Peter Som for Sferra Fine Linens

Yet another wonderful collaboration where fashion meets interiors is upon us. Sferra Fine Linens just announced a partnership with Peter Som, fashion extraordinaire! The use of only the finest materials and exquisite detailing found in both powerhouses is sure to be a match made in heaven. The full collection is expected to hit stores January 2011, so for now, let's take a look at Som's Spring 2010 collection and wet our appetite for what's to come!

Sophisticated and alluring, Som's fashions ooze with elegance and style.

Something a little more young helps bring out the fun and flirty in us all.

These masterful pairings of patterns and details are pure visual genius...

I don't know about you, but I can't wait!

Congratulations Stephen, Newell, and Dara!!!

Last Tuesday some pretty big news happened in the world of shelter publishing. Hearst Corporation announced new editor-in-chiefs for House Beautiful, Town & Country, and Veranda! As a huge fan of the magazines and lover of all things publishing (that's the English major in me), I couldn't help but ride the wave of excitement with the rest of the world of interiors!

Did you know that House Beautiful, founded in 1896, is America's oldest continuously published shelter magazine? I'm not surprised by it's rich history or success! It consistently comes out with the best editorial content. I have learned so much just by reading the pages and studying the pictures of the magazine. I've always thought of the HB editors as my personal little design instructors! House Beautiful has been in the good hands of Stephen Drucker since 2005, who now passes on the torch to the much loved Newell Turner, former style director!

Stephen Drucker continues now as editor-in-chief of Town & Country, the luxury lifestyle magazine written for the sophisticated and accomplished woman! He'll be building upon predecessor Pamela Fiori's focus on "the good life well lived" and its iconic heritage. If what Stephen did for HB is telling of what he'll do at T&C, then we are all in for a treat!

Dara Caponigro, a founding editor of Domino Magazine (we love her already, don't we?!), will be leading Veranda and succeeds Lisa Newsom as editor-in-chief. She promises new designers and amazing locations! Personally, I've always been fond of the magazine for its refinement and showcase of the most exquisite of interiors and gardens. I can't wait to see how Dara builds upon this legacy of luxury!

Please join me in congratulating Stephen, Newell, and Dara! We can't wait to see as you continue to grow and evolve these three magazines with fresh ideas, genuine love of style, and sheer creative talent!

*If you'd like to read the full press release, it can be found here.

Miu Miu S/S 2009 Campaign ft. Katie Holmes Revealed!

Back in November we first heard that Katie Holmes would be the new face for Miu Miu's Spring/Summer 2009 Campaign. This week, the Italian fashion power house released the full campaign on their website and I must say the pictures are absolutely stunning! Whether you are a fan or not, her beauty is undeniable here. If she weren't an actress, I'm pretty sure she could have just as easily made it as a model.

The atmospheric and warm color ads taken by acclaimed duo, Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, are meant to portray, "a luminous icon radiating a sense of mystery and theatricality, which evokes a certain Fellini-esque chaotic excess." Though I love the photos, I personally don't see the Federico Fellini connection. For me, Arabian Nights comes to mind. But more importantly, I'm not sure that a campaign which evokes excess will resonate particularly well with the customer in this economic climate. When most fashion houses are toning it down, even canceling shows, in an effort to stay consistent with the American sentiment, this seems odd. Perhaps they are simply leveraging a desire of the people. Or maybe they are trying to say something more about their prediction for the future.

What is sure, is Katie's desire to enter and stay in the fashion world. She's expressed interest in designing and has even collaborated with stylist, Jeanne Wang, on some creations. I remember watching a red carpet interview of Katie at her Broadway premiere afterparty when the interviewer asked, "Who are you wearing?" Katie didn't skip a beat and said, "Holmes and Yang," as if it were a designer we'd all heard of before and that had been around for years. But I love her confidence :)

Here are some of her co-designs (so far I like!):

Katie in a form fitting navy blue number at the "Tropic Thunder" premiere in August.

I love this white jumpsuit Katie wore for her "All My Sons" Broadway premiere afterparty in October.

Move Over Michael Phelps!

Remember that cute swimmer we saw in Beijing last summer with Michael Phelps? Well, Michael isn't the only one to cash in on his gold medal fame. The pure hotness that is Ryan Lochte just signed with mega PR firm PMK and is reportedly set to appear in an upcoming Calvin Klein ad campaign. The budding model and fashionista, who already designs swimsuits for Speedo, wants to slowly ease out of swimming and into modeling, and eventually launch his own clothing line. Millions of girls have never been happier!

We can see where Calvin was coming from :)

Patrizio di Marco of Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta has long been my favorite fashion house for handbags. The classic, not trend-driven bags, the trademark intrecciato designs, the soft Italian leathers, and the timeless color palettes, are to die for. So, you can imagine my excitement by the opportunity I had to attend a lecture two weeks ago at the Kellogg School of Management with Patrizio di Marco, BV's President & CEO. Di Marco, who has held his current position since 2001, chronicled the successful company turnaround he spearheaded ($45M to $500M in sales in six years). He was confident, slow spoken, and had an ironic sense of humor. I got to shake his hand and thank him for coming in Italian, which surprised him, and delighted me :)