• Gilt founders Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson dressed up as masked crusaders on Halloween when they participated along with Interview magazine and The Art of Elysium in a weekend of fun in Marfa, Texas. The main event was Masquerade Marfa at Ballroom Marfa where Heloise and the Savoir Faire (from our favorite hobbit Elijah Wood’s label Simian Records) headlined.
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• Celebrity guests and The Art of Elysium supporters Elijah Wood, Sophia Bush, Amy Smart and Alicia Witt were invited by the charity to the West Texas, high-desert town. Guests stayed at the quirky Thunderbird Hotel and toured Donald Judd’s contemporary art museum Chinati Foundation. ... Read more

Stephanie Odegard of Odegard Rugs reveals the true meaning of carpets.

What makes your rugs different than everything else out there?
We’re recognized as the pioneer of modern, high-quality, hand-knotted contemporary carpets. Odegard reintroduced the use of vegetal dyes, silk, and natural fibers and also revolutionized the market for Tibetan carpets. Our use of silk as an accent in tone-on-tone designs has now become an industry standard.

You've worked hard to effect change for workers in Nepal. What started this passion for you?
My passions are people, traditional craft, color and beauty. For my first overseas assignment in Fiji with the Peace Corps, I began what would become my life’s work, assisting local artisans by marketing their traditional crafts. Before starting my own company, I worked with the World Bank in Nepal, where I helped expand the wool and rug industries in order to improve indigenous communities' quality of life. The carpet industry started by Tibetan refugees helped employ tens of thousands of people in making one of the world’s most beautiful products ⎯ a totally natural, environmentally sustainable and humane piece of art ⎯ without the use of child labor. ... Read more

 

• For chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt, the word shortcut simply doesn’t exist. He takes as much pride in the state of his kitchen (battered and cocoa-dusted from hours of candy-making) as he does in the unique flavor profiles of his eponymously named sweets. We got the confectioner to dish on all things Knipschildt:
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• How much time goes into creating a new flavor?
•  A lot. We sometimes remake a sample up to 20 times and because we import only the best, unrefined ingredients, including Piedmont hazelnuts from Italy and Marcona almonds from Spain, nothing is done haphazardly.
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• What is it like opening a box of Knipschildt chocolates?
• First, there is the smell of real chocolate, which is amazing. Then, there’s the packaging, made from sustainable lokta paper from Nepal. It’s an especially beautiful presentation that lets you know you’re about to savor something really special. 
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• Which is your favorite flavor?
• Our caramels with Hawaiian sea salt perfectly combine a mellow, browned-sugar smoothness with a subtle, savory bite. I have between five and six pieces a day. And, no—I could never live without chocolate.
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• Experience some rich, handmade decadence for yourself when Knipschildt goes on sale Wednesday, November 4, at noon ET.

 

 

Yoga teachers talk a lot about being in the moment, but sometimes (five minutes into triangle pose, for example) you want to be anywhere but on the mat. Your eyes wander. Sweat tickles your back. Suddenly your back itches unbearably. In times like these, gazing at art would do wonders. Fear not, yogis: Yogamatic has come to the rescue. This West Coast company began with the belief that yoga mats don’t have to be boring. And boring these are not: These mats are like 12 square feet of canvas, imprinted with artwork depicting calming scenes from nature or thought-provoking patterns. We caught up with Yogamatic marketing diva and yoga devotee Tara Peyrache to find out more. ... Read more

Alexander Wang’s amazing career is the stuff of storybooks. While still a college sophomore, the Teen Vogue intern launched a collection of streetwise knits that caused such an industry stir, he was nominated for a CFDA fashion award just two years later. These days he's the darling of the New York fashion world – and of Gilt. After sponsoring his New York Fashion Week show in September, we're now thrilled to offer our first-ever sale of Wang's wonderful womenswear. From boxy, urban-print rompers to asymmetrical tank dresses and geometric vest tops, Wang’s young, fresh streetwear brings fashion-savvy to the street.

Take it to the street with our Alexander Wang sale on Monday, November 2, at noon ET.

 

 

• Whether it’s the bronzed beach-goddess look of model Elle Macpherson or the alabaster skin of actress Cate Blanchett, there’s a certain effortlessness about Australian beauty. That carefree, fresh-faced look is personified by BECCA Cosmetics, a Perth-based line that began with makeup artist Rebecca Morrice Williams’ quest to create a flawless foundation.
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• The result is a cosmetics range that epitomizes laid-back glamour. “I think [our brand’s image] is all tied up with high-profile glamorous Australians. They’re healthy and gorgeous, and there’s a lifestyle in Australia that’s a relaxed, carefree way of living,” says Morrice Williams. “That’s what BECCA is all about – not being too over-the-top, just being more natural and not too overly polished. A little bit undone at times — glamorous but understated.”
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• And with its compact concealers, loose shimmer body powder and jewel-toned eye dust we love that the BECCA range allows all women to create a luminous look of naturally perfect skin.
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• Freshen up in the BECCA Cosmetics sale on Wednesday, October 28, at noon ET.
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• Photo Shoot: Helen Yarmak
• Call Time: 8am
• Location: Studio 2
• Music on Set: The Fleet Foxes, Lykke Li
• Model: Sofia
• Stylist Notes: Innovative fur designs in fun prints and palettes
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• Fur is one of those trends that comes back season after season. Helen Yarmak has taken these traditional garments and put a modern spin on them using innovative methods of knitting and shearing. She's also expanded her color palette, experimenting with dyes and prints to create some really fun pinks and blues. The knit coats are especially unique because they hang like a sweater and aren’t as heavy as classic fur coats sometimes are. Yarmak has also added deep hoods to most of the styles in her collection — fantastic for staying warm in the winter. With such cuddly pieces lying around the studio, we all had a fantastic time trying on our favorites. After we all got in some of the best pieces, we posed for a group photo. Even our photographer, Peter, put one on!
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• Cuddle up in our Helen Yarmak sale on Friday, October 30, at noon ET.
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• We recently expanded home sales on Gilt and we’re already stocking up on gorgeous items like Iittala salad plates and Lunt candlesticks. But if our house ends up like our wardrobe, we could be in trouble.
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• So we got in touch with Erin Rooney Doland, author of Unclutter Your Life in One Week and The Unclutterer blog, and because we figure, if we uncluttered our life, we could buy more on Gilt! Wishful thinking.  
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• Is uncluttering the key to becoming a more discerning shopper?
• If you don’t have room to grow, whatever you buy is just going to clutter up your life. A smart consumer understands that working within the confines of his or her budget, space and style are essential to keeping clutter under control. When you’re conscious of everything you bring into your home – from junk mail to large pieces of furniture — you stop bringing in clutter and only buy quality goods. ... Read more

If there's one sale a year you cannot miss, it has to be this Friday's amazing Final Sale. We've slashed prices up to 90%, which means you're getting top designers at rock-bottom prices. Restock your closet with something for every occasion: elegant cocktail dresses by Carolina Herrera, sleek pantsuits by Halston or ruffled evening jackets by Valentino. With a lineup of more than 50 designers — including Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Catherine Malandrino, Rebecca Taylor, Peter Som and 7 for All Mankind — our Final Sale will have you feeling fine. It's like a sample sale but without the ladies throwing elbows.

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• And if you're one of our iPhone app users, be sure to shop our special sale reserved for Gilt on the Go members only. Prices are marked down as much as 90% on nearly 20 different designers, from Shoshanna to Charlotte Ronson to Tocca to Trina Turk. With our acclaimed iPhone app, you can get gorgeous while you get going.
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• Stock up at the Final Sale: Friday, October 23, at noon ET.

 

 

• When it comes to skincare, here’s the thing about sourcing your ingredients from Madagascar. The island is home to some of the world’s rarest, most potent anti-aging botanicals—plus! Harnessing its natural resources severely disrupts the ecosystem, not to mention the local economy—minus! That’s where Decleor Paris comes in. Since 2008, the luxury spa and skincare brand has been making concerted efforts to replant the island’s rapidly disappearing Ravintsara trees; outfitting area schools with solar panels to create sustainable energy; and acquiring the fair-trade ingredients used in its product range from small Madagascan producers and farmers. Now, certainly, you can see the beauty in that.
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• Why not treat yourself to an all-natural, eco-conscious indulgence from Decleor Paris? It’s ultra soothing treatments, like Radiance Revealing Peel Off Mask and Anti-Aging Gift Set, go on sale Thursday, October 22 at noon ET.

 

 

The house of Versace has long blended art and fashion for flawless results. Now, with a new charitable project spearheaded by Donatella Versace, that pairing has an added benefit. The iconic designer joined with the Starlight Foundation and the Whitney Museum of American Art this year to launch Art Unites, a collaboration that donated canvases, paint and art supplies to sick children around the world. ... Read more

This week, Gilt partnered with Hearst Corporation to host the third-annual Designer Visions program at the new Soho Mews townhouses. Each townhouse was styled by one of three interior designers – Thom Filicia, John Saladino and Richard Mishaan – and the inspiration was the world of cinema. ... Read more

The Cooper-Hewitt Design Awards are a pretty big deal, so when we found ourselves nominated for their People’s Design Award (among such fierce competition as the Kindle and New York’s High Line park), we were infinitely flattered. And since we believe that the luxury of designer goods should extend to every facet of shopping for them, from browsing the site to opening the box, being up for the Smithsonian-affiliated award [insert endearing blush here], feels pretty luxurious indeed. ... Read more

• We adore luxury at Gilt. So when we came across Australian artist Michael Zavros, who has created paintings depicting Balenciaga bags, Tom Ford eyewear and fashion-runway images, we had to find out more.
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• Tell us about the first time you saw a Balenciaga bag.
• The first real bags I remember seeing were the ones that arrived here for me to paint. I hadn’t paid much attention to them previously, but I knew something of their cult status. Out of these enormous boxes and cotton duffel bags came these very brightly colored bags. I came to understand how crucial the details and hardware are to each Balenciaga model. ... Read more

 

• While the Nobel Peace Prize may be dominating today’s headlines, we’d like to take a moment to applaud — and yes brag a little about — our very own award winners: Gilt Groupe founders Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson have made the Huffington Post’s list of Top Game Changers, which honors 100 innovators and visionaries in the new media world. ... Read more