Kitten Lounge

Mingling Mondays: Kitten Lounge U. ~ Campus, Anytown and Beyond

Kimmie Smith — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Vera Wang Wrapped Rhinestone Bracelet $675 - Neiman Marcus

Vanessa Bruno Athé Printed cotton-jersey tank $125 - theOutnet

Joe's Skinny Visionaire $169 - Anthropologie

PRADA Cut-Out Ankle Boot $790 - Barneys New York

I love our segments that incorporate how your collegiate style can be rocked for the transitional world. Many of you spend your days on campus and then go off to see family and friends or maybe you're already interning. Now some people may have to go to places in formal attire but most people don't. Others may be out of the collegiate life but refuse to give up elements of their style (that would be me for sure). This is a look that will take you to class, the library and then off campus to check out a cool art gallery or to hit a flight to get back home! For me, I'd rock this look when I do showroom visits or just to catch up with friends. You never know where you're going to be. I have to say that we had 2 days of fallish weather last week and my Poppy Coach jacket made it's debut! I paired it with fab Joe's Jeans, a tank and a linen scarf with flip flops. The look was easy and I was able to wear it throughout the Javits Center as I checked out brands that participated in Coterie and as I grabbed drinks after!

This is a great look and as you go shopping, you can find items that would fit well into this look! This look allows you to rock a fab jacket with a tank or tee of your choice and then to glam it up with booties, a cuff or chunky bracelet and a great pair of jeans. If you're not a Prada girl, find this same style with a brand that you love or start checking out sites to see other variations of this look as well. Such a great easy look and any way that I can sneak a graphic tee in (which I did the second day that I wore the jacket) is always something nice for me to be able to do!

Trendy Thursdays ~ Koh Gen Do Wakes Me Up Each Morning

Kimmie Smith — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 22:08:21 EDT

Koh Gen Do Oriental Plants Emollient Cream $109 - Barneys New York

Koh Gen Do Whipping Net $8 - Barneys New York

Koh Gen Do Oriental Plants Essence $107 - Barneys New York

Koh Gen Do Oriental Plants Soap $53 - Barneys New York

Koh Gen Do is a brand that I'm super excited to wake up to each morning. Yes it's a makeup line but it is a phenomenal skincare line that keeps my face dewy! I've been talking about them for a couple of years but with so much activity (Fashion Week, Coterie, etc) it seems that I have to say that this line keeps my face looking amazing! Yes I can chalk it up to good genes but I'm out a lot! In fact I do a lot of events, don't sleep as much as I should etc so it's nice to have a line that has so many natural elements in it that make me look like I just left the most amazing spa! In fact, I only go to spas for massages and body treatments. Anything that I do for my face involves treatments at home! Thanks to Barneys, I love that you too can enjoy the amazing treatments.

I'm obsessed with their soap as I can place it in the mesh and after rubbing it you get a nice foam which is perfect to use on your face (of course I highly suggest the Spa Water with the Organic Cotton Pads they're amazing and super easy to use). After drying off, I love using their Essence lotion and or their Emollient Cream. It leaves your face looking clean, fresh and of course looking as if you're ready for your photoshoot. If you're here in NYC, you should definitely check the line out in Barneys or on their website of course! I also love that when I was at the Carmen Marc Valvo show during NY Fashion Week hanging out backstage watching Ted Gibson's team do what they do best - I love that I happened to bump into Diane, the founder of this fab beauty line! It was great to chat with her and to hang out which is why I love Fashion Week as you never know who you're going to run into!

Trendy Thursdays: Life After Fashion Week - Acushakti

Kimmie Smith — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Today is it! There are shows today to be sure but I plan on spending the day wrapping up loose ends and of course hanging out at the Robert Verdi Fashion Week Lounge as well. After this period of fashion fun (and right before another huge fashion trade show - Coterie), I love the fact that I spend as much time as possible detoxing. One of the items that I have been using daily is this amazing mat from Acushakti which works off the principals of walking on a bed of nails. Now this organic mat has a foam pillow and then there are spikes on top of it. It works with your pressure points and helps with your circulation. I have laid on it, walked on it, stood on it and more. When you visit the site, you can see all the ways that you can use this. This is perfect for daily use while also using it for the most stressful times in your life as well!

Treasure Tuesdays ~ Countdown to #NYFW

Kimmie Smith — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EDT

Manolo Blahnik Cutout Lace-Up Bootie $1145 - Neiman Marcus

Basic Y-Back Tank $5 - Wet Seal

J Brand Low-rise legging-style jeans $205 - Net-A-Porter

Long Cocoon Cardigan Sweater $69 - Spiegel

The countdown to Fashion Week begins (if it hadn't already) but my week is packed with shows starting on Thurs, I will actually do some events on Wed! In addition, it's double checking my calendar in terms of where I will be, getting a number of appointments right before NYFW (spa, hair, interviews and more) kicks off. But there is a lot of running around to be done and last minute items as well. This past weekend we said goodbye during the last official summer weekend (although summer continues until Sept 21st) and as we finished the last of the BBQ's, it was even more important to take care of invitations that were coming through and to squeeze in items as necessary. With the temperatures cooling down, I love that I can mix my summer and fall. This fab look incorporates my love with grey in addition to my love for cardigans. All you need are fab shoes as well as amazing accessories. Get your bag and you can run around the city to take care of everything that needs to be there. You can follow where I will be from the shows, presentations, parties, new brands being introduced to the site and more by following the hashtag #KLNYFWTweetOut on @Cocoabebe (my account) and @KittenLounge! For those that are covering Coterie right after Fashion Week, strap in for some crazy days and thank goodness that after this haul, I will be rewarded with some time in Cancun and some time in the Dominican Republic to start an amazing adventure!

Treasure Tuesdays ~ Eva Enters

Kimmie Smith — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:00:33 EDT

House of Harlow Black Leather and Stone Cocktail Ring $70 - Revolve Clothing

Alexander McQueen Stud-Textured Bracelet $330 - Saks Fifth Avenue

Kenneth Jay Lane Black Torsade Necklace $250 - Saks Fifth Avenue

Eva varro floral off-the-shoulder tunic/dress

As much as I love adding pops of color, every now and then I love the classic "black accessories". They're a great go to piece when you're not sure of what works or when you just want to go back to basics! With that being said, this Eva Varro floral top is perfect for this in between season as it's not only a great pop of hot pink, but it's a great item to wear over leggings. You can wear this to an after work event, running errands or anything where it's not necessary to seriously dress up. If you're in the city tonight and are a stylist, blogger or someone within fashion media, I would love for you to come to a Mixer that we're having at Coterie, a fashion trade show here in NYC at the Javits Center. It runs from 6 - 7pm and not only can you network and mingle but there will be cocktails and a chance to see the line and the showroom owner, Janine Weil, who works this line within her showroom - Janine Weil Ltd! We'll be at booth 5965 tonight so let me know if you will attend as we have limited space!

Mingling Mondays ~ Ben & Jack's

Kimmie Smith — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT

The Friday prior to Fourth of July, I was invited to Ben & Jack's Steak House which just opened on 5th Avenue. I love that Ben and Jack are two brothers that worked various positions within the restaurant industry and were waiters at famed Peter Lugar's. Now I have never been to their uptown location; however, I tend to enjoy going downtown to eat at sister restaurants as they tend to be less corporate which is a positive for me. On this Fri, my Food Editor, Paul Belobritsky, and I settled into the restaurant which was much bigger than I had suspected. I love that the main level looks back at the bar and a cute atrium. If you go upstairs, there is another spacious area where additional people can sit with another bar. But in addition to additional seating, there are rooms that can be rented out. This is perfect during Fashion Week if you want to take out your Creative Designer, PR Teams, etc as they are perfect for groups of 10 - 12. If you're doing a larger event, then maybe you would consider booking the entire upstairs area. Sitting on 5th Ave, this is the perfect area that's close to Madison Park, Flatiron, Chelsea, etc.

The first thing that I have to say was the best part of my experience is the fact that most of the staff was not aware that we were from Kitten Lounge. Typically, when people know I'm coming, we find the staff to be extremely attentive, we're offered items that aren't on the menu etc. We entered the restaurant and we were the recipients of genuine attention. I can't say how nice it is to have various staff attending to your table and never having to look up to get a refill of your water, extra bread and more. I felt that this attention was analogous to being on a cruise ship where people are very attentive without feeling like you're being intruded upon. Whether you're here for a dinner among friends or you're impressing your staff, this is a perfect place to consider.

To start out, we enjoyed the best Great Neck Oysters which were quite large and we had the Crab which was also refreshing. The Great Neck Oysters were my favorite as they didn't have a fishy taste and once again the size was perfect! This is a must to start off the night. For dinner, Paul had the Filet Mignon (which I sampled and loved the taste but I am not a fan of the rare that he requested) which he asked to be rare but felt that it came back Black and Blue. I enjoyed the Sea Bass which I was pleased to find that it didn't have the butter sauce with it as I find that to be a very distracting flavor. The sides are very generous and are family style. We had the creamed spinach - very tasty although not as cheesy as I'm used to and then the Mashed Potatoes which were heaven (as you know I love Mashed Potatoes). For dessert, I enjoyed a very generous portion of Raspberry Sorbet with their very own (made from scratch whipped cream) and Paul had Tiramisu with their whipped cream as well.

With a relaxed atmosphere and with the attentive staff, the dining experience is a must! I couldn't help but think of those in fashion and entertainment who want to have a nice dinner that is equidistant to those that may be coming all over the city in order to have a meal together. Whether it's a post Fashion Week, Coterie, Project or meal prior to a CD launch, Ben & Jack's Steakhouse is the perfect place to hold these functions and more without having that ultra corporate feel while retaining a gorgeous atmosphere. If you're visiting the city, this is a must as well! Check out the site and think about what you would love to have here and as always, drop by for a drink as this is a great way to see a restaurant by sitting at the bar and watching the crowd in general.

Ben & Jack's Steakhouse

255 5th Ave

NY, NY