Ra'mon-Lawrence for Lauren Conrad at Kohl's

As reported earlier today by LOL OMG!, Lauren Conrad's just-released lookbook for her spring 2010 Kohl's collection is already circulating around the internet. I was first to report back in mid-July in an interview exclusively for l'etoile magazine that former local designer Ra'mon-Lawrence Coleman would be teaming up with the former Hills star for an ongoing partnership with Kohl's as part of his responsibilities as Kohl's lead designer. Though their first line last fall was a bit more on the basic side, the spring line is a noticeable improvement in both style and quality. (Click here to view the latest collection from LC Lauren Conrad for Kohl's.)

Perez Hilton agrees, saying, "The clothes don't even look half as cheap as we thought they would." Thanks to Ra'mon, surely - I do detect more than a hint of Ra'mon's signature design elements at work. Let's take a look at the collection, with some of Ra'mon's past work for comparison's sake.

[L: Image courtesy Lifetime. R: Image courtesy Kohl's]

The one-shouldered dress: Ra'mon often incorporates one-shouldered looks into his designs, such as his infamous dyed Neoprene dress from Project Runway. Though the silhouette in the Lauren Conrad version is simplified, it still features Ra'mon's soft draping.

[L: Image courtesy ramonlawrence.com. R: Image courtesy Kohl's]

Floral mini: Ra'mon's romper from Spring 2010 features a similar summery, floral print to the mini dress in the Lauren Conrad collection.

[L: Image courtesy ramonlawrence.com. R: Image courtesy Kohl's]

Drapey knits: The loose t-shirt and drapey knit vest in Lauren's collection appear to mimic Ra'mon's loose jersey tunic and draped Neoprene sleeveless vest shown in his namesake Spring 2010 collection.

[L: Image courtesy ramonlawrence.com. R: Image courtesy Kohl's]

Draped sleeves: The draped sleeve featured in the navy gown from his Spring 2010 collection is similar to many of the sleeves in Lauren Conrad's collection.

[L: Image courtesy ramonlawrence.com. R: Image courtesy Kohl's]

Painterly prints: Another Ra'mon signature, the painterly prints found in his Spring 2008 collection find a new version in Lauren Conrad's line.

[L: Image courtesy ramonlawrence.com. R: Image courtesy Kohl's]

The printed dress: Ra'mon is never one to shy away from prints. Here he takes a flowy, printed fabric - though Lauren's version is decidedly more girlish.

[L: Image courtesy Ignite Models Inc. R: Image courtesy Kohl's]

The shimmery dress: The ivory and gold "Michelle" dress from Ra'mon's Holiday 2009 collection could have been a reference point in Lauren's shimmery, pale minidress.

Not to take away from Lauren Conrad's clear influence: The collection is definitely a bit more L.A. and girlish than the more artistic, more womanly silhouettes Ra'mon is known for. What do you think?

Image references: The Budget Babe; Project Rungay; Le Petit Connaisseur de la Mode; facebook.

UDPATE: Sweet! Just got word that a bunch of national fashion blogs - the very ones that I look to on a daily basis for the latest fashion news - have linked to my post and l'etoile sister site LOL OMG!'s blogs on Ra'mon-Lawrence Coleman's involvement with Lauren Conrad's line for Kohl's.

New York Magazine's The Cut's blog was first to re-post.

Tom and Lorenzo of Project Rungay linked to it on their facebook page.

Jezebel.com also linked to LOL OMG!'s blog post.

Blogging Project Runway gives my blog a shout out.

Perez Hilton links back to The Cut blog (though doesn't give us credit directly).

UPDATE #2: The plot thickens. Apparently, the position as lead designer for Lauren Conrad's Kohl's collection is open. Also, it's based out of New York, instead of Milwaukee. Currently, Ra'mon is lead designer of all Kohl's lines, which includes Conrad's line. This could mean one of two things: Ra'mon is leaving Kohl's, or he will focus on other Kohl's line with a new designer to be brought in to design for Conrad.

Local fashion roundup for 3.1-3.14

This week in the local fashion roundup, l'etoile publishes a new spread, Ra'mon's connection to Lauren Conrad's spring 2010 line for Kohl's is explained, and Spring MNfashion Week 2010 previews are posted.

[Image by Nicholas Marshall courtesy l'etoile]

• l'etoile magazine publishes its first full editorial shoot in years, "Winter's Last Breath." As l'etoile's Fashion Editor, I styled the shoot, with photography by Nicholas Marshall, hair and makeup styling by Kate Erickson, art direction by l'etoile Art Director Chris Larson, creative direction by l'etoile Creative Director Beth Hammarlund, words by Rob Callahan, and modeled by Monica Ulrich, with fashions from Ruby3, Max Lohrbach, Emma Berg and Veronica delCarmen Gomez Whitney. It should be the first of many shoots to come for l'etoile.
• Ignite Models review l’etoile’s “Winter’s Last Breath” editorial on their blog. Here’s an excerpt: How we ache for more MN fashion spreads like this one. How long has it been since we've seen anything like this in Minneapolis?...The l'etoile team has seamlessly tied the story together. Rob Callahan's words, the photography, the wintery landscape, the styling, (model) Monica...it's truly a beautiful match.”
  

[Images courtesy Lifetime and Kohl's]

• When the Spring 2010 lookbook for Lauren Conrad's collection for Kohl's was released, l'etoile sister blog LOL OMG! and my blog report that former local designer Ra'mon-Lawrence Coleman collaborated with Conrad on the line. Our blogs were later reposted nationally by New York Magazine's The Cut blog, Project Rungay, and Jezebel.com.

[Vanessa Fitzgerald in Christopher Straub with Simon Doonan]

• Check out Christopher Straub's latest creation: a gown made from the packaging from the Project Runway Wii game, as worn by season six model Vanessa Fitzgerald (at an event in New York with Simon Doonan). [Image via facebook]

• I’ve Got Your Style styling recently posted a video of Crystal Ball New Year’s Eve fashion show at International Market Square featuring fashions by Project Runway season 6 contestants Ra’mon-Lawrence Coleman and Christopher Straub.

[Promo image for Envision: Artopia by Miles Schuster]

• Last week, I previewed Spring MNfashion Week 2010 on this blog. Highlights should include Envision: Artopia, solo shows from Christopher Straub and Laura Fulk, l'etoile magazine's live photo shoot mixer "Imagination Mechanism," and of course, Voltage: Fashion Amplified.
• Laura Fulk posted some preview images from the promotional shoot for her upcoming MNfashion Week show.
• Voltage 2010 designer Pa Thao of PFT Couture snapped some behind the scenes shots at the Voltage lookbook shoot in late February.
• Voltage 2010 band Blue Sky Blackout snap picks of their fitting at BlackBlue for Voltage: Fashion Amplified.
  
• Check out the promo video for the Envision: Artopia Spring 2010 fashion show:

ENVISION: Artopia Spring 2010 from Allison Hamzehpour on Vimeo.

[Image by Stephanie Hynes styled by Abracadabra Vintage and Bethany Brihn]

• Here's a beautiful silent film photo series by local photographer Stephanie Hynes shot, styled by Abracadabra Vintage and Bethan Brihn with model provided by Vision. The full series will be available at the end of the month on www.stephaniehynes.com and www.bethanybrihn.com.

[Annie Larson knitwear photographed by Sam Hoolihan and Ross Yates]

• Designer Annie Larson has a new website, www.annielarson.com. It includes photos of her knitwear featured in the New Land of Milk and Honey show at Soap Factory on February 20, as well as most of her past work.

[Ben Fredrickson photographed by Eliesa Johnson]

• Local fashion plate and photographer Ben Fredrickson was featured in March's edition of METRO Magazine’s Self Styled feature.

[Image courtesy MN Original]

• Minnesota's official Oscar party at Hotel Ivy certainly had some stylish guests. Love this photo of local glamizon (and VIP hostess) Hannah von der Hoff holding the beads.

[A hat from the Goldstein permanent collection via flickr]

• The Goldstein Museum of Design is offering a preview of its current project to digitize its collection of vintage fashions.
• Jane Belfry and Jenn Cress were in Paris for Fashion Week. They were photographed for the New York Times’ Paris Fashion Week photo diary by Kevin Tachman at the NY NY Party.
• METRO Magazine's Mary O’Regan offers her review of Fashion Fight Night 4 on February 27.
• Here's more Fight Night photos from fashion show producer Richard Moody and photographer Alli Jagoda.
  

• Here's video of sunglasses designers Coco & Breezy’s New York Fashion Week show this past February.

[Grace Crawford in her own designs]

• Fridley-based, Liberian-born jewelry designer Grace Crawford, who’s participating in Saturday’s Minnesota International Fashion Expose fashion show, is profiled by the Star Tribune. Other local designers participating in the show include Christopher Straub, Rachel deLange and Joy Cooper.
• Preview images from an upcoming shoot were posted on facebook, featuring styling by Grant Whittaker and Andrea Holton, and modeled by Lauren Wade. The images appear to be for a local bridal magazine and will have been shot by Lee Stanford.
• U of M senior apparel students Emily Bryngelson and Mae Rodgers post images of their senior collections.
• Check out some shots from the "Alice in Wonderland" premiere at the Mall of America. Local designers included Mae Rodgers and Judy Bender, both recent U of M apparel grads.
  

Calpurnia Peach at FEAST 2 tonight

Local fashion darlings Luci Kandler and Ashley Wokasch of fashion line Calpurnia Peach are proposing a project at new gallery Tarnish&Gold with photographer Charlie B. Ward, to be revealed tonight at FEAST 2. FEAST, for those of you not in the know, is a community-based dinner that collects donations for various local art proposals. Each guests gets a ballot to vote on which proposal is most deserving of the collected funds.

[Calpurnia Peach photographed by Eliesa Johnson for METRO Magazine]

Their proposal is called "Transient Memory"; here's what they have in store:

"Transient Memory is about the collaborative process of creating a collection with both garments, from print design duo Calpurnia Peach, and large format textural prints, from photographer Charlie Ward. Calpurnia Peach will reclaim the tactile feel of the images and transform them into emotions. The emotion of each original photograph appears in a reflected but not imitated couture garment, bringing movement to the photos while the photos bring a story to the garments. This will be presented in a show at the new Tarnish&Gold Gallery."

For more on FEAST, check out my writeup in this week's Vita.mn:

Minneapolis' first edition of FEAST in November drew a packed house of community-minded art appreciators, who noshed on squash soup and beer as they perused proposals for art projects at the Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art. FEAST (Funding Emerging Art With Sustainable Tactics) was born in Brooklyn, where founder Jeff Hnilicka was inspired to host community dinners to raise funds for artists after attending a similar event in Chicago. The concept: Guests drop a donation in the bucket, get a ballot and a supper, and vote on the artist's proposal they find most deserving of the collected funds. Four months later during the next round of FEAST, the artist returns to show what he or she has been working on. This month, the first FEAST Minneapolis grant winners, Party Bus and Public Consumption, will present their work. Local band Falcon Arrow performs. (7-10 p.m. Sat. $10-20 suggested donation. Minneapolis Eagle Club, 515 Washington Av. S., Mpls. www.feastmpls.com)

"Winter's Last Breath" spread now online

The editorial I styled recently for l'etoile magazine is now online. It's the first full spread by l'etoile's new creative time, of which I am lead stylist and fashion editor. Entitled "Winter's Last Breath," the spread includes gorgeous photography by Nicholas Marshall of Marshall Photography, text by l'etoile contributor Rob Callahan, creative direction by Beth Hammarlund, art direction by Chris Larson, hair and makeup by Kate Erickson, and modeling by Monica Ulrich. Clothing and accessories were provided by local designers Max Lohrbach, Emma Berg, Ruby3, Veronica delCarmen Gomez Whitney, and additional accessories by Beth Hammarlund. View it in its entirety below.

Colors of Minnesota: A Celebration of Diversity through the Arts

Tonight I'm styling a fashion show for TORCH, the young patrons group of the Minnesota Opera, at International Market Square. The event receive write-ups in both Secrets of the City and City Pages.

Secrets of the Day » Monday, Mar. 8th

Colors of Minnesota: A Celebration of Diversity through the Arts »

This Monday, the International Market Square will be a-buzz with stylish and diverse Twin Citizens mixing, mingling and networking, all set to the backdrop of interactive activities and an extravagant fashion show. Helmed by TORCH, a young professionals' group focused on social networking and the arts, this fun event will bring together numerous local community groups, creative-types, professionals and their peers The fashion segment is styled by Secrets contributor and local fashion maven, Jahna Peloquin, and will include designs and conceptual couture pieces from the Minnesota Opera's costume department as well as looks from high end local boutiques OPM and Elsworth Mens. Also on the roster are "engagement stations" where attendees connect with each other and the event's diversity partners over yoga instruction, henna painting, writing exercises, collective painting, fashion styling, makeup artist demos and more. In addition, there will be keynote speakers who will address arts and diversity including renowned photographer, Wing Young Huie; art curator, fashion designer and mplsart.com director, Emma Berg; and YWCA Racial Justice and Public Policy Director, Anita Patel. Complimentary appetizers and a cash bar will be available as well. Doors open at 5:30pm, with program at 6:30pm. The event is free and open to the public. For more info visit www.torchcommunity.com.
5:30 PM Monday at International Market Square

Here's City Pages' writeup:

Colors of Minnesota: Celebrating Diversity Through the Arts
Jessica Armbruster
Diversity in the Minnesota art scene will be explored and celebrated at this event, which is pretty diverse in offerings itself. Opening remarks will feature a talk with artist Wing Young Huie, who has won awards for his photography of Lake Street and whose extensive upcoming project along University Avenue promises to be exciting. Local fashion designer Emma Berg and racial justice and public policy director for the YWCA Anita Patel will also discuss their work and diversity in our state. Throughout the night, guests can partake in henna painting, haiku performances, and music by MN Opera. There will also be a fashion show featuring local boutiques and designers, yoga demonstrations, food, and a cash bar. To register, visit pr-torchcommunity.eventbrite.com.

Carrier Pigeon in Solid Gold video

Peep Matt Locher of local faves Solid Gold wearing a Carrier Pigeon talon necklace in the band's "Matter of Time" video on MTV2. (Doesn't hurt that Locher is Carrier Pigeon designer Lauren Neal's boyfriend.) Check out more Carrier Pigeon at etsy and with designer Raul Osorio's line at Voltage 2010 and in Brooklyn at Old Hollywood.

View the full video here:

Fashion roundup for 2.22-2.28

Last week, Fashion Fight Night 4 hit the Twin Cities, Calpurnia Peach showed their Spring 2010 collection, New Land of Milk and Honey astounded and enthralled, and Christopher Straub appears at the Home & Garden Show.

Recaps and photos

[Fashion Fight Night 4; Photo by Marshall Franklin Long]

METRO Magazine's Fashion Fight Night 4: 2.27.10 at Uppercut Boxing Gym

• Fashion Fight Night event photos by Katie Workinger, LEAD Project
• City Pages has Behind the scenes and event photos.
• Photo sets from photographers Nino Altobelli, Marshall Franklin Long, Sara Rubenstein are up. I'll review the shots and styling later this week.
  
  

[Calpurnia Peach spring 2010; Photos by Lauren Gantner]

Calpurnia Peach Spring 2010 Show: 2.21.10 at Architectural Antiques building

• Calpurnia Peach images by Lauren Gantner.
• My review of the show for Vita.mn.
• More reviews from Natalie Gallagher for l'etoile magazine, and METRO Magazine's Mary O'Regan.

[Photo by Angie Hanson]

New Land of Milk and Honey: 2.20.10 at Soap Factory

• Vita.mn recaps the show, featuring knitwear by Annie Larson.

More:

• Anthem Heart screen-prints tees live at the monthly Worn to be Wild party [Via City Pages]
• Video from Funk 'N Fashion Show at Lost & Found Vintage:

Local fashion links

[Serena Williams in Coco & Breezy sunglasses]

• Tila Tequila, Kelly Rowland, Serena Williams, and Ciara were all spotted wearing Coco & Breezy sunglasses. Nicki Minaj also wears the shades in the February/March issue of Fader Magazine.
• Minnesota Monthly spotlights local boutique BlackBlue in its March issue.
  

[Eve Rydberg in Reddoll]

• Check out former local model Eve Rydberg in the spring 2010 campaign for Chicago-based designer Reddoll by Tatyana Merenyuk
• Twin Cities Live visits Aveda's corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Blaine and found that it took one man’s experiences in Japan, France, and Minnesota to make one of their products happen.
• Iconic supermodel and Minnesotan Cheryl Tiegs visits Twin Cities Live last week and judges some local models.
• Minnesota Bride has an article on JoyNoelle's gorgeous bridal headpieces.
  

-I'm simply in love with Carrier Pigeon's brand-new matchstick earrings on etsy.
-Faatemah Ampey gives her predictions on the remainder of the current season of "Shear Genius."
-City Pages' latest edition of Freestyle Fashion includes Cliche's Avoid the Grey fashion show, the Hot Pants dance party, and the (In)sight U of M senior fashion show.
-Cute lil' writeup on l'etoile magazine editor-in-chief and Secrets of the City arts editor Kate Iverson in Star Tribune's How I Got That Job feature.
-Pioneer Press has an article on Christopher Straub creating dresses out of Home Depot items for the Home & Garden Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center on Friday.
-The Project Runway game for Wii will hit stores this Tuesday, March 2 and features local contestants Ra'mon-Lawrence Coleman and Christopher Straub, as well as others from season 6.
-Project Runway season six is now available on DVD. [Via Amazon.com]

Social media updates & uploads

Check out Christopher Straub's dress made from Cambria countertop tiles for the Home & Garden Show last weekend.

Christopher Straub makes a big announcement: He'll be showing his first full men's and women's clothing collections will be shown April 25 at St. Paul Hotel during MNfashion Week.

Christopher Straub gives a sneak peak of handbags from his spring 2010 line - a few of which should be popping up in Voltage alongside lines by Emma Berg and PFT Couture.

How local designer Joynoelle would dress the female US athletes for the Olympics closing ceremony.

Ashley Lebedev announced via facebook her work will appear in a national mag featuring America's Next Top Model contestant Raina Hein.

Local hairstylist Adam Livermore styles backstage at Giorgio Armani at Milan Fashion Week.

[Dress by Kerry Riley; Image by Robb Long]

-Local designer Kerry Riley designs a dress for the movie poster for a film called "Samurai Girl."


Voltage 2010 designer Raul Osorio updates us on the status of his Voltage collection - and fellow Voltage designer Kevin Kramp offers his feedback.


Local designed looks featured in the show include JoyNoelle (shot by Alli Jagoda), and Niki English, Rachel DeLange and Jenny Carle (shot by Robb Long). I especially love the red dress by Jenny Carle, as worn by model Tearra.

LOL/OMG! has a smattering of Tweets from Fashion Fight Night 4 in their Weekend Twitterings.


Vision Models posted this shot, courtesy of models.com, of Vision model Blake Kuchta (right) backstage at Perry Ellis during New York Fashion Week last month.