>JBCStyle: Yumi Kim Style

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Dream on, dream on, dream until your dreams come true. 

-Aerosmith

You know the dream. Girl graduates school, moves to New York City to become a fashion designer, and is suddenly beloved by socialites, celebrities, and all the pretty young things. Just like that. San Diego State University graduate Yumi Kim moved to New York, created eponymous line, and is living proof that the dream exists. It’s alive and well. We love these success stories because they inspire the hopefuls to take that leap of faith, and remind the jaded, or even the very established, that the next wunderkind to compete with a de la Renta or a Herrera might be a 20-something year old designing dresses for a doll collection. And then maybe a First Lady’s inaugural ball gown. You never know.

A blog post dated September 26, 2008:

I can’t believe this is really happening. I have a store in New York City! OMG! It hasn’t hit me yet! I keep pinching myself and saying- “Is this for reals? We actually made it happen?!” It’s been a crazy roller coaster ride the past few weeks.  I can’t believe I actually made it happen!  I have so many people to thank.  I owe my staff and friends BIG time for being there for me.  Thank you so much for staying all those late nights and working those long days.  You guys seriously are the best! I can’t thank all of you enough for helping making my dream come true! I am truly blessed to have such an amazing team and friends! I LOVE you guys!

Camila Alves

Tinsley Mortimer

Dabney Mercer

Lauren Conrad

Paris Hilton

Nicky Hilton

Congratulations, Yumi – two years later and we could keep posting the pictures, but it’s a blog, after all, and you know how it is with blogs. So we’re just ending because we feel like we should so our readers don’t develop scroll rage, but many of us have been rocking your rompers all summer long, and can’t wait to see what you have in store for Fall. . . your store manager told us exclusively that you design all the clothes on yourself – perhaps that’s why there’s that invisible snap button already in place (the one we have to go to the dry cleaner and have put in because the buttons aren’t spaced right) or that cinched waist, or the capped sleeve sleeve detail to mask the extra pound or two. Easy. Playful. With zippers and florals and just enough edge, oh my. 

>JBCStyle: Soho Style

>Whether you’re a NYC native or just visiting, if you’re doing Soho, do not miss Kirna Zabete on Greene Street. The lines they carry leave us a little weak in the knees – Alexander Wang, Azzedine Alaia (we know, we know. . . ) Balmain, Lanvin, Rick Owens. . . you get it. You need to go. Physically for sure, and virtually right now – the site is eye candy for your lunch hour.

What we love best is the Kirna Zabete attitude toward style – it’s approached with humor and whimsy – any boutique carrying this book has a style we can appreciate.

Thank you, Alexander Wang – you’re so right.

PinkMemo Editor Katrina Szish with Alexander Wang – just a hot picture!

As Fashion’s Night Out approaches and Lincoln Center stands poised to fill the big footsteps of the fabled “Tents,” we think the ultimate style is a celebration of the variety and beauty of what is being created today – and Kirna Zabete has a knack for carrying labels which prevail season to season because they are fearless, innovative, and well, FUN.

>JBCStyle: Transitional Style

>One more day left in August, and we couldn’t think of a better time to talk about our favorite transitional piece: the cardigan. Eileen Fisher has dedicated a love story to this I’m-Perfect-With-Jeans-And-A-Tee-Shirt-Let’s-Go-Apple-Picking-In-The-Catskills staple piece, and there are some great, versatile options on their site in all the yummy fall colors the trees will be sporting soon.

We like how Bloomingdales has styled the the Eileen Fisher cardigans – below are two favorite looks:

And just because we are in an unusually great mood this Monday, obviously we cannot resist. . .

Cardigans and September – we love it, Eileen! It’s totally on.

>JBCStyle: Hamptons Cover, Diamond Style

>We checked out Pranna Restaurant’s cocktail soiree to celebrate Serena William’s Hamptons Magazine cover. Russell Simmons rolled in to show support and we think the cover looks HOT and everything Serena is doing to help the Diamond Empowerment Fund is even hotter.

Check out the work they are doing. . .

. . .and hear Russell Simmons talk about how you can help – it’s so easy, and we think that any cause that empowers youth and promotes education shapes the future.

There is nothing in this world more stylish than education.

>JBCStyle: Alexa Rodulfo at Bergdorfs, Flame Style

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Our Fashion’s Night Out flame is Alexa Rodulfo, and a pit stop at Bergdorf Goodman’s Beauty Level will be a must.

Alexa Rodulfo is no stranger to the business of beauty – ask any chic Manhattan girl to name the premiere l’artiste in hair and beauty, and Rodulfo stakes her claim.  At last year’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala Alexa did the make-up for Margherita Missoni, Ivanka Trump, and Wendi Murdoch. The new Mrs. Kushner also turned to Alexa for her wedding day make-up, and fêted the launch of the candle collection in her Madison Avenue eponymous jewelry boutique. We love Melissa Whitworth’s latest PinkMemo feature “Heiress Apparent” on Ivanka’s fabulous jewelry line.

Courtesy PinkMemo: Ivanka Trump

The humble Rodulfo still credits Vogue’s Meredith Melling Burke and Lauren Santo Domingo, along with The New York Times’ Karla Martinez and Gryphon wunderkind Aimee Cho as angels who launched her career. 

Alexa with Lauren Santo Domingo

Why candles? Alexa’s response is immediate and heartfelt:  “I wanted to make a candle line that was meaningful and had feeling.  Once you become captivated by the scent, it will take you to a place you have been before.  When you have a dream and you are passionate about it, and you do things from the heart and with love, it will happen.  I make my collection with all my love, and hopefully people can feel that.” 

>JBCStyle: Fashion Client Style

>If you are a brand new designer, an up and coming designer, or a well established fashion house, we invite you to take a moment and sit down with Bryan Zaslow. . . it’s that crazy time of year again and what needs to be accomplished between now and Fashion Week almost seems impossible. We like making things easy.

What can JBCStyle do for you? Here’s Bryan on a rainy Monday in late August during the 46 seconds he wasn’t in a meeting or on a conference call.

Contact us today, and stay tuned if you’re on the other side of the fence, looking for a job in the fashion industry. We just got our flip cam (watching is so much easier than writing or reading – our teachers never quite got that, did they?) and we’ll be sharing many more clips with you – subscribe to our blog today to make sure you don’t miss out!

>JBCStyle: Tibi E-Commerce Style

>Tibi just relaunched their site – complete with e-commerce section – and we couldn’t be more excited. The homepage looks gorgeous.

Our favorite feature is the “About” because it opens like a booklet, and designer Amy Smilovic’s Inspiration page rings refreshing, honest, and very true to the brand.

Finally. . . at the click of our fingertips, the CLOTHES!

The SHOES! The Tanzania are ridic.

Swimwear to follow suit soon. . . and A BLOG – featuring Amy’s actual sketches! Even cooler is the fact that Amy has written entries herself. In this increasingly digitized world, it’s rare to find the right balance between personalization and going mass market. We dig it.

The City‘s Olivia Palermo and Gossip Girl‘s Blake Lively are fans:

Olivia Palermo

Olivia Palermo with Amy Smilovic at Fall 2010

Blake Lively

Our Creative Director Anisha Lakhani is equally obsessed – in a yellow Tibi ruffle dress about to go on set with Fox News Anchor Kimberly Guilfoyle (also in Tibi!) to do a special on “Fashion’s Night Out.”

Kimberly Guilfoyle and Anisha Lakhani

We still can’t forget when Amy blasted Gun n’ Roses in Bryant Park and that gorgeous purple skirt made its way down the runway, rocking to Axel’s Sweet Child of Mine.

Tibi Spring 2010

Paper Magazine‘s Luigi Tadini snapped away while Art + Culture‘s Chessy Wilson and High Society‘s Dabney Mercer refused to blink!

Luigi Tadini, Chessy Wilson, Dabney Mercer

Tibi’s Director of Public Relations Liz Walker wears it well and is constantly seen around town sporting looks we can now own with the click of a mouse.

Cena Hackler Jackson, Annelise Peterson, Liz Walker

Congratulations to Amy and the entire team at Tibi. . . we can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for Spring 2011. See you at Lincoln Center!

>JBCStyle: Artemis Style

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Huntress is the creative vision of Paula Shapiro and Kei Zemlicka, inspired by one very long layover in Hong Kong, where both women were travelling on behalf of a leading NYC fashion company. Always on the go, they wanted to look stylish and pulled together while still feeling comfortable, even on a 12 hour flight overseas. They envisioned a laid-back collection that delivers casual fashion and comfort, with a bit of an edge. 

The jean leggings featured above are our favorite, and while we cannot WAIT to purchase some dead sexy, over-the-knee boots for Fall (why not?), the cute snap buttons make these a year round favorite and perfect with ballet flats and a tank in late August. They’re also (hard to believe, but we don’t lie) more flattering than the J Brand leggings and the ones Gap is featuring in their windows. We tried all three after a pasta dinner (“Eat” section of Eat Pray Love did us in and death by ravioli was inevitable) and indeed this was the verdict. Jeans that still flatter and feel comfortable after that kind of dinner? Priceless.

JBCStyle can exclusively tell you that the girls just photographed their fall line today – but the girls at Huntress have remained Fort Knox about these pieces – we’re dying for a glimpse! For now, here’s a quick intro to two very cool girls we have a feeling will be making a big splash in the next couple months. . .

Known for her saavy business expertise in overseeing the manufacturing and production for numerous large-scale design and retail companies, Paula built relationships with industry leading mills and factories across the globe. Raised in Japan, Kei started designing at an early age. With a keen eye and skilled hand, she won recognition for her knitwear designs, and relaxed silhouettes. The brand reflects the personalities of its creators. 

Huntress combines sophistication with simplicity, pairing low maintenance, high fashion options. Chic styles that can go from day to evening provide a modern approach to dressing. The ultra-soft fabrics are skillfully crafted into sumptuous playsuits, luxurious tunics and slip-on dresses. The styles are easy to wear and even easier to care for, making the line completely machine washable. Feeling good and looking relaxed. . . key to JBCStyle. 

If you can’t wait to get your hands on them, or if you are a retailer interested in carrying the collection, email sales@huntresscollection.com

>JBCStyle: Friday End of Day Style

>Not much progress with Harold Moscowitz and chocolate lab Rylee, and now it appears puppy Oliver James isn’t having much luck, either. The only luck individual, it appears, is Fox News’ Susan Gerdeman playing Pac Man on the arcade.

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

Yes, everyone likes to come play with us after work.

>JBCStyle: Black Leather Nights

>We’re throwing bikinis into beach bags for the weekend right now, but when the leaves start to change color in a couple months, we’re falling hard for Versace’s sexy-back black leather:

Makes you wanna blast a little Mickey Avalon – he says it best: Lovely in Versace, costly sprees, it’s on at Barney’s. . .I love to watch her go through fifty g’s calmly, she gets naughty with her pilates body. . .

We’d love to hear this on the runway at Lincoln Center and see a label take the black leather well into Spring 2011. It’s New York Fashion Week after all, and Mickey says he likes a girl with caked up makeup who wakes up to a bottle of wine on the nightstand.

Any takers?