-long mentorship).

“It's an honor to be recognized in such good company," Gregory told The Fashion Informer. "Winning this award is an inspiring validation of my design approach and encourages me to stay the course of making fashion a responsible endeavor. I’m looking forward to working with a mentor who will share insight and wisdom and will support us in growing our business.”

Past winners of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award include Doo-Ri Chung, Trovata and Proenza Schouler duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez.

To see a video about the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund process, featuring the aforementioned designers and fellow 2007 finalists Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders, Erin Fetherston, Gabi, Ange and Adi of Threeasfour, Nunthirat Koi Suwannagate of Koi, Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai of Vena Cava, Michael Bastian and Victoria Bartlett of VPL, visit:
http://www.shopvogue.tv/?detectflash=false&undefined#Watch/2.

Random Questions for...Erin Fetherston

Since launching her line to great fanfare during Paris Haute Couture Spring 2005, Berkley-native-turned-Paris-expat Erin Fetherston has become something of a fashion world darling, thanks to her sweeter-than-sugar beribboned, beruffled confections. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have Ellen von Unwerth direct your debut collection video (which happens to star Kirsten Dunst). Nor does it hurt to have pal Zooey Deschanel sing at your Bryant Park runway debut or have model Karen Elson sing your praises - or be cute as a proverbial button yourself.

Hot on the heels of her 2007 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation win earlier this year, Fetherston has also been named a 2007 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist (the winner will be announced at the 7th on Sale gala tomorrow night), and has been granted her own GO Target collection (hitting stores this weekend), so young women the world over can live out their fantasies of looking like party-going nymphets, in ruffle-placket shift dresses, Peter Pan collar tunics and heart-festooned everything.

Having perused her Go Target look book, peopled by a model sporting a blond, Fetherston-esque Alice in Wonderland wig and super-girlie frocks, The Fashion Informer tracked down the surprisingly sophisticated Ms. Fetherston herself to ask a a few random questions.

So, Erin...

What is your all-time favorite song or piece of music?
"Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison. It just always puts me in a good mood.

Tell me about your pet(s).
I have two adorable puppies. Koala is a Bichon Maltese, and she is two years old. She got her name because she would hug us when she was a baby like a koala bear. The new addition is Molly, she is a Chinese Crested Powderpuff, and she is six months old. I call her the unicorn puppy because she doesn't really look like a dog. She looks like a fairytale creature, with her blue eyes and rabbit ears. They are both all white and very fluffy.

What is your idea of a perfect meal?
The perfect meal requires the perfect company to start. I like simple foods made with excellent and organic ingredients. Grilled fish and puree of spinach is my favorite dinner.

Ocean or mountains?
Ocean.

Biggest difference between living and working in New York and living and working in Paris?
New York is so manic and you can meet a lot of people and things in a single day. Paris is more quiet, so it’s better for reflection and creativity.

Do you believe in love at first sight?
Yes; I'm living proof.

Brunch: pro or con?
I am amused by the phenomenon of brunch in New York City. NYC brunch is like European lunch every day (minus the pancakes). I think it’s too bad people can only really take time to enjoy a midday meal on the weekend. In Paris, everyone takes time to have lunch during the day and it’s a much healthier lifestyle.

Who do you consider the most underrated designer of all time?
Junko Shimada- no one really even knows her in the US.

Please describe your favorite shoes.
I love the glitter heeled Miu Miu peep toe platforms from last year. I wear them all the time. They are so particular, yet go with almost everything.

Have you ever consideedr designing a children’s collection for little girls?
Yes! I would love to do that.

What freaks you out?
All the garbage piled up on New York City streets.

What’s the one beauty/grooming product can you not live without?
Kiehl's lip balm.

What's the greatest or most important lesson your parents taught you?
To show compassion.

When are you happiest?
When I'm cuddled up with my puppies and my fiancé.

Erin Fetherston/Go Target will be available from November 18th through December at Target stores natitonwide and online at www.target.com.

Stay tuned next week for Random Questions For...Michael Kors.

Erin Fetherston/Go Target photos courtesy of Target

Check Out Splendora's Holiday Lounge

Wondering why The Fashion Informer hasn't been posting much as of late? Allow me to present The Splendora Holiday Lounge (http://www.splendora.com/holiday2007).

Please take a peek and let me know what you think. Two months in the making and produced by a cast of not thousands, yours truly was Creative Director and wrote every word of copy - so I hope you'll forgive this bit of shameless self-promotion. Thanks to Gina Pell, Amy Parker and all the other Splendora gals, and big props to stylist extraordinaire Jana Gale, photographer Kristiina Wilson and hair and makeup guru Joey Maalouf.

DDCLAB Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary

Reprinted courtesy of Surface magazine, http://www.surfacemag.com

Julie Haus Springs For Pop Burgers

Most emerging designers, especially those who specialize in frilly frocks, tend to opt for more traditional presentation venues – sunny showrooms, upscale lounges, pretty parks and the like.

Not so Julie Haus, she of the pink-tiered pinafores, mod plaid shifts and Peter Pan-collared confections (aesthetically, think Erin Fetherston’s less twee sister).

Haus offset the uber-girliness of her spring 2008 collection by presenting it in the darkened back room of Pop Burger, the hip Meatpacking District eatery known for its deliciously decadent “sliders,” to-die-for French fries and high-octane milkshakes - not exactly standard fare for Manhattan’s underfed fashionistas.

Which is probably why the fashion crowd – including Vanessa Williams’ daughter, Melanie Hervey, and editors from Elle, W, Allure, the NY Times, In Style, Lucky, Teen Vogue, New York, People, Seventeen and Vogue - turned out in force to see Haus’ “Alice Everyday” collection (with dresses named for heroines from Book of Love’s 1991 song of the same name), which was hung on racks and on models, the latter of whom stood atop wooden boxes while buyers and editors nibbled on burgers and sipped cocktails beneath projection screens playing “Midnight Cowboy,” the heroin epic in which Matt Dillon and William S. Burroughs play junkies (cause there's nothing like watching a little shooting up and nodding off to put a girl in a let's-play-dress-up-and-party mood).

“I wanted something more edgy to balance the sweet,” Haus told The Fashion Informer after making sure her flower-festooned models were all settled on their perches, little lace gloves and granny hats worn just so. “A tea party would have been far too literal. This is more unexpected – and more fun.”

Photos © The Fashion Informer

Random Questions For…Robin Renzi of Me & Ro

When Robin Renzi launched the jewelry company, Me&Ro, with her best friend Michele Quan back in 1991 (working out of their shared apartment) the then-dancer never imagined that 15 years on, she would be the CEO of one of the fastest-growing independent jewelry lines in the country, with celebs such as Julia Roberts, Charlize Theron and Sheryl Crow lining up to buy Me&Ro’s Chinese- and Sanskrit-inscribed pendants, lotus blossom earrings and delicate, precious and semi-precious stone baubles.

But such is the fate of the woman known for her Buddhist-inspired motifs, subtly-embellished hoop earrings, and masculine-feminine bracelets and chokers that pair polished metal with rough-hewn leather – all of which are rooted in the idea that jewelry has the power to express the human values of strength, love and faith. And all of which are created by hand and boast a simple, un-showy beauty that allows everyone who wears a Me&Ro piece to personalize it and make it their own, whether it’s a sterling silver necklace featuring a Wheel of Transformation emblem, lotus dish trinket and lolite bead charm ($170), a pair of 18k gold vine-embossed teardrop earrings dripping with andalusite beads ($1950), a Tibetan pavé horn pendant ($6090), or a long faceted rutilated quartz bead chain ($10,465).

The Fashion Informer recently caught with the indefatigable Renzi over breakfast in Soho, as she readied for the opening of the newest Me&Ro boutique in Chicago and prepared for the birth of her first child – both of which were scheduled to arrive the second week in November (baby Ella arrived first).

So, Ro…

What's in heavy rotation on your iPod?
My latest mix is Lauren Hill, Fiona Apple, Sade, James Brown, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ellis Regina, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons and the soundtrack to Almost Famous.

What is your favorite movie of all time (and why)?
I don't have one favorite, there are so many good movies, so I will just tell you a few: Days of Heaven, La Strada, Juliet of the Spirits, The Rapture...

What did you have for breakfast this morning?
Two scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast with butter and a fresh banana/raspberry juice.

What is your favorite getaway spot?
I love India, because it's the opposite of here, it is just so different that every part of you is forced to look and feel things differently – everything. It is not an easy place to travel, you either find yourself or lose yourself.

Who do you admire (personally or professionally)?
Dr. Paul Farmer [the anthropologist/physician who co-founded Partners in Health] because he is healing the world and just doesn't take no for an answer. I also love that he is a bit subversive in the way he gets things done-he just ploughs through things and is so intelligent, with a huge heart.

Do you have any hidden or unusual talents?
I love to cook! I play guitar and sing just for myself and my honey and he thinks I'm good (though he's biased).

If you weren't designing jewelry, what other career would you like to attempt?
I would pursue a photojournalist career. I love traveling and shooting pictures of people and places.

Tell me about your best friend.
Hmmm...I have a few. They are all smart, intuitive, honest, real and feisty women.

What are you most looking forward to about motherhood, and what are you most nervous about?
I love babies. I love the silent and deep communication you feel with them. They are pure love and joy and I look forward to experiencing that. I want her to be healthy, I hope that life is good to her; some people have such difficult lives. I hope she has a good, full life with good health and love and balance - and all good things like that.

What freaks you out?
The state of the world and, in a more personal sense, people who just don't get it! Sometimes it's just us and them - stupidity, selfishness, greed.

Beverage of choice?
I love fresh juices. I also like a nice glass of wine and water.

What is your all-time favorite piece of jewelry?
That is tough. I am very sentimental about jewelry, so there are a few pieces and it has to do with the story and the design. One is a piece of Chrysophase that I bought in India at Chandi Chowk, which is the people's market in Delhi. It's this beautiful thick round deep green uncut stone - very smooth. I held onto it for about nine years until the Tibet Fund called for an auction piece. I used the Chrysophase for the donation, had the stone engraved with an Om in the front, and set it in 22kt gold with the front and the back exposed, with Indian rose cut diamonds all around the side. The piece was won in a raffle, but then put on line in an auction, and I bid and won! Also, I was given this walrus tooth (in ivory, which I love but can't use), from this old man in his shop outside of Glacier National Park in Montana that I set in gold and put a flat diamond in. And I have a few beautiful rose cut diamonds, one 3 carat pear-shaped and another odd shaped one with very few facets - gorgeous! They are my weakness.

When are you happiest?
Many things make me happy. I love making things; it's a very solitary and internal process that is sort of like a journey. I love being home and just hanging out listening to music, being with friends, cooking for people (food is love). Being in nature makes me really happy, as does traveling and experiencing new cultures. Combining efforts with others to do good in the world - and seeing other people do good in the world - makes me really happy! And last but not least, being with my man, because he makes me feel love!

Me&Ro Chicago is opening Thursday, November 8th at 61 East Oak Street; 312-957-8181. For other store locations, visit www.meandrojewelry.com.

Housing Works Fashion for Action Kicks Off This Thursday

Housing Works Thrift Shops has announced that actress Rashida Jones will serve as honorary chair of its fourth-annual Fashion for Action benefit and will host the event’s VIP reception at New York's Rubin Museum of Art this Thursday, November 8th.

Fashion for Action, sponsored by HBO and Essence, is considered the sample sale to end all sample sales, with an annual three-day sale of $1 million worth of brand-new merchandise from the world’s top designer labels at 70 to 80 percent off retail. All proceeds go to Housing Works, an organization dedicated to ending the twin crises of AIDS and homelessness.

“I’m grateful to be participating in this year’s Fashion for Action,” said Jones, who stars in the hit comedy "The Office" on NBC. “AIDS is still a serious problem in New York, and Fashion for Action is a great way for New Yorkers to help out.”

Fashion for Action kicks off with the Rubin Museum reception on November 8th, with tickets going from $100 - $1,000. The event will include exclusive preview shopping at Housing Works' 17th Street Thrift Shop, along with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a DJ and a silent auction featuring covetable items such as a Prada handbag and Tom Ford briefcase.

The regular three-day Fashion for Action sale is open to the public for free, and runs from November 9th - 11th, and boasts cutting-edge designs and hard-to-find pieces from top labels, including Adam + Eve, Armani, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Coach, Charlotte Ronson, Diesel, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Energie, Ermenegildo Zegna, Fendi, Hugo Boss, Issey Miyake, Jane Mayle, Juicy Couture, Libertine, Louis Vuitton, Nanette Lepore, Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez, Paul Smith, Theory and dozens more.

“The fashion community has been amazingly generous,” said Matthew Bernardo, Housing Works Senior Vice President for Business Services. “They recognize that AIDS isn’t over.”

For more information and VIP reception tickets, call 212-645-8111 x164 or visit www.fashion4action.com.

Photos courtesy Housing Works Thrift Shops/Fashion for Action

Marc Jacobs Opening Collection and Children's Stores in W. Village

This just in: The Fashion Informer has learned that Marc Jacobs is scheduled to open a sixth store in the W. Village - a children's boutique, housed in the former Tao of Living space on the Southwest corner of Bank and W. 4th. The shop he leased diagonally across the street on the Northeast corner, meanwhile (as reported here last week) will be home to the higher-priced Marc Jacobs Collection line. Both stores are slated to open by the end of 2007.

Watch out, Focaccia and Le Fanion! The retail-insatiable Mr. Jacobs may be gunning for your spaces next...

Photo © The Fashion Informer

Random Questions For...Ruben & Isabel Toledo

Article reprinted courtesy of Plastique magazine (http://www.plastiquemagazine.com/).