{such a} Blogher 09 Adventure

Blogher 09 in Chicago was an amazing experience for me. I met fabulous bloggers (@momtrolfreak and @sabrinabot among others) and attended fab parties (EA Active and the Lush Experience by Blogalicious). Yes, there was a preponderance of mommy bloggers and the swagaholics caused me to raise an eyebrow or two, but that’s not what’s important. What matters is that much to my surprise, there were a large number of incredibly fashionable women at Blogher 09. I’m not sure what I expected really...but I was happily surprised to see stylish, trendy women everywhere I went at the conference. Cute summer dresses, mod booties, skinny jeans and brightly printed tanks.

Check out just a few of the galleries:

Blogher Galleries
Blogher Flickr Galleries
Tide Laundry Lounge Gallery
Rick from Tiny Prints Gallery

I was thrilled to find out that both Carson Kressley and Tim Gunn were going to be in attendance at Blogher. Carson came with Nikon to promote Look Good In Pictures, Nikon's How To Series with Carson Kressley, and Tim Gunn came as part of Tide’s Laundry Lounge. Both were dressed to the nines, Carson in a lime green sweater (that he quick-switched to don a t-shirt given to him by an attendee) and Tim in a dark grey pinstripe suit. I a scoop (not really a scoop) on the next Project Runway, which Tim shared will be in LA, and starts on August 20th.



Paula Deen also put in an appearance to plug her new line of food at Walmart. She suprised me by adding a very cute, very sparkly pair of slip-on flats to her jeans and denim shirt outfit. I’m not one to cook with a stick of butter or more, but I approve of her shoes 100%.



The most fashion-unique event of the entire conference was the Cheeseburgher party held on the last night. In case you’re not familar, and I wasn’t, attendees to this late-night soiree sponsored by McDonalds are given McDonalds bags to wear as headgear. I could not figure out a way to make that bag look good, so I didn’t wear one. So sad...not! It was a great party despite my lack of paper hat. Fortunately, I had my hot pink feather boa from Bowlher...mad love.

{such a} Local Designer Featured in Daily Candy

DAAP Graduate Anna Pachan is all over the news these days. First, a fabulous write-up in Cincinnati Magazine and now, a Daily Deal in the Daily Candy Deals newsletter. If you haven't seen her swimwear line called Cala Ossidiana (means obsidian beach in Italian) you're missing out. Beautiful one-pieces feature a layered on sheer look with intriacte strap work, and her bikinis are simple profiles with a pretty blend of bandeau and string pieces. Locally, find Cala Ossidiana at Snap Boutique, but hurry--summer's almost over so they won't be around for much longer.

PS-If you don't subscribe to Daily Candy, subscribe for updates on hot find and fashions, and for a discount on purchasing Cala Ossidiana swimwear online, enter code DAILYCANDY during checkout from the Yahoo store.

{such a} Fashion News-Anna Sui At Target!

Anna Sui at Target
Yes it's true! Anna Sui, everyone favorite playful, colorful and uncompromisingly original designer is launching a line of clothing for Target - our favorite recessionista shop spot. Sui is only the second designer, after Alexander McQueen to become a part of the Designer Collaboration for Target. Up and coming designers like Erin Fetherston and Rogan Gregory have been featured in the GO International collection. From an interview with Women's Wear Daily:

"I have always been a fan of designer partnerships with mass retailers," Sui told WWD exclusively. "I think it is a great way to bring fashion to everyone. I love Go International and was intrigued with Target's new take on designer partnerships. It's a fresh approach. I was able to select a muse or source of creative inspiration to focus the collection around. It is an exciting challenge to try and interpret my aesthetic into a mass-produced product with a specific inspirational source as the focus."

Rumors have been flying as to whether or not this collection will be based on characters from TV's popular Gossip Girl. Since I'm not a fan of the show (actually never seen it) I'm not worried either way, but sources have said that Target, not Sui, is balking at being associated with the show. Seem the characters engage in hijinx that Target finds a little to racy for their customers!

The collection will debut online at target.com and in stores on September 13th, so mark your calendars. It will only be available until Mid-October.