Under you or UNDER.ME ?

Olsen Twins Announce New Launch in July with StyleMint.com

What would you give to go shopping with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson? In July, you can get a little closer (ok, like maybe a nanometer closer) with the launch of StyleMint, a digital coalescence of media platforms and personalized e-commerce.  Think Pandora meets book-of-the-month but for women’s T-shirts at 29.99 a pop, starting with eight styles of cotton/Modal Ts available in different basic colors.

StyleMint is the second fashion undertaking for BeachMint, which is headed by Josh Berman, one of the original begetters of MySpace.  It comes as no surprise then, that there is an interactive element to the site.

Based on the model of BeachMint’s first fashion launch,JewelMint, (which is in partnership with Kate Bosworth and stylist Cher Coulter), consumers will be able to use integrated Facebook and Twitter features to amass peer opinions about products they might be interested in buying.  They will also receive personalized recommendations based on style quizzes and predictive algorithms that fine-tune the customer’s style preferences with each purchase.

“With Stylemint.com, Ashley and I have created an online experience reflecting our love of style and allowing us to engage with our customers directly, which is an inspiring new way for us to think and create as designers”, said Mary-Kate Olsen.  The twins will be involved with designing and merchandising the goods as well as creating short videos for the site.

So if you see a tweet from a friend in July, something along the lines of ‘The Olson Twins picked out this T just for me’, you won’t be able to call her a liar. Well, at least not a total liar.

More Than One Way to Load a Gun

Anna Chapman shot into stardom following a Starbucks sting operation in the U.S. that exposed her as a Russian spy and led to a very public arrest in June 2010, along with 9 others.

Since then, she has been exiled to Russia and has been under lockstep surveillance – from magazines, fashion blogs and television shows to the cover of Russian Maxim and just recently, walking the runway for Ilya Shiyan and Yana Rudkovskaya at Moscow Fashion Week.

Was the loaded gun she held to head of a male model as she made her way down the runway gimmicky?  Sure.  Was intentionally dropping the gun at the end of the runway even more gimmicky?  Yes.   Did it work?  At least for now.

When mentioning Fashion Week, Moscow’s contributions don’t even touch the first 10 cities to cross the mind of the average fashionista.   However Moscow FW 2011 has put two new designers’ names into the forefront.  And although they may not remain there for long or for any merits of their own, for better or worse, they have made a momentary impression.

Danger is always exciting in fashion.  It thrives on extremities.  It’s this intrigue that thrust Chapman into the limelight in the first place and although she received criticism by KGB veterans for the loaded gun stunt, it was hardly a sabotage maneuver for her career.

Kind of like how Kate Moss lit up at the end of the runway for Louis Vuitton at Paris Fashion Week on Non Smoking Day.  Both women know how to turn disgrace into a powerful media tool.  Unfortunately, however, only one of them gets to wear Louis Vuitton.

M.A.C donats 100,000 EUR to NOAH

The M.A.C AIDS fund and the Viva Glam program are the heart and soul of M.A.C Cosmetics. Established in 1994 to support men, women and children affected by HIV and AIDS globally, Viva Glam has achieved tremendously gratifying success over the years.

This was no different when Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper became the faces of the new Viva Glam lipsticks. M.A.C was able to donate a check of 100,000 EUR to the “Koning Boudewijn Stichting/Fondation Roi Baudouin”.

This money will be used to support NOAH (Nurturing Orphans of Aids for Humanity), an organization that takes care of about 30.000 orphans van vulnerable children in South-Aftica.

Bob Noorda Is Dead

Bob Noorda, an internationally known graphic designer who helped introduce a Modernist look to advertising posters, corporate logos and, in the 1960s, the entire New York City subway system, died on Jan. 11 in Milan, his adopted city. He was 82.

“Don’t bore the public with mysterious designs,” Mr. Noorda once said, and he put that dictum into practice. He was a master of spare, elegant and logical designs that caught the eye, from minimalist corporate logos for the Italian publishing house Feltrinelli and the ENI Group of Milan to impressionistic posters for Pirelli, the Italian tire maker.

Megan Fox for Armani Jeans

The Transformers actress -Megan Fox- is the new face for Armani Jeans. You can check the images here. It’s gentle on the eyes boys!

But there is news for the ladies as well! Cristiano Ronaldo is the new face for Armani Men’s Jeans. The connection to the world of sports has been present for some years for Armani Jeans and it’s setting through with Cristiano Ronaldo’s endorsement. Previous athletes who were endorsed by Armani Jeans are David Beckham, Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Thierry Henry, Christian Vieri, Fabio Cannavaro, Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka.