Fierce Style - At the Corcoran with Christian Siriano

Last night, Christian Siriano did such an excellent job at his seminar/lecture for the Corcoran Museum of Art. He really gave us a behind the scenes look into Project Runway, and his new life as a top celebrity designer. Christian is just as witty and charismatic in person as he was on his season of Project Runway. He appears to be very much a ‘people person’, and even though he remarked that the crowd was quite intimidating, you would never have known if he was nervous. Christian is also very petite, topping probably around 5’1 or 5’2. His lecture was about 45min long, with a book signing at the end (Christian Siriano’s “Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self”).

Here are some tidbits from the lecture:

• Christian grew up in Annapolis MD, so he’s very familiar with the DC area.
• His family was always supportive of his avante garde style – especially his mom
• He was not accepted to Parsons or FIT in New York – but since he won Project Runway, they’ve invited him to be a guest speaker for their schools
• He was Ariel the Little Mermaid for Halloween
• There’s a possibility he could design fashion eyewear in the future.
• The Project Runway judges deliberation is in reality 4hrs long.
• The contestants on P.R. are given 17hrs to complete the challenge, but in reality, it is 10hrs, because the contestants also have to do mini-interviews and press in addition to finishing their garments
• Christian was just recently on Oprah
• Christian styled Lady GaGa before her first album dropped and hit number 1.
• The items that sell in stores most are "patterns". So, Christian is currently working on pieces that have graphic prints and patterns.
• Apparently there is a team of industry professionals that annual write a book on what colors, items, accesories will become trends - but generally the items they choose are not what consumers buy (odd).
• A good pair of tights/leggings are always in - ill fitting jeans are definately a fashion "don't".
• Christian feels like Washington DC has the potential to be a ‘fashion city’ because of Michelle Obama – but sometimes DC it too serious. (I admit, I have to disagree with him on this one. DC will always be about Brooks Brothers and Ann Taylor – and less about Prada and Chanel!)

Once the lecture ended, nearly all 150+ plus individuals converged on the stage at one time. I’m not sure if the staff at the Corcoran anticipated that large cluster of fans would swarm the stage so quickly. They had to do some major crowd control. My friends and I waited until the line died down to only 10 people, and then got our book signed, and a photo with a visibly exhausted Christian Siriano.

Here are a couple pics from the lecture (as always, more on Facebook):

Christian Siriano Tonight!

I'm super excited. I'll be sure to post photos this week. I already bought his book so I can get a signature, and wore flat shoes today so I can sprint down the aisle to get a photo. Time to get into paparazzi mode. lol. It took ages last night to find an outfit. What do you wear to a book signing for a fashion designer?!

M.I.A

This may be the longest hiatus I’ve taken from my blog so far. It wasn’t on purpose. Things just get so hectic sometimes, it gets hard to sit down and write something decent.

I’ve been participating in a volunteer work that requires about 70hrs per month. It’s incredibly enjoyable, and keeps me focused and busy. It’s good for me to be busy, as I get reckless when I have too much free time on my hands (ex., too much credit card abuse).

I’ve also been taking care of some family business, and preparing for our vacation in December (Hawaii! Yay!). Work has been busy, especially since plenty of items need to be designed in preparation for benefits ‘open enrollment’.

Speaking of which - I know this sounds odd, but I’m probably one of the only people that takes full advantage of my vision benefits. I have this obsession with buying new glasses whenever I qualify. I know I just bought two pair last year, but I’m retiring my black/dressy ones because they never feel comfortable. I’ve had them adjusted about 20 times, and they still squeeze my temples.

So, I’ve been eyeing up a cute pair of Prada frames. They retail for about $389, which is ridiculous!! I’m going to wait until Jan 1st so my vision insurance provider can pay for a large chunk of it.

On another note, the hubby and I just bought tickets to see comedian John Mulaney tomorrow night in Virginia. He’s hilarious on VH1 – so hopefully he’ll be equally as funny in person.

Lunchtime Art Tour

During lunch today, I finally had the chance to see the ‘Sargent and the Sea’ exhibit at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. I adore Sargent as an artist, so it was a real treat to see some of his early works – watercolors and drawings when the artist was between 18-22 years old.

It was interesting to see how much his style had changed. Even though the exhibit focused more on his maritime artistry, there were a few rough portraits speckled around the tour. Sargent’s portraits were relatively primitive in his early years. His models faces were either quick, vague sketches, or completely blurred and implied. Sargent focused more on the model’s pose, stance, and contours.

One thing I always admire about Sargent’s drawings are that, they are seemingly simple. They consist largely of some contour drawing, and lot’s of simplified lines. But all these elements put together really create an extraordinary composition. It’s so much fun looking at his pieces up close. His line strokes are so delicate and calm.

Unfortunately, the museum wouldn’t allow photos of the ‘Sargent and the Sea’ exhibit, but they did allow us to photograph some of the Corcoran’s permanent Sargent collection…which oddly enough consists of my favorite drawing by the artist, “Olimpio Fausco” (photo below).

At the very end of the tour, the museum set up a still life, surrounded by benches with sketchpads and pencils. This interactive part of the tour allowed the visitor to freely sketch the still life. I figured, I really couldn’t call myself an artist unless I participated. So, I drew a rendition of a portion of the still life (which you will have to wait and see on Corcoran’s site). The museum plans on scanning in each visitor’s drawing, and posting them up on their site. I’ll post a link once it’s available. Believe me, it’s nothing fancy – just a quick sketch with minimal shading.

Something else I picked up from this tour…my new slogan from John Singer Sargent:
“Sketch everything and keep your curiosity fresh”

And how true this is, for any artist. Sargent had countless sketchbooks. One caption on the tour stated he had about 13 completed sketchbooks by age 18 – full to the brim with completed works, studies, and random renderings. I’ve made a promise to myself to try and keep a sketchbook with me at all times. I really miss the days when I used to sketch vs. solely working on the computer. In some ways, graphic design can really dull raw artistry - if you let it.

(Sargent - Olimpio Fausco)

(Sargent - Seated Woman drawing)

(Still life, which visitors could sketch from)

More Corcoran Events: Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano of Project Runway fame will be holding a seminar/lecture at the Corcoran Gallery of Art on Tuesday November 3rd at 7pm.
Get your tickets fast - as this is sure to sell out. Christian was one of my favorite PR winners, and it would be such a bonus if I hear him call someone a 'hot tranny mess". Hilarious!

Hope to see you there!

I tell you - the Corcoran should really give me an honorary membership for all my online promos. =)

Meet Tim Gunn this Saturday at Tyson's Galleria!

I just received an invitation from Lucky Brand jeans to meet Tim Gunn of Project Runway fame, this Saturday (Sept. 19th) at Tyson's Galleria in Tyson's Virginia! Tim will be hosting a Fall 2009 Fashion show featuring Lucky Brand jeans, followed by a cocktail reception.

To RSVP call 202-625-8370. Spaces are limited.

The event starts at 1pm in the Center Court.

I'm only passing along this info because, sadly, I won't be able to make it. If you go, take plenty of photos. I adore Tim Gunn, especially because he's a Corcoran Gallery of Art alum.

Sargent and the Sea at the Corcoran Gallery of Art

Once again, the Corcoran is featuring a phenomenal exhibit in honor of my all time favorite artist: John Singer Sargent. The exhibit ‘Sargent and the Sea’ starts September 12, 2009 and runs through January 3, 2010. This must see exhibit features more than 80 paintings, watercolors, and drawings from the early career of American artist John Singer Sargent. Sargent is known most notably for his portraiture, but his depictions of seascapes and coastal scenes are breathtaking as well.

If you’re in the DC area, this is a must see show for art enthusiasts. I plan on attending the exhibit next Monday around lunchtime (since I work only 2 blocks from the gallery).

Enjoy!

Lou Lou Boutique (Dupont Circle)

On nice days like today, you’ll often find me strolling through Dupont Circle doing a little window shopping at all the cute boutiques.

Today I stumbled upon a shop called “Lou Lou”. Considering all my jaunts through Dupont, I can’t believe I never noticed this place before. Lou Lou offers tons of a reasonably priced earrings, scarves, hats, handbags, headbands and other accessories. All items feature an eclectic flare, and no doubt many items are one of a kind pieces. I was drooling over all the unique silver earrings with various semi-precious jewels and stones. One could also easily get lost in the plethora of brilliantly colored leather handbags. The staff was friendly, and helpful – and had a wealth of knowledge about their merchandise. I’ll definitely be visiting this spot more often – especially for some unique fall scarves. This is a real retail ‘gem’ for visitors and locals.

Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
1601 Connecticut Ave NW
(between N Q St & N Hillyer Pl)
Washington, DC 20009

Great Product from Ole Henriksen

(*For the ladies*)
Yes, I’m still obsessed with skin care products. I’m always trying to find the best (and cheapest!) solution for great skin care.

I used to use the Kinerase Blemish Stick for minor acne breakouts. Problem is, Kinerase is extremely expensive (steep price tag of $42!), and while the blemish stick worked well, I ran out after about 15 uses. It only lasted me about 2 weeks.
I found a better solution, and it’s half the price. The Ole Henriksen Roll-On Blemish stick works better than the Kinerase blemish stick at fighting acne, and it’s better suited for people with sensitive skin (like myself). You can purchase this product at Sephora. It’s also almost 3 times the size of the Kinerase product, so it will last you for quite a while. It goes on smooth, and dries clear as well. I'm not sure if this will work for people with 'severe acne', but if you have minor/occasional spots – this blemish stick will knock them out overnight.

Like with all acne based products, remember to use sun-block!

Hello Cupcake – Free Cupcakes Today!

It seems like almost everyone in the area has found out about Hello Cupcake’s free promotion today. In fact, I think they advertised the event a little TOO well. It was posted on Twitter, Facebook, Metromix, DCist blog and the Hello Cupcake website.

I called the shop about 9:50am to ask how long the promotion would be going on for. They told me they baked about 1,500 cupcakes for today, and the promotion would go on until the cupcakes ran out. They also told me, that there was already a line forming outside their door. Rightly so I suppose – in my opinion, this place does have the best cupcakes in DC.

I rushed up there about 10:30am to get my free cupcake (figuring I’d beat the lunch-rush), but was quickly diverted at seeing well over 50+ people already in line!!! Much to my dismay, I went back to work empty-handed, and sugarless. I’d rather pay the $3 per cupcake vs. standing in that ridiculously long line. And I only suspect it will get worse as lunchtime approaches.

So, if you scored a treat today – good for you! Everyone knows when you advertise “free” anything in DC, patrons come out the ‘wood-works’. Maybe I’ll hit my new sweet spot today – Robeks!

Here’s a couple of pics of the 10:30am line. Further toward the back of the line, it actually looked as if some lady brought her entire daycare of kids!