The colour palette was summer sunset with vibrant purples, reds and blues dominating. Long trains seemed to be another trend of the evening, along with one-shoulder silhouettes, updos and bold jewelry.

January Jones took long trains to an entirely new level. Emily Deschanel showed us how to be sizzling in one-shoulder gowns. Eva Longoria proved that, sometimes, there’s no better look than a classic updo. And Glee’s Lea Michelle looked bold and beautiful in her chunky necklace.

What really stood out were the colors on the red carpet. Despite a warm, summer day in Los Angeles, there was no question that dark purples, blues, and even blacks were the popular color trend for the evening. Let’s check out some of the winning looks!

Lea Michelle in a navy Oscar de la Renta gown

Padma Lakshmi looking exotic and sexy in navy.

Heidi Klum showing off her gorgeous legs in a black, Marchesa mini dress.

Kelly Osbourne showing off her hourglass figure in Tony Ward.

Jane Lynch in a gorgeous, purple Ali Rahmani gown.

Jayma Mays in a dark Burberry gown.

January Jones in a controversial, blue Versace dress

Eva Longoria looking gorgeous in a black dress with hubby Tony Parker.

Anna Paquin looking vampire-esque in Alexander McQueen.

Kyra Sedgwick wearing Monique Luhillier

Of course, there were other colors on the red carpet but there’s no doubt that dark jewel-tones were most popular this year. I’m no psychic, but I’d venture to guess navy is going to be incredibly popular this winter. Plus, becomegorgeous.com agrees:

For Fall/Winter 2010-2011, we find ourselves among a multitude of refined colors with autumnal hues. Khaki, beige, red, navy blue, and different prints are some of the choices designers made for the cold season.

Stay tuned for a follow-up post on camel couture this winter. In the meantime, what do you think of these “winning” looks?

Photo credit: www.sify.com

This image was pilfered from DesignSpongeOnline.com. The least you could do now is read their article.

He was featured at DesignSpongeOnline.com this week

As we University of Michigan students begin moving into our off-campus residences, we become very focused (for a brief time) on furniture arrangement, poster placement, and which items from the Ikea catalog would really make our tiny kitchens functional and stylish.  But if you’re one of the many living in a house with a porch, you might also want to consider something else.  The couch.

Last April, a 22 year old student perished in a fire that destroyed one South State street home.  According to an AnnArbor.com account:

started in a trash container on the front porch, spread to an upholstered sofa nearby, and eventually set fire to the whole house.

In June, the student’s mother went before the Ann Arbor City Council and asked that they once again examine plans to ban upholstered furniture on both front and rear porches.  I say once again because the City had tried to pass the ban in 2004 but it was stalled due to student opposition.  Between 2000 and 2004, there were 3 reports of couch fires on porches and 74 other incidences involving upholstered furniture on streets or sidewalks according to a report issued at the time.

An Op-Ed in The Daily would have you believe that, while the death of a student is certainly unfortunate, this revival of the couch ban is meant as an attack on students, or rather:

In theory, the intentions of the initial proposal may seem honorable. But in practice, the ban really isn’t about fire safety. For many city residents, it’s about aesthetics.

No, it isn’t.

Couches are an eyesore, this is true.  They are unsanitary, especially went left out in the elements as most are, to weather the Michigan winter.  Most of them have unknown origins but which are still used by residents who are quick to throw out mystery area rugs abandoned by previous tenants.

The opinion piece goes on to suggest that the actual safety issue is

the fact that many of the houses inhabited by students don’t comply with existing fire code, and this far exceeds any posed by couches. Hazards like old wiring and unsafe — or even nonexistent — fire escapes are much more dangerous.

There is no survey, study, or expert cited to support this conclusion. The City is not recommending that beer pong tables or other exterior furniture be prohibited on area porches.  And a student – a 22 year old – actually lost his life.

Let’s do the right thing and, as students, support the couch ban.

Best,

-B.C.Bodnar

Jeremy May makes “literary jewels” which he sells through his UK company, Littlefly. Through a special lamination process, May creates a completely unique piece – ring, bracelet, necklace – from hundreds of pages, mostly taken from books.

Fantastic.

-B.C.Bodnar

This weekend is the 4th Annual People’s Arts Festival at the Russel in Detroit. Not only is it the largest free arts festival in the City of Detroit, but this year it features art, performance, film, and music.

Still located at an industrial complex at 1600 Clay Avenue, the Russel is a metaphor for rise, fall, and rebirth of the city itself.  The event website says it best:

Indeed, “The Russell” might, like so many of Detroit’s production/warehouse complexes, might have fallen at the hands of vandals, arsonists or time, becoming one more entry on the rolls of delinquent taxes and abandoned properties if – beginning almost a decade ago – it had not been repurposed as a home to artists’ studios after its 2003 purchase by Dennis Kefallinos’ Boydell Development Company.

Recognized today as the creative hub of Detroit’s artistic renaissance “The Russell” is home to over 125 commercial tenants representing a full spectrum of creative activity from architects, painters, clothing designers, glass blowers, wood craftsman and metal sculptors to graphic designers, photographers, musicians, filmmakers and art galleries.

And of course, the art’s going to be amazing.

See you there,

-B.C.Bodnar

—–

Editor’s note: SHEI Fashion will be putting on a mini fashion show at the People’s Art Festival. Come check it out!

Me in Bryant park, just one block from the Conde Nast building.

Well, summer’s just about over, and you know what that means. It’s the final installment of SHEI and the City—and I’ve decided to mark this occasion with a few words on something that’s been on my mind all summer: style.

Four months ago, I thought style meant your own sartorial way of defining and separating yourself from the rest of the world. And for those of you who know me, you know that my style is a bit more on the extreme side.

This caused a bit of a predicament for me this summer, as I began my professional career. (GQ is a very classy publication, after all). The more I started working there, the more I began to notice my style changing. This came uneasily to me. On the one hand, I wanted to dress the part, to impress and succeed. On the other hand, I didn’t want to sacrifice who I was.

Getting ready in the morning became quite the battle. But in the end, the only thing that really changed was my understanding of the concept of style. Ultimately I realized that people are far too complicated to be defined by one aesthetic. As people grow and move forward in their lives, their styles evolve, adjusting to different places and scenarios.

No matter the setting or dress code, the little things that make you who you are will show through in what you wear. That’s what true style is. It doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing who you are or anything as dramatic as that. Because if I’ve learned anything this summer, it’s that if you’re a healthy, growing person, what you wear doesn’t define you. Nothing defines you.

All in all, it’s been an incredible four months, and I can’t wait to see you all soon. Make sure to stay tuned for all of the exciting things SHEI has planned for fall 2010!

Viva La SHEI!

–Will Defebaugh, Creative Director

This Thursday, August 26,  the Ann Arbor Art Center, along with Grizzly Peaks, will be unveiling a new mural in Ann Arbor. The mural, located behind Grizzly Peaks,120 West Washington Street, and created by Antonio “Shades” Agee, will be “revealed” at 6pm. After, from 7 to 10 pm guests can continue the celebration at the Ann Arbor Art Center where they can enjoy North Peak Brewery’s limited edition labeled brews and Grizzly Peak’s sophisticated snacks.

Tickets to Reveal are $45. To purchase tickets, visit www.annarborartcenter.org or call (734) 994-8004 x 101. The Art Center is located at 117 W. Liberty in downtown Ann Arbor.

Behold – the Inspiration Pad by Marc Thomasset.

Photos by Marcel Veelo.

-B.C.Bodnar

Her goal is seemingly simple:

Each day for the entire year, I’m going to introduce a new piece into my existing wardrobe that I’ve found from these places.  On top of this, I’m giving myself a budget of $1 a day.

And guess what – she’s been at it for almost a year and is under budget, thanks to her ability to turn second-hand finds into chic and trendy creations.  A keen eye and snappy sewing skills have made her a media-darling and she has been featured in fashion blogs, print magazines, and radio shows.

Day 263

Her motivation? According to Marisa:

…whenever I wear my handmade pieces, I always get complimented and the best part is that I get to tell everyone that I bought it for $1 and just shortened it, dyed it or cinched it to make it chic and current.

As of November 26th, she’ll have reached her goal.  But until then – make sure her blog is in your “favorites” tab.

-B.C.Bodnar

Is the U.S. moving from coffee to crumpets?

According to The Atlantic, the United States is in the midst of a “tea renaissance.”  The dark age from whence it has emerged could be described as one where:

Tea was marketed as simply an anonymous brown beverage, always confusingly called “black tea,” and generally mass-merchandized as a supermarket loss leader. Alike in content and “convenience,” brands like Tetley and Lipton or Red Rose and White Rose lost whatever differences may have once existed between them.

But for the past couple of years, Americans have come to appreciate tea and the tea drinking experience with the connoisseurship of a wine aficionado.  In 2004, it was noted by the Philadelphia Business Journal that tea rooms were moving to the suburbs – and doing quite well, thank you very much.  They offered customers an elegant (and often themed) site to enjoy a cup of exotic tea, accompanied with various bite sized pastries.  It comes as no surprise then that tea shops, a place to buy tea brewing and drinking merchandise, should soon follow.  It seemed that Americans were finally beginning to regard cup of tea in the way they had long done with coffee and cigars – a necessary luxury.

As is to prove this very point, one well-known tea and accessory shop in Ann Arbor, TeaHaus, has expanded their Kerrytown location to include seating and a take-out counter.  According to an interview in AnnArbor.com from TeaHaus owner, Lisa McDonald, customers will be able to enjoy “decadent European-style cakes” as they “take a moment for a cup of tea.”  Already known for a wide variety of loose teas and masterful blends (almost 200) as well as accessories available for purchase at their 204 N. 4th Ave location and online at teahaus-annarbor.com, TeaHaus will now be hosting events besides providing more items for tea sommeliers.

In an interview with The Lucy Ann Lance Business Insider, McDonald discusses her passion for tea which was developed during 14 years abroad and details her vision for the new space.  She hopes it will become a place for friends to gather, as opposed to an extended office for laptop users.

-B.C.Bodnar