HHHHHH GREAT AMERICAN STYLE HHHHHH A FASHION WEEK RETREAT HHHHHH SEPTEMBER 6-11 2008 HHHHHH PRESENTED BY GREAT AMERICAN STYLE: CELEBRATING OUR FASHION HERITAGE! With the election just months away, Robert Verdi’s Luxe Laboratory hosted GREAT AMERICAN STYLE, an exclusive fashion week retreat celebrating iconic American brands, both classic taste- makers and trend-setting newcomers, that have rewritten the canon of American style. A powerful group of editors, celebrities and influencers were granted the enviable opportunity to escape the front row frenzy and relax just blocks away from the shows at Bryant Park. This elite group of fashion week insiders received a Luxe Access pass granting them entry into the private retreat where they indulged in America’s finest fashion, food, drinks, design, spa treatments and beauty touch-ups from leading American brands that fashion the way we live. GUESTS INCLUDED... CELEBRITIES: FASHION INSIDERS: EDITORS: Julianne Moore Dana Thomas Andrea Smith Marielle Bobo Actress Conde Nast, Author of Deluxe ABC News OK! Eva Longoria R. Scott French Michael Stefanov Colleen Difonzo Actress Designer Esquire Marie Claire Blake Lively David Boatman Joanna Bober Kelly Will Actress Documentary Filmmaker Glamour NY Post, Page Six Christina Ricci Deb Watson Suzie Yalof Schwartz K ara Murphy Actress Fashion Stylist Glamour People Style Watch Winona Ryder Syl Tang Lauren Cohen Julee Wilson Actress Financial Times, The Hip Guide Harper’s Bazaar Real Simple Anna Ortiz Judy Licht Lisa Stasiulewicz Jacquie Stafford Actress Full Frontal Fashion Lucky Shape Deborah Cox Luis Morais Joanna Coles Rachel Felder Singer Jewelry Designer Marie Claire StyleList - AOL Malin Akerman Meredith Garcia Lucy K aylin Paula Correri Actress TheFashionList.com Marie Claire The Tobe Report Emmanuelle Chriqui Carol Bell Susan Plagemann Allison Corneau Actress The Patton Group Marie Claire US Weekly J. Alexander Marysol Patton Suzanne Sykes Sarah Brown America’s Next Top Model The Patton Group Marie Claire Vogue Nigel Barker Jennifer Sullivan Renee Marchione Sally Singer Photographer Model Men’s Fitness Vogue Fabiola Beracasa Caroline Ryder Eloise Parker Cheryl Tan Socialite Style Critic, Variety NY Daily News Wall Street Journal Rose Apodaca Rachel Dodes LA Times Wall Street Journal
THE RESULTS ARE IN... 2) Who is best qualified to lead the world of fashion for Spring 2009?
1) Who is best qualified to lead ROBERT VERDI BADGLEY MISCHKA the country for the next 4 years? RALPH LAUREN RAG & BONE JOHN McCAIN (0) BARACK OBAMA PHILIP LIM CAROLINA HERRERA
OSCAR DE LA RENTA
MICHAEL K ORS
MARC JACOBS
DIANE VON FURSTENBURG Kodak’s Zi6 Pocket HD Video Camera
Winona Ryder loves Lord & Taylor cashmere Blake Lively & Robert Verdi sport Carrera sunglasses from Safilo J. Alexander rocks our custom buttons Great American Style at Luxe Laboratory Nigel Barker slips into a pair of Rock & Republics
Special Edition aluminum Coca-Cola Bottles
Christina Ricci Shakers Vodka “Ameritini” Bar Ashley Mallinson, Julianne Moore & Patrick Clayton Eva Longoria & Robert Verdi Dana Thomas gets made over by Max Factor
Joanna Coles gets an Essie manicure Emmanuelle Chriqui & Malin Akerman Campbell’s Soup-inspired centerpiece by Rebecca Cole Fabiola Beracasa picks a pair of Sperry Top-Siders Campbell’s Soup & snacks
Jacquie Stafford samples the latest from Kiehl’s America’s only 100% organic sparkling wine Anna Ortiz carries Microsoft’s Ego laptop as purse Syl Tang snacks on Jello’s 70-calorie sundae Gabrielle Blair with Microsoft’s versatile Ego laptop
Makeup from Max Factor
Jennifer Hudson with H. Stern’s “Love” keychain Vogue’s Sally Singer Deborah Cox breaks from using a Microsoft laptop Joanna Coles, Suzanne Sykes & Lucy Kalin enjoying new programming from TV Land Sweet treats from Hershey’s
Deb Watson & Luis Morais
Robert Verdi & Deb Watson Jennifer Sullivan, Dana Thomas (Author of Deluxe), Caroline Ryder & Rose Apodaca Robert Verdi with a Brelli Marielle Bobo checks TheFashionList on a FlyBook Suzanne Brown & Jill Gerston from Denver Post PRESS
From The Mercury News: pated in the Luxe Laboratory for the first Verdi and his dog Lucinda whirred about time this season. This week, the nail pol- the party on invisible roller skates, braking NEW YORK — High fashion has stubbornly ish company gave 60 manicures at the for brief, breathless conversation before resisted cutting-edge technology, in favor lounge to show attendees who included whizzing on to the next guest. “He’s a to- of faxes and clipboards. “Gossip Girl” actress Blake Lively. tal psychopath, hate him!” Verdi cheerfully But change is occurring, and it’s never yelled, overhearing me mention the name At the Luxe Laboratory in New York, spon- of a leading New York fashion designer. been more evident than during this Fashion sors paid between $5,000 and $100,000 Week season in New York. Consider that an “What the hell is she wearing—she looks to participate during fashion week, de- like a little boy!” Verdi screamed in horror, HP laptop made its debut on the New York pending on the level of placement and fashion runway this week, Google set up pointing at one of his guests, who hap- whether the company held any events at pened to be standing not three feet away. a kiosk alongside fashion designers, and the space. (Kiehl’s, for example, held a Microsoft is displaying products along with His frankness was entertaining, and not breakfast for fashion bloggers and also dumb. Not once did the performance feel high-end fashion purveyors like Kiehl’s and a cocktail party for show attendees this Coach. contrived—one gets the impression that week. The label declined to comment on Verdi was just born like this...born for TV, People today want not just their clothes, how much it was spending to be there.) that is. but also their homes, their cars, their cell By comparison, being an official sponsor phones and now their PCs to reflect their of the fashion shows generally costs “in I finally pinned him down to talk about his personal sense of fashion and style, said the six figures,” said Fern Mallis, senior varied broadcast projects. He is about to Rob Poznanski, senior marketing manager vice president of IMG Fashion, which or- start taping the second season of his ma- at Microsoft. ganizes the shows. ture models show “She’s Got The Look” for TV Land, and is in talks with QVC to Microsoft is making itself known this week “Fashion week has gotten very expensive launch a jewelry line. He also hosted Sur- in New York. The Seattle-based company and to me, (being in) the fashion week prise By Design on the Discovery Home is sponsoring a retreat apartment on West tent can be a little exhausting,” said Channel, and the Style Network’s Fashion 30th Street for fashion editors, and it’s pre- Robert Imig, vice president of public re- Police. And then there’s a reality show in sided over by celebrity stylist Robert Verdi. lations for Kiehl’s, which gave skincare the pipeline. The working title is the rather The theme is “Great American Style,” which consultations in the Luxe Laboratory for genius: “Me, Me, Me.” means the space is filled with displays of the first time this season. The brand also goods from brands such as Kiehl’s, Her- placed items in goodie bags at only one “So Robert,” I asked, “what’s the show shey’s, Coach and, of course, Microsoft. show, Derek Lam’s. “Here, we can con- about?” nect with them over a glass of cham- -Caroline Ryder “We decided that Great American Style pagne and have them try out our product From Racked.com: should be about historic American brands, when they’re not pulled in a million direc- and what other brand represents tech more tions. It’s more sticky.” KIEHL’S INTRODUCES DEREK LAM KIT IN than Microsoft?” Verdi rhetorically asks. -Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan ROBERT VERDI’S LOFT Displayed around the retreat space are From TheStylePhile.com: Before heading over for another full day in floral-covered Asus F6V PCs that emit a ROBERT VERDI: BORN FOR TV — the tents, yesterday morning we stopped fragrance once the computer fires up and Robert Verdi’s Larger than life, scathingly honest and in at loft (of all places) for the purse-like Ego Orphine decorated with Kiehl’s launch of the Derek Lam kit. Swarovski crystals. It retails for $15,000 to balder than a baby’s behind, TV fashionista $20,000. “Let’s face it,’’ said David Wolfe, and lifestyle expert Robert Verdi is what’s Treating beauty bloggers to mimosas and creative director of the Doneger Group, a known in the business as “a trip.” views of Penn Station from Verdi’s loft, Kie- hl’s trend-forecasting agency, “We’ve become I met Verdi (who regularly styles Eva Long- showed off the $225 kit which comes so design conscious that we want every- oria and J-Lo) during New York Fashion in with a dustbag and showy box of its own, thing to be about aesthetics.” Week at his showroom the Luxe Laboratory, like a perfect little luxe gift. The travel-size -Donna Kato where he was hosting an intimate cock- items included in the Derek Lam case are the designer’s picks of the Kiehl’s stock: From The Wall Street Journal: tail party for “Portfolio” magazine’s Eu- ropean fashion editor Dana Thomas (stay Lip Balm #1 (with its own pocket), Crème de Corps, Amino Acid Shampoo, Nurturing AN OASIS FROM THE RUNWAYS — tuned for my story about Thomas and her Body Washing Cream, and the Conditioner All this week, fashionistas and celebri- groundbreaking book Deluxe: How Luxury & Grooming Aid. ties attending the runway shows have Lost Its Luster). been stopping by an airy loft in the gar- Wearing a jewel-encrusted t-shirt beneath It was hard for us to focus on anything but ment district to rest for a moment, grab Verdi’s a tailored suit jacket, Verdi had filled the stunning space, filled with an eclec- a snack or have a quick manicure. The “must be seen to be believed” apartment tic assortment of furniture in bold prints space, called the Luxe Laboratory, is one with designer armchairs, enormous con- (Mizrahi’s faux bois!) and sponsor brands of the ways that brands, ranging from Rock & Republic Sperry Top-Sid- temporary chandeliers and a giant flat like and Coca-Cola and Hershey’s to Kiehl’s and ers. Verdi She’s Got the Look” screen TV that functioned as a virtual Even (of “ Max Factor, are trying to reach out to aquarium. In the bathroom, slick-haired fame and more) was up and milling about, style influencers who now are bombarded French financiers murmured between already sporting a McQueen scarf at 9am. by so much advertising during fashion themselves next to a ginormous jacuzzi -Cynthia Drescher week that it’s gotten much harder to get tub, flanked by bottles and bottles of ex- their attention. From Danica Lo (NY Daily News): pensive hair product. “There are so many goodie bags at fash- “I am really into digital gold watches. Robert “Do you think anyone would notice if I ion week now that having your product in Verdi sent me a Timex one. It has a stretchy moved in?” I asked one of Robert’s assis- one, it means nothing,” said Essie Wein- band and everything. I am obsessed.” tants. “Maybe not,” he said, “but there’s no garten, President and Creative Director bedroom.” I assured him that one of the of Essie Cosmetics Ltd., which partici- many over-stuffed couches would suffice. Copyright ©2008 Robert Verdi, Inc. All rights reserved.