Are you into technology? I mean REALLY into technology? Well, the new Bang & Olufsen Showroom is where you need to be.
I went down to take a look at all of the exciting new items they have on display, and I'm normally not a techie but these guys really know how to show off their product. One of my favorites was an amazingly stylish TV hanging on the wall like a piece of artwork. It had what I'm sure was the clearest picture I've ever seen, worth $10K, retailing at $7K. What made it so stylish, you ask? It has interchanging, colored speaker covers just in case my TV has a "fashion mood" that needs to be changed on any given day. Even the remote control was cutting edge ... now do you see why I fell in love?
Located in the Historic South End retail district of Charlotte, the 2,056 square foot building was the perfect place to showcase the New iPad docking station - BeoSound 8 and unveil, for the first time to the Charlotte media, the NEW Audi A8 with Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System. I was blown away by the precision in sound of each of the products shown, but I guess for a company who's been in business since 1925, that's to be expected.
I'm sure there are a number of DJs who still have classic Bang & Olufsen turntables, which sadly, they don't make anymore, but the company has definitely made its mark in history. Bang & Olufsen is one of the few tech companies who have a permanent exhibit in The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York and now we have our very own B&F showroom here in the Queen City. That's what I call quality to last a lifetime.
Check out Bang & Olufsen at 1700 Camden Road. 704-372-7375.
T. Strong is a TV personality, personal stylist and fashion journalist who contributes commentary on Creative Loafings Klepto blog in addition to writing for several other national media organizations. To learn more visit www.StyleMayvin.com or follow therealtstrong on Twitter.
I don't know about you, but the last few days of grim, cold, wet weather has had me pretty sad. I mean, really sad. Sad to the point where I've had to turn to emotional eating (as in, divulging in some chocolate) to make myself feel better.
But Saturday, the weather is forecast to be sunny and warm finally!
And what better way to enjoy the return to springlike weather than a sidewalk sale. More importantly, a sidewalk sale from one of my favorite boutiques in Charlotte: Boris & Natasha (1214 Thomas Ave.) in Plaza Midwood. Some of the gems you'll find? A $25 rack of clothes, shades for a buck, $5 jewelry and so much more.
Boris & Natasha, who recently joined the world of social media and got a Facebook page, has been posting up some fabulous photos of their new spring stuff. Like these:
Will we see some of their fabulous spring items at the sidewalk sale? I hope so. Regardless, you're sure to find some great picks anyway!
The official opening for the Q.C.'s newest guilty pleasure, Nordstrom Rack will be happening bright and early tomorrow morning.
The line usually begins to form at around 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., so get your rain gear ready for your chance to win a $2,000 shopping spree. The "Race Through The Rack" sweepstakes winner will be announced at 8:45 a.m. and no pre-purchase is necessary to enter. Luckily, I had the exclusive opportunity to go in today and scope out some of the fabulously fashionable, yet affordable merchandise they have to offer. (I love my job!)
If you like shopping the Nordstrom retailers in the mall, you will absolutely adore the Nordstrom Rack. It's the same great designer merchandise from the top names like Vivienne Tam, Michael Kors and Dolce & Gabbana but at outlet prices. Starting at 50 percent to 60 percent off and constantly changing to give customers the "rack" up on tons of coveted designer pieces. With over 25,000 pairs of shoes on a regular basis (swoon), I simply fell in love with the entire far left wall of the store. It is covered with shoes, shoes and more shoes ranging in sizes 4-13 for women and 7-16 for men. There are collections for men, women and children and ladies, they even have Spanx ... on SALE.
As we have been teased with the warmer weather of spring, our temptation to shop is high, but what is a girl to do when gas prices are on the rise? Shop consignment, of course. There is no better way to get labels in your closet without your wallet feeling any pain.
Fifi's, located in the Lake Norman area, is your perfect fine resale shop stop. Most people have preconceived ideas of consignment shops well, let Fifi's change your mind. Worried about not finding your size? Don't be! Fifi's carries a variety of sizes from PP up to 3x in clothes and shoe sizes from 5 to 13! If you are on the curve-a-licous side, then you are in luck: a curvy girl boutique has been launched specializing in trendy styles from sizes 14 to 24. They carry something for girls of every size.
The next false preconceived idea of consignment shops is that the labels carried are generic. Once again, Fifi's will blow that notion out of the water. They carry a range of pieces from mall department stores such as Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Talbots and Chicos and some faves such as Coach, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Talbots, Tori Burch and Nanette Lepore ... as well as many many more! And if you are looking for a particular piece or look, Fifi's sales associates have an excellent knowledge of the inventory. I know this by experience: I was looking to recreate a look and I was overwhelmed by all the pieces the sales associate brought to my dressing room. (Such as these BCBG shoes!)
Also, if you are doing a little spring cleaning, you can always bring your gently worn items by Fifi's Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. When you consign an item, you collect money as your pieces sell, then you can just turn around and spend that money to replenish your closet.
Why don't you come check out Fifi's this Thursday night, March 31 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., for their monthly Diva Night, which is a bargain hunters dream. Items are up to 75 percent off and there will also be a special diva guest, a photographer who will be offering complementary head shots. There will also be tasty treats and wine to make the perfect sip and shopping experience. Diva Night is the last Thursday of every month.
Local Charlotte fashion designers! Project Runway is now taking applications for casting season 9, and I'm urging you to put in your bid.
We've got a lot of talent here in the Carolinas, so designers, step up and represent us! The deadline to apply is April 15.
Here's the info from the casting site:
Have what it takes to show your stuff at New York fashion week? This is your chance!
The minimum age to apply for the show is 21.
For more details, information and to apply, please fill out the application (Download) and follow the directions on it.
The deadline for us to receive applications is April 15th.
That said, our invite only casting calls begin in late April. Getting your submission in as soon as possible guarantees that you can be invited to the call that is geographically closest to you. Please don't wait until the last minute - fill out the application and get us all of your info immediately!
All applications should be sent to:
Project Runway Casting
Bunim-Murray Productions
6007 Sepulveda Blvd. Van Nuys, CA 91411
See our FAQS for information on how to make an audition tape. We prefer submissions of Mini-DV, DVD or media files, as listed on the application.
Questions? Send your e-mails to prcasting@bunim-murray.com.
Shoppers and lovers of new and recycled fashion, get excited. Buffalo Exchange is opening its first shop in North Carolina, right here in Charlotte. Here's a snippet from the press release:
BUFFALO EXCHANGE TO OPEN FIRST NORTH CAROLINA SHOPUnique resale clothing store plans to open its first Charlotte location on April 16
CHARLOTTE, NC Buffalo Exchange brings the original concept of buy-sell-trade clothing to Charlotte with the opening of its first North Carolina store, located in the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood at 1521 Central Avenue (west of The Plaza), Charlotte, NC 28205, phone 704-372-2300, in mid-April 2011. Free public parking is available directly across the street. Store hours will be Monday-Saturday 117 and Sunday 126.
The Charlotte Buffalo Exchange will be near other independent businesses and local salons, tattoo and vintage shops. The sales floor is 2,650 square feet, in a charming old brick building. There are roomy, well-lit dressing rooms -- six womens and three mens -- plus two buy counters, where customers can sell their clothes for cash or trade. The store will open with an eclectic inventory from Buffalo Exchange stores from New York to California.
For a better idea of what to expect from this new retail concept coming to Plaza Midwood (in the old Pura Vida spot), check out this video.
Located off Woodlawn Road, Ethan & Zoey Boutique is a one-stop shop for any fashionista. Currently sharing their location with Lavish Hair Spa, the storefront offers clients a full service spa that specializes in hair, nails and massages in addition to the fashions of Ethan & Zoey Boutique. Owned by Deidra Young and Jania Massey, the name Ethan & Zoey represents each of their personal styles in very unique ways.
I represent Ethan, says Young, wearing leggings with a dark top and black blazer. My personality is more forward and bold, but the way I dress is more classy and sophisticated, while Jania (Zoey) has a more meek and mild personality, but dresses much more daring.
Lavish Hair Spa takes over the right wall, with its salon sinks and spa products, while racks of clothing and accessories decorate the left wall, and mannequins sport the latest Ethan & Zoey fashions in the front window. We shop for what people want and try to find items that are versatile and can be rocked in several different ways, says Massey. According to Young, accessories are a big thing. If your shoes are dope and you have on dope earrings, that kind of statements the whole outfit." The clothing offered at the boutique is dynamic and when paired with the right earrings, bracelet or necklace can give shoppers a look thats all their own
When defining fashion in Charlotte, owners Young and Massey had a lot to say. I think fashion in Charlotte is really uniformed, says Massey. When you go out, it seems like everyone has something on from American Apparel." They both insisted that although nothing is wrong with that look, it's just very generic. Those women look fabulous and cute but their outfits do not represent their own personal flair, says Massey. At Ethan & Zoey, they search for fashions that will pop out to any consumer regardless of where their individual style leans.
This spring Young and Massey are expecting to see tons of floral patterns, and although everyone loves flats, heels will be taken to a whole new level. There will be a burst of colors like greens, pinks, and purples, they both agreed.
As for the future of Ethan & Zoey, the owners are hoping to have their own storefront by the end of this year. In the meantime, these ladies work hard to create and maintain one-on-one relationships with their customers through their website blog, Facebook, and events. They devote themselves to establishing a lasting connection and image in the city of Charlotte and they encourage supporting other boutiques in the city as well. Upcoming events and trunk shows featuring Ethan & Zoey can be found on their website at www.EthanandZoey.com.
Morgan Jones
As soon as I walked into the doors of The Bag Lady, I was greeted with the soft scent of incense, bright beautiful colors and a quiet spirit that you are not normally welcomed with when entering a shop. The owner of The Bag Lady aspires to create that exact feeling it is part of their mission statement to "aggressively promote an atmosphere of hilarity, serendipity, random enchantment, and unmitigated bodaciousness, preferably simultaneously, for customers and employees alike."
The Bag Lady has been in Charlotte for 16 years and at the present location at 1710 Kenilworth Ave. for four years. The current owner, Karen, became part of the shop 10 years ago when she first started working there; she acquired the shop about a year ago. The shop's full name, The Bag Lady: Provisions for the Wild Woman, was given by the original owner, Hope Swann, which came from the book, Meeting the Madwoman by Linda Leonard. The idea was to take a traditional female archetype that had a negative connotation and turn it into something positive. The Bag Lady represents each of us on our journey in life. What things would we want with us on our journey? Our beloved books that we turn to again and again, journals to record our thoughts, soothing scents and lotions to comfort us, beautiful things to surround us, a talisman or an amulet or a beautiful piece of jewelry to wear as a power piece, and things to make us laugh along the way.
As you make your through the shop, you will notice a variety of merchandise from books, jewelry, greeting cards and meditation tools that will fit any budget. The selection of humorous magnets and bumper stickers as well as their incense, candles, sage and crystals are among their best sellers. The selection of jewelry, much by local artists, is a must-see.
The Bag Lady is a must-visit shop and staple of the Charlotte area. I highly recommended stopping in.
The Macy's in SouthPark Mall was all abuzz yesterday with women and men who wanted to be told What Not To Wear by TLC's own, Clinton Kelly. Although the event was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., when I arrived at 4:30 p.m. for my one-on-one interview with Kelly, the line had already formed. I mean, really: What fashionista wouldn't want the opportunity to have a personal consultation with this style guru who has two published books under his belt? The most recent one, Oh No She Didn't: The Top 100 Style Mistakes Women Make and How to Avoid Them (yes ... long title) is delightfully amusing and most importantly, educational.
When I chatted with Kelly about his experiences on the What Not To Wear TV show, he agreed that the most common problem ladies have is finding the right foundations, i.e. undergarments. We touched on why men don't particularly have this problem, then thought it best to leave that subject alone ... for now. In addition to being a TV co-host and author, Kelly has lately been touring the country, making appearances and offering fashion advice just as he did last night. And the atmosphere that Macy's set up was perfect for an entertaining style session.
If you missed your chance to see Kelly in person don't fret you can still gain a little insight on your wardrobe and pick his brain for fashion advice. His new app for the iPhone and the Web, called StyleRx, allows you to have your very own Clinton Kelly makeover. And for more of my conversation with him, check out this exclusive StyleMayvin video of our style session.
Tomorrow it will be two weeks since the earthquake/tsunami hit Japan. On Monday, the death toll was estimated to be more than 18,000 people. Can you imagine? More than eighteen-THOUSAND people have lost their lives in this natural disaster. It's almost unreal, isn't it?
News reports have also indicated that rebuilding in Japan is estimated to cost over $235 billion. Opportunities are popping up all over the place to donate money to help out, and here's another one a worthy one if you're interested in supporting a local designer as well.
Rolandas Hauser is the owner and operator of Word Apparel, based here out of Charlotte. Perusing his online shop, you'll find an interesting array of colorful T-shirts, many boasting the simple phrase "Word," watches and more. Recently, he's designed a T-shirt for sale in an effort to provide aid to Japan 100 percent of the proceeds will go to Red Cross.
"For my design I focused on the heritage and culture of Japan," says Hauser. "In these difficult times, I wanted to remind people of the beauty and pride that the Japanese culture brings to the world. They will persevere, and it is important to focus on the future, and the beauty that will return."
Hauser personally prints each shirt on American Apparel, and they are available in both mens and ladies sizes for $20. Different colored shirts are available by special request. You can specify what color you want during checkout in the 'Instructions to Merchant' section.