Fashion & Beauty
By Jené Luciani
Warming Trends
As the weather gets cooler, your look gets hotter. Fashion exchanges summer’s light and airy mood for rich textures, tailored silhouettes, and statement accessories. This issue’s fashion and beauty column helps you complete the look with the latest resources for hair, makeup, and even home decor. Change is in the air and it’s time to bundle up!
Lunden’s Line
Home Décor at a Homey Price
Famous journalist and Greenwich resident Joan Lunden has forayed into the world of home fashions with a line recently launched for QVC and Walmart.com called Joan Lunden Home. I chatted with the former news anchor about her new collection.
Jené: Tell us a little bit about your collection and what inspired it.
Joan: My husband, Jeff, owns children’s camps in Maine, so when I started my camp for women (www.campreveille.com), I had to figure out a way to turn what were formerly boy’s bunks into a “bed and breakfast” style retreat, and so I did linens! That was sort of the start of it. As far as inspirations for my designs, I just look back at my career, what I’ve seen, the places I’ve gone and what I’ve had access to—dozens of countries, interviewing kings and queens, presidents, touring their private residences and getting a glimpse of their décor—that’s what really inspired me.
Jené: How would you describe the decor of your Greenwich home? Did your life in Greenwich inspire your designs at all?
Joan: I feel so fortunate to be able to decorate my homes in Maine and Greenwich. I love waking up and seeing the greenery and the foliage of the seasons, so my fall throws are in beautiful harvest gold, rust and spice, and deep reds, all inspired by autumn in Greenwich. In my home, I have a lot of quiet colors like the beiges and bronzes, interspersed with pops of colors based on the season. In fall, it’s the deep reds, and in the spring and summer I “freshen” up with turquoise and pinks.
Jené: What are your favorite decorating tips to share with our readers?
Joan: The easiest way to freshen up your house without spending a fortune is to change your linens, pillows, and throws, or change your tabletop. So I did coverlet sets in fabrics that feel soft and luxurious like silk but are synthetic so they’re washable and affordable, and throws in faux mink and faux rabbit fur. You can dress a whole bed for hundreds of dollars, not thousands, and still have it look fabulous.
Jené: Friends say you throw a great party. What are some of your tips?
Joan: Being organized is the biggest thing and for me; it all starts with my pantry. I have all those organizational boxes. I keep the pantry stocked with random things so I’m never without any important details—like confetti in different colors so at the last minute I can dress a holiday table or decorate for a birthday party. My biggest tip is to do as much as you can in advance—set the table a couple of days before, buy gifts for kids’ birthday parties in quantities, have them wrapped, and save them for when you need them to eliminate any last-minute stress.
Jené: You’ve written books about cooking, healthy living, raising children, and now your home line. What could others learn from your lifestyle?
Joan: Most women are so busy caring for others, they neglect themselves. That’s the main reason for developing Joan Lunden Home. I call my lifestyle “easy living,” and it’s something all women can adopt. Being a busy, working mom, it’s important to pinpoint the things that stress you out and figure out how to get ahead of them. It’s about stress-free living. I’m not Donna Karan, or a designer who makes very high-end items. I wanted to create something that looks expensive but is easy to care for and you don’t have to spend a lot of money.
Find out more about Joan by visiting her website at www.joanlunden.com.
Shop Talk
Benefit Boutique
Openings…
CT-based beauty giant Benefit has opened another outpost in our area. Their products and beauty services, such as eyebrow shaping, body and facial waxing, brow tinting, lashes, spray tanning and makeup application, are now available at 44 Purchase Street in Rye, 925-0470.
A favorite designer of yours and mine, Tory Burch, has finally opened a namesake store at The Westchester. Though we love her Greenwich Avenue location in Greenwich, CT, her new mall spot makes it even easier for us to get our hands on her fabulous clothes and accessories. 125 Westchester Avenue, White Plains, 949-2728.
Fans of Louis Vuitton’s signature leather travel pieces, bags, and accessories, are flocking to Bloomingdale’s White Plains to check out the designer’s latest in-store boutique, which opened this September. It’s a perfect local spot to scoop up pieces from the new fall line! 175 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, 684-6300.
Home design guru Jonathan Adler has teamed up with jeans company 7 for All Mankind for a collection now available in its Westchester store. Look for several of Adler’s iconic patterns, including bamboo, keyhole, and Acapulco prints, on tops, scarves, and, of course, pants. 125 Westchester Avenue, White Plains, 949-4385.
& Company
& Company, A Lifestyle Store, now has a location at the Rye Ridge Shopping Center. & Company, which also has boutiques in Norwalk and Westport, CT, offers fine Egyptian linen and items for the home, plus women’s clothing, jewelry, gifts, and more. Rye Ridge Plaza, 122 South Ridge Street, Rye Brook [no phone as of press time].
Petticoat Lane, the 25-year-old luxury goods mini chain, has relocated its flagship store from 1 King Street in Chappaqua to the former Hyatt Auditorium at number 66. The structure once housed a town hall, auditorium, and one-room jail. Now it is home to Petticoat’s selection of high-end bags and lingerie, 800-913-3911.
Fashion Note
White Plains based designer duo AprilMarin (April Bukofser and Marin Milio) received national exposure when their Capri dress was worn by talk show host Wendy Williams on her popular daytime show. The Mad Men-esque style comes in several colors and can be customfitted for any shape or size (it’s super flattering for curvy ladies). At $160, you can afford one in every color! (Writer’s note: I’m wearing it in violet for my NBC Today show appearance.) Visit www.aprilmarin.com for ordering information.
Beauty Buzz……
We told you last year about the lash-lengthening drug Latisse and its over-the-counter alternatives. Now, a White Plains entrepreneur is getting into the market. Alicia Grande has launched GrandeLash-MD, which was developed by a Miami plastic surgeon using all-natural ingredients, and claims to thicken lashes and brows in 4-6 weeks with repeated applications. GrandeLash-MD costs $59.95 for a four-month supply. To try it, visit www.grandelashmd.com.
Northern Westchesterites rejoice! Sollia Salon has opened, providing everything from hair and eyelash extensions to keratin smoothing treatments and updos. During their grand opening on Wednesday, September 22nd, stop in for their grand opening cocktail party beginning at 6:00 and enter to win a keratin smoothing treatment valued at $350. Sollia Salon, 760 North Bedford Road, Bedford Hills, 241-9009.
Spa Week is coming to Westchester Oct. 11-17! Book $50 treatments at participating spas, including Lord & Taylor Salon & Spa in Scarsdale (723-7700), Euro Laser Services in Rye (921-3265), and Cherylyn Salon North in Armonk (273-7900). Visit www.spaweek.com for more information.
Fashion’s Night Out
Once again, the city of New York will team up with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and Vogue magazine to participate in Fashion’s Night Out, a global celebration being held on September 10th to kick off New York Fashion Week, which has moved from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center. Hundreds of New York retailers will host in-store events, including one in our area. Neiman Marcus in The Westchester will offer a day full of fashion shows, music, makeup master classes, and more. Local hair guru Vasken Demirjian and his staff will be on hand for color consultations and blowouts. Visit www.fashionsnightout.com for more information on the Manhattan festivities, and www.neimanmarcus.com for information on local store events.
