Warby Parker event at Stel's

Last Thursday I attended the Warby Parker popup showroom at Stel's. When I arrived the store was full of fashion bloggers covering the event, friends and clients of Stel's, and shoppers who just so happened to stumbled upon the party. There were treats and beer provided by the Harpoon Brewery, and many styles of Warby Parker shades to try on while mixing and mingling. Stel's being the leader and go to destination in Boston for the finest designer pieces just recently added Warby Parker to their list of great finds. I had the opportunity to sit down for an interview with the co-founder Neil Blumenthal in the midst of the craziness.

Neil received his BA from Tufts University in Boston and his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Determined to change the eyewear industry, Neil and three Wharton classmates launched Warby Parker in hopes of bringing customer service back to retail. Warby Parker designs and sells vintage-inspired frames and prescription lenses for $95, whereas comparable quality glasses cost $500. For every pair sold, a pair is given to someone in need. Neil had been the Director of VisionSpring, a non-profit social enterprise that trains low-income women to start their own business selling affordable eyeglasses to individuals living on less than $4 per day in South Asia, Africa and Latin America. Warby Parker isn't like your ordinary online retailer. When customers purchase any frame, you're then sent five frames in the mail as a trial. They then take your favorite frame and customize to your liking. Of course we all live for instant gratification but the overall customer experience is what matters most; which is one of the many reasons why Warby Parker continues to do exceptionally well. Fashion matters everywhere, and that's what is always in mind during the design process. For Neil Boston felt like some sort of homecoming, and Stel's was the perfect place for Warby Parker. There are so many awesome designer collaborations in the works, first up will be Suno which will be launching the first week of October. There is a frame for everyone and how could one resist such an amazing deal?

Anja Rubik and Sasha Pivovarova

Vogue Paris

October 2011

New York Fashion Week: Day 2 and 4

Three weeks ago I was in the city working at New York Fashion Week. I've been seated at shows before, but this time I was working behind the scenes at the Rag & Bone and Edun fashion shows. My responsibilities backstage at both shows were to dress models, run crazy unexpected errands, seat guests, and prepare all backstage areas for press, stylists, make-up artists, and hair stylists. At the Rag & Bone show I spotted models Liu Wen, Joan Smalls, Karolina Kirkova, Daria Strokous, Anabela Belikova, Shu Pei Qin, Lina Sandberg, Ajak Deng, and seen Lala and Carmelo Anthony backstage. This has to be the best spring collections they've ever done. This season used references such as seventies surfer, Glastonbury music festival, with a great mixture of 90's minimalism and grunge. I'm so excited for the Rag & Bone store that will be opening in Boston on Newbury Street in the spring!

Call time for the Edun show was at 7:00 am and I arrived on set at approximately 6:30 am. My main tasks for the day was to prepare the press area and arrange seating. Press was going crazy as models were making their way in from other shows. In the midst of it all I spotted Naomi Campbell, Courtney Love, Bono, and watched the show standing behind some of today's most influential bloggers and editors. This collection uses references from the African culture. I loved the sheer tops, slouchy cropped silk pants , bold and subtle diamond block prints, bohemian dresses, and boxy jackets.

FNO Boston

Last Thursday Boston kicked off the first annual Fashion's Night Out. I spent nearly four hours walking up and down Newbury Street, stopping into some of my favorite shops and salons for wine, treats, and shopping. This year thanks to Boston.com's Stylephile I was asked to cover the nights festivities and tweet live to their homepage. There was a carefree nature to the night as people bopped around the usually gridlocked street. I started off the evening in Copley at Elie Tahari, Tiffany's, and Saks. I met up with some of my favorite Boston fashion bloggers for a FNO crawl around the city. We headed to Newbury Street for events at LIT Boutique, Zara, Salon Acote, All Saints, MJ, and DVF. We ended the night off at the Liberty Hotel for the Fashion's Night Out after party for more drinks and to celebrate the surprisingly great turnout and success of the night.

Linda Evangelista: Vogue Italia February 1989

Bloggers' Wardrobe Competition

The idea is simple, bloggers need brands and brands need bloggers. About a month ago I received an invitation to join "Bloggers Wardrobe". For those who aren't familiar, it is an amazing site where top bloggers from all over the world and top brands collaborate to present a web shop of assortment just for todays bloggers to shop from. I've made it to the second round of the competition and I need your help! Simply "LIKE" Bloggers Wardrobe on facebook and "LIKE" the seventh picture in the competition photo album. There are 14 days left to vote and the ten bloggers with the most likes win. Many many thanks to all of the readers of Walking In Heels.

http://www.facebook.com/bloggerswardrobe

Linda Evangelista: Vogue Italia February 1989

Stella Tennant: The Discipline of Fashion

Vogue Italia

September 2011

Abby Lee Kershaw: Numero 126 September 2011