Wednesday November 18, 2009
Ritz East Movie Theater & Steven Starr’s Tangerine

Elaborate costumes and, in the end, a love story, set the tone for production studio’s Apparition’s The Young Victoria, whose Philadelphia screening Gilt hosted last night.  A period piece about the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign, the film stars Emily Blunt in her first leading role.  The movie’s royal setting proved to be a winning match for the people of Philadelphia, who were all dressed up WITH a place to go – the screening’s after-party at Tangerine, Steven Starr’s sexy lounge and bar. ... Read more

James Tufenkian loves beautiful things, and that includes his carpets: hand-knotted, high-design gems. The Armenian entrepreneur gave us the red-carpet treatment as we asked about his company, his designers, and whether he ever sets foot on these gorgeous creations.

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• How would you describe Tufenkian Rugs?
• Integrity. My mission is to sell beautiful things of lasting value made by people who enjoy making them, to make sure those people profit from the sale, and to use the profits of the business to support non-profit causes. Designs and colors are created by our own team of designers working under my direction, and by our great group of licensed designers, and our carpets are crafted by artisanal weavers in Armenia, or by Tibetan refugees in Nepal.
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• How many hours of work goes into one of your carpets?
• It takes four to five weavers about 3,000 hours to finish one nine-foot by 12-foot rug.... Read more

• November 13 marks Gilt Groupe’s second birthday. To celebrate we’re offering free shipping* today only. Buy anything from Gilt Groupe on Friday the 13^th and you’ll get yourself a lucky, lucky deal. Hip, hip, hooray.
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• * That's free ground shipping on November 13, from 12.01am ET to 11.59pm ET.

 

 

• Photo Shoot: Phillip Lim 3.1
• Call Time: 8am
• Location: Studio 2
• Music on Set: Gogol Bordello, The Decemberists
• Model: Anca
• Stylist Notes: Huge collection in every shape and color
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• Today marks a new record here at Gilt: We shot 96 pieces of clothing! That’s 288 pictures for one of our most anticipated sales, Phillip Lim 3.1 for women. This was such a big sale that it took us two days to shoot the whole collection, but we did our best to make the long days fun. Our model, Anca from Romania, was so fun to work with, joking around and doing goofy poses with us. She even gave us a preview of the music she listens to in Romania, twirling around the studio and making Lim's dresses float and flip in the air. She looked gorgeous in Lim's rich palette of bright yellows, warm pinks and metallic purples. Even after 96 shoots, Anca was still twirling!
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• Twirl over to our Phillip Lim 3.1 sale on Friday, November 13, at noon ET.
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With the debut of the book Who What Wear, fashionistas gained a brilliant new guide to style. One of our favorite chapters in the book, which was written by the women behind the addictive fashion magazine of the same name, breaks down elements of a perfect outfit for every occasion (date, interview, gallery opening, etc.). Here, some pointers from WWW founders Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power — and the Gilt Fuse finds to pull them off.
 
Art Opening
The goal: “An outfit that's a bit dressier and edgier than what you'd wear to work, but not as saucy as something you'd choose for a girls' night out."  
Go for:  Gray or black jeans or slim pants; solid colored dresses; tights; ankle boots or interesting pumps; shrunken blazers; motorcycle jackets or cardigan-jacket hybrids; trendy tops; patterned scarves; natural lip gloss ... Read more

Some things are never a good look, like lipstick on the teeth, migratory mascara and over-plucked brows. Equally loathsome are telltale foundation lines and cakey, orangey bronzer. Hence, we’re totally obsessed with Luminess: an at-home airbrush makeup system just like the ones the pros use to make the stars shine on-camera and off. Using a superfine mist and customized color, results are flawless, and easier to achieve than you’d think. Check out our video from Luminess that shows you how to achieve a luminous visage. This is a game changer, folks. So get ready to snatch up this sweet system and get in touch with your inner glamorous graffiti artist.

Get luminous with our Luminess sale on Wednesday, November 11, at noon ET. 

Sigmar Berg, founder and chief designer of Beryll, started his sunglasses line in his homeland of Austria. He soon diversified into other accessories, and spent many years commuting from Paris to New York and Los Angeles with the business. In October 2007 Berg and his wife (and business partner) Petra relocated to sunny LA, where their high-end, rock ‘n roll-esque jewelry, bags and belts are made by hand – and are a hit with the locals. We chatted to Berg about his distinctive aesthetic and the allure of a great accessory.

•  You trained as an architect, how does that inform your design?
• For me, form informs function. I like smooth lines, as in modern architecture, not big logos or prints. The simpler something looks, the better the design I think, because it’s not hiding behind anything.
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• What was the first thing you ever designed?
• A leather jacket back in the early `80s. I didn’t recognize it as design, I was just fulfilling a need for myself. I wanted a super cool biker jacket, but I could not find it anywhere so I designed one. We used WWII leather coats we found in an army surplus shop. It turned out like a James Dean jacket, and I wore it for five years, then sold it to a good friend who is still wearing it today. ... Read more

• Weaving elements of the natural world and Eastern spirituality into its covetable jewelry, Me&Ro proves that all that glitters can also have soul. We talked to Me&Ro’s founder, Robin Renzi, about her personal style and why diamonds (conflict-free ones, that is) are a girl’s best friend.
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• When did you know that jewelry design was your calling?
• I think I was born loving jewelry. I have been making it since high school, but I remember being very small and sitting in the middle of my grandmother’s living room playing with her diamond rings.
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• What are your favorite materials to work with?
• Lately I’ve been carving ivory again. The first piece of jewelry I ever made for myself was a carved ivory moon and stars. Now they’re finding fossilized ivory that’s from the tusks of woolly mammoths that have been extinct for over 10,000 years. Since it does not endanger any creatures, I’m working with it again. ... Read more

• 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.