Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Lauren Rothman’ Category

The Fashion Whip: Michael Steele On What to Wear At The Convention -Lauren A. Rothman The Huffington Post

Posted in Huffington Post, Lauren Rothman, Style News, Styleauteur, The Fashion Whip, Uncategorized on August 28, 2012| Leave a Comment »

GET UPDATES FROM Lauren A. Rothman

The Fashion Whip: Michael Steele On What to Wear At The Convention

Some fashionistas dream about Mercedes Benz Fashion Week – I dream about the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. Who will wear what? Will my “bundle” method of packing suitcases with shirt, tie and accessory combos make it safely to baggage claim? Will the political elite log in to check their online style albums? Many of my clients are moving from C-SPAN to Primetime for the next two weeks and the stakes are higher.

While most politicians are not aiming for a spot on the best-dressed list, there is a uniform for standing at the podium: navy suit, white shirt, red tie (sometimes blue). The conventions are Poliwood’s Sundance Film Festival with lots of meeting, greeting, and speaking; outfits even get better as the week comes to a close. Like walking the red carpet, the RNC and DNC conventions are a time to shine, so don’t re-wear last year’s best threads!

I asked Michael Steele, fashion plate and former Chairman of the Republican National Committee, to share his top three style tips for speakers at this year’s RNC and DNC conventions. Here is what the political analyst for MSNBC and partner at Purple Nation Solutions advises:

• “Wear a suit your mother would be proud to see you dressed in!” Your suit should reflect your style even if you’re not stylish. Add a pocket square and accentuate with a nice tie. Michael says many politicians are partial to the “George Bush baby blue” tie in a solid light blue, calling it one of the prettiest shades of blue connoting softness and strength.

• “Adding a tie pin and cuff links will set off a nice suit perfectly!” Michael says this is definitely an occasion to wear cuff links (even if you’re not a cuff links person). Michael encourages speakers to “frame your words with your cuff links and tie pin” to complete your powerful look.

• “Comfortable underwear and shoes are a necessity.” You will spend at least 12 hours walking around – Michael advises to be comfortable and make sure your clothes “fit in a way that you don’t feel trapped.” Need we say more?

Be sure to add your American flag pin and leave your button cuff shirts at home. And, look out for a stylish Michael Steele – he will be the tall guy in wild colors, striped shirts, and a purple seersucker suit.

Read Full Post »

The Fashion Whip: Paging Michelle Obama Favorite, Isabel Toledo

Posted in Huffington Post, Lauren Rothman, Styleauteur on June 21, 2012| Leave a Comment »

The Fashion Whip: Paging Michelle Obama Favorite, Isabel Toledo
Fashion Whip is a political style column in The Huffington Post by fashion stylist Lauren A. Rothman and HuffPost DC reporter Christina Wilkie inspired by Lauren’s experience at Styleauteur, the firm she founded. Follow on Twitter at @Styleauteur.
Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christina-wilkie/michelle-obama-favorite-i_b_1609074.html?utm_hp_ref=style

Web: http://www.styleauteur.com
Twitter: twitter.com/styleauteur
Facebook: facebook.com/styleauteur
TV Clips: styleauteur.com/press/?tubepress_page

WASHINGTON — It’s a tough time to be a political optimist. On TV, the anemic presidential race shifts into second gear, fueled by unlimited corporate cash. In Congress, the perpetual deadlock seems poised to continue indefinitely.

These days, fashion here is equally serious. First Lady Michelle Obama traded in her usual jewel tones and luscious prints last week in favor of a simple one-shouldered black dress at a formal White House Dinner. The next night in New York City, the typically bold first lady again went with a stern color, choosing a navy blue cocktail dress with a high neckline and matching cardigan for a fundraiser hosted by stylish “Sex and the City” star Sarah Jessica Parker and Vogue editor Anna Wintour. The ensembles were a far cry from the lemongrass inauguration dress and coat that Obama wore on her first day in the White House in 2009, three-and-a-half long years ago.

The somber state of affairs has even made an impression upon the designer of Obama’s now-iconic inauguration dress and coat, Cuban-born Isabel Toledo. “We need an injection of optimism,” Toledo told Fashion Whip in a recent interview. “I loved that color because it was organic and you could almost taste it and smell it. For me, it really represented so much of the optimism of that day and this couple.”

As for what Toledo hoped the newly minted first lady would feel in Toledo’s design, she said, “I wanted her to feel charming, and I wanted her to charm America.”

Not surprisingly, Toledo’s career took a different course after January 20, 2009. “I went from being a best-kept secret to being a household name,” she said. Soon after, Toledo formed partnerships with Target and Payless shoes, which both released Toledo-designed collections. She also penned a memoir, “Roots of Style,” out this month. Her husband, famed fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo, did the illustrations, which appear every couple of pages.

Despite achieving worldwide name recognition overnight, Toledo said her daily life hasn’t changed much since 2009. “I love the process, I love the fabric and the stitching and the design — every step. Clothing for me is very much about the process.” It’s also a highly collaborative project for Toledo’s staff of seamstresses and pattern cutters, a group she said resembles “the United Nations,” but who all work together in her 28th Street studio in Manhattan. There, on the wall behind each seamstress’s chair, hangs a photo of Michelle Obama wearing that particular craftswoman’s creation. “Mrs. Obama wore our clothes for years before she moved to Washington,” Toledo explained “and it’s a great source of pride for us that she still does.”

Toledo’s love for the process of creating clothes, combined with her emphasis on making her entire team feel invested in that process, goes a long way towards explaining her unflappable optimism.

But it might also offer a clue into the malaise currently floating over Washington. Running for national office, unlike designing dresses, is a brutal process. No one in his or her right mind could love it, and most of Washington can’t wait for this cycle to be over.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christina-wilkie/michelle-obama-favorite-i_b_1609074.html?utm_hp_ref=style

What the city needs now is a strong dose of Toledo’s lemongrass-green optimism. Unfortunately, neither bipartisan collaboration, nor a more loveable electoral process, are likely to manifest this year.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts