WARDROBE: We're sensing a trend here

Tunic mini-dresses aren’t as obvious a fall trend as jewel tones and wide-leg pants, but retailers seem to be betting on them. Net-a-porter ordered three versions of the silhouette (Tibi, $385, on top; Derek Lam, middle, $1,790; and Diane Von Furstenberg, bottom, $325.) If you want a cheaper option, H&M did a version in black and royal blue.

SOUNDS: On today's playlist

"Free Your Mind," by Sound In Light (click song title to listen)

PALETTE: A good ten months late, but we'll take it

The New York Times declared today that bangs are back when actually, they came back last fall. Citing singer/songwriter Cat Power (who appeared in last fall's beauty stories heralding the return of bangs) and Rihanna (who is now rocking a longer, bang-less weave) as evidence, the article features interviews with older women who fear they may be past their bang-wearing prime. Whatevs. We just like the article for validating our bootleg method for keeping the bangs fresh: baby powder. If it weren't for sprinkling the occasional dab of Johnson & Johnson on to absorb the oil, there's no way our forehead fringe would even last a week during the summer. Read the story here.

WARDROBE: CFDA/Vogue recognizes designers you can actually afford

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund (the fashion world’s best new artist equivalent) announced its ten finalists today. They are Threeasfour (Gabriel Asfour, Angela Donhauser, and Adi Gil), Erin Fetherston Design Group (Erin Fetherston), 3.1 Phillip Lim (Phillip Lim), Rogan, (Rogan Gregory), Vena Cava (Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai), Philip Crangi Jewelry (Philip Crangi), Koi (Nunthirat Koi Suwannagate), VPL (Victoria Bartlett) and Michael Bastian.

The winner won’t be revealed until the 7th on Sale gala on November 15. In the meantime, we’re conducting an informal poll. If you had to choose a winner based on your personal shopping taste, who would you pick? Send us your vote at info@musemag.net.

LIFE: R.I.P. Vixen

And yet another magazine folds... (click here)

SOUNDS: Today's soundtrack

"Say Goodbye to Love," by Kenna (click song title to listen)

WARDROBE: They look sexier than the name sounds

After last year's ankle boot frenzy, the rise of the bootie (part shoe, part boot) for fall seems to be a natural progression. Slightly less '80's than its higher counterparts, the shoes veer into pump territory and work well with the season's more refined, grown-up looks. This Christian Louboutin pair is our favorite of the options we've seen so far.

WARDROBE: A fun way to blow your clothing allowance Part III

Top Shop is having a two-for-one dress sale online.


Peter Som is having a sample sale this Wednesday and Thursday from 9am to 7pm and Friday , 9am to 2pm.
Peter Som Inc. Showroom
260 West 39th Street, 5th floor (between 7th and 8th Ave)
New York, NY 10018

SOUNDS: Today's soundtrack

"Resolution," by Jose James (click song title to listen)

WARDROBE: Hippie-chic for charity

Stella McCartney has designed a limited edition tank for the Glastonbury festival which will be sold exclusively on yoox.com. All proceeds go to the charity OXFAM, which is a good thing since $50 would seem kind of overpriced for a little airbrushed racer back tank otherwise.

WARDROBE: Another fun way to blow your clothing allowance

After a packed party that had guests including John Legend and Anna Wintour literally burning up (the AC apparently wasn't working) on Tuesday night, the 3.1 Phillip Lim flagship store on Mercer Street officially opens today. It's literally down the block from the boutique of his kindred spirit, Marc Jacobs.

LIFE: So where's the outcry? Part II

A Muse reader has pointed out to us that quite a few KNOW HIV AIDS sponsored billboards (some featuring Common) can be spotted around Newark, NJ. And another spotted one in downtown Manhattan. Have you seen any in your city? Let us know by leaving a comment here or emailing info@musemag.net

WARDROBE: It's like the Manolo sale, only with canvas bags

This is what the line looked like for those Anya Hindmarch bags at the Whole Foods on Chrystie Street today in Manhattan (the line started last night. ) We wonder how many of the ladies who waited in the rain will be behind the newly listed postings on eBay. The $15 bags are auctioning off for as much as $299 (!!!) online. And since when is a canvas tote bag capable of sparking such a consumerist frenzy? It's like hypebeast culture has bled into the mainstream.

LIFE: So where's the outcry?

Considering that HIV/AIDS is still the leading cause of death of African-American women between the ages of 25 to 34 years old and that I live in Harlem, a community still dominated by blacks despite gentrification, I've been wondering where the public billboards are about the topic. The signage, pamphlets, and PSA's about the virus that I can remember seeing all over Manhattan and on my Time Warner Cable stations when I first moved to the city nine years ago, seem to have all but disappeared even though the health threat hasn't. Kind of ill, no? It's a topic that I rarely hear discussed any more here in New York. That's no longer the case in Washington D.C., according to a few Muse readers in the area who tell me the issue has been on the tongues of black women all over the district since the Democratic presidential candidates discussed the epidemic during the debate at Howard University three weeks ago. While Bill Richardson lamely missed the root of the problem by implying that most black chicks are druggies (his only answer to the problem was creating more needle exchanges), Hillary Clinton summed the issue up best: "if HIV/AIDS were the leading cause of death of white women between the ages of 25 and 34, there would be an outraged outcry in this country." In case you're wondering, the HIV/AIDS infection rate of black women is 23 times that of white. Channel the outrage here and here.

PALETTE: Reason #8497426087 you shouldn't compare your beauty to a celebrity's

The ladies over at Jezebel managed to get their hands on an original cover shot of Faith Hill for Reedbook magazine before it underwent umpteen layers of re-touching. See the extreme makeover here.

PALETTE: It sure doesn't mean brown, black and red

Even though L'Oreal ads in the U.S. have featured a diverse array of spokesmodels from Kadra Ahmed to Penelope Cruz, the Paris division of the company has been a bit slower to embrace all forms of beauty. The French Garnier subdivision just received a fine for discrimination (read about it here), requiring that its department store representatives be BBR (bleu, blanc rouge, French speak for white.)

WARDROBE: FILMS: YSL fans take note

SHOWstudio, photographer Nick Knight's online photography/art project, will have a live online photo shoot extravaganza celebrating Yves Saint Laurent's new capsule collection. Beginning at noon on Sunday, the shoot will last 24 hours and feature live music by CSS among many other bands, appearances by Stefano Pilati and script and image contributions from viewers that were sent in ahead of time. Knight's gang is now in the process of putting the final touches on the soundtrack, feel free to get in on all the happenings here.

WARDROBE: A fun way to blow your clothing allowance

Opening Ceremony is having what it calls a "Super Scary Sale." That means they're giving items by Cloak, Proenza Schouler, Rachel Comey, Kate Moss for TopShop and United Bamboo, among others, up to 75% markdowns. The sale begins today.

SOUNDS: Today's soundtrack

"Boy4rmDaEnds," by Tawiah (click song titles to listen)

LIFE: Summer reading: What's really making our handbags so heavy

"Half Of A Yellow Sun," by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

"The Picture of Dorian Gray," by Oscar Wilde

"Memories of My Melancholy Whores," by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

LIFE: Good eatin'

Radicchio isn't included in my CSA deliveries (it's grown in Italy,) but I'm addicted to it nonetheless--literally eating it whenever I have the time to cook. My favorite new recipe at the moment.

8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
� cup olive oil
1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary leaves
� cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
� tsp black pepper
4 large heads radicchio, halved through the root
Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

1. Place the garlic, olive oil, rosemary, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and mix well. Add the radicchio and gently toss so that it is well coated. Cover and let marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

3. Place the radicchio in a baking pan and pour the marinade on top. Place in the oven and roast until the edges of the radiccio are crisp and almost beginning to look burnt, about 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Serve immediately, with grated Parmesan cheese.

Goes well with: Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio

WARDROBE: Plastic, no. Trendy, yes.

Anya Hindmarch designed this $15 canvas shopping bag as a way to fight the excess waste created by plastic bags. It’s supposed to be utilitarian; an eco-minded way of carrying around groceries and drug store trifles. But the well-heeled fashionistas I’ve spotted carrying the tote all over downtown Manhattan seem to be carrying it as an It handbag instead. Kind of missing the point. 20,000 more of the bags will go on sale at Whole Foods stores in Manhattan next Wednesday, and the event is rumored to reach Kate Moss at Top Shop mania proportions. As a result, the store has instituted a three bags per person rule. Doors open at 8am.

WARDROBE: Many bustier-filled years to come

I first fell in love with Proenza Schouler for their effortlessly cool, not trying too hard to be sexy, bustier dresses that first defined them as a design duo several years ago, even though they wouldn't fit my size D cups. (That was back when I wasn't as familiar with the Parsons grads' work and pronounced their brand's name as "Shuler" instead of "Schooler.") In addition to their progressive style sensibility, I now have to give Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez business savvy props. Valentino just purchased a 45% stake in the company today according to WWD. Now that they've got bigger bucks behind them, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before we're hearing news of a Proenza Schouler store soon.

LIFE: On our to-do list this week

Even though Rich Medina stopped doing those Jump 'N Funk parties, he's still keeping the Fela Kuti craze going. Wednesday night, he spins at a Fela-themed Summerstage concert featuring a screening of the documentary "Music Is A Weapon" and a performance by the Nigerian activist musician's son Femi. While Femi's music is good and all, Seun, one of Fela's many, many, many other kids, seems to be the family member who is taking afro funk in a fresh direction. He performed at S.O.B.'s on July 1st but should be coming back to the States soon. Listen to his much slept on music here.

Femi Kuti
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
From 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Central Park SummerStage
Rumsey Playfield

WARDROBE: Art and fashion have another baby

With the magazine world currently being in such a state of flux because of Internet land, some speculate that glossies will become more specialized and collectible. If this turns out to be true, the guys behind the limited edition fashion publication, Playground our way ahead of the curve. Part fringe magazine, art project and fashion coffee table book, the pub will come out twice a year. The first edition includes contributions from Kai Kuhne, Lanvin, Thom Browne and Gordon Hull/Surface to Air. It had it's formal launch with an exhibition tonight at Anna Kustera gallery in Chelsea. The pages of this book are unbound, though, and come in a special box that is as artsy as the images themselves--so don't expect to read it on the train.

TRENDS: Random YouTube musings: Is Fosse the new Fatima?

Who knew that Bob Fosse was so...urban? First Beyonce Knowles did a remixed version of the late choreographer's work from the Rich Man's Frug section of "Sweet Charity" for her video "Get Me Bodied." And now this. (Click here.) My friend emailed me this YouTube clip of an old Gwen Verdon (Fosse's ex-wife) performance set to Unk's Atlanta anthem, "Walk It Out." The choreography matches the music perfectly.

LIFE: Jane folds

R.I.P. Jane magazine

SOUNDS: Today's soundtrack

"The Sirens' Call," by Jazzanova (Click song titles to listen)

"Don't Take It Personal," by Gilles Peterson

WARDROBE: And I thought a spat was an argument

Muse reader Maide from Munich, Germany sent us these pics from her very cool line of spats. Honestly, no one on our team even knew what a spat was until we did some research and discovered that they're those ornate cloths that women wore to cover the instep of their shoes back in the late 1800's. 19th century chic! We love it. You can check out the entire collection here.

PALETTE: If your nails eat top coats for dinner like mine do

I've always had problems making my mani/pedis last because 1) I often bite my nails (an old habit dating back to the 1st grade) and 2) I sometimes take dance classes that require me to bounce around bare foot. And then there's the frequent beach trips; salt water and the sun destroys the top coat (during a trip to Belize, the sun was so hot, my polish melted off.) That said, I usually stay away from wearing any colors that aren't nude because I'm constantly chipping my nails. But during a random trip to Ricky's in Miami last month (yup, I scraped my O.P.I. off in the sand), I bought Essie's Super Duper Top Coat. My polish has now lasted at least two weeks with no chips and my nails feel stronger and harder. I'm psyched. But I'd be even happier if I could find something to handle those dance class-inducing callouses.

WARDROBE: Nature worship

Hussein Chalayan, who recently launched an official Web site earlier year, is experimenting with online shopping through a series of graphic tees. My favorite is this one, which seems to be an extension of his environmentally focused fall collection. You can see them all here.

WARDROBE: Now if someone would just resurrect those Elsa Klensch shows

I grew up singing along to George Michael's "Freedom," copying all those DIY projects on "House of Style," and watching "Style with Elsa Klensch" for news of the supermodels' antics. So I got a little nostalgic when I saw photos from the Dior couture show, for which John Galliano managed to reunite three supermodels from that moment, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen. I'm fighting off the random voice of RuPaul singing "Cover Girl" in my head as I type this.

SOUNDS: Today's soundtrack

"Tropical Moonlight," by Domino

LIFE: Happy 4th of July

If you're pressed for last minute holiday plans, try these:

Tonight:
Moby, King Britt, Kudu and Sunshine Jones at Highline Ballroom
8:00 PM - 12:00 AM
$20
431 W. 16th St.
between 9th and 10th Avenues
New York, NY
212-414-5994

Tomorrow:

Rich Medina's Little Ricky's Rib Shack at APT
10:00 PM - 4:00 AM
$5.00
419 W. 13th Street
New York, NY 10014
212.414.4245


Beats and BBQ soulful house and afro latin music dance party
3pm to 10pm
Free admission and free food!
Artland Bar
609 Grand St.
btwn Leonard St & Lorimer St.

LIFE: Good eatin'

My overpriced, over-greased encounter with McDonald's reinforced my conviction that organic food is the way to go. So I've joined a CSA (community supported agriculture subscription) through a local organic farm in Goshen, New York. I get a heaping delivery of fresh vegetables every two weeks and the beautiful thing is, I know where my food is coming from. Coincidentally, I'm also on a cooking kick. So going forward, I'll be including the recipes we experiment with during our CSA adventures with you here. This is what I made last night:

Sauteed purple cabbage:

1 sm. purple cabbage
1 sm. purple onion
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp. butter or olive oil

Shred cabbage and onion and mix together thoroughly. Heat butter or olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan and then add cabbage and onion mixture. Stir often and saute until tender. Season to taste.

Goes well with: A bottle of prosecco