Now admittedly, the American Ballet Theatre Spring Gala took place here in NYC back in May at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center and one of my favorite housewives from Bravo's, Real Housewives of Atlanta, Cynthia Bailey looked so timeless when she hit the red carpet this summer! I had a brief moment of meeting her weeks after this event in New Orleans at Essence Music Festival at the My Black is Beautiful Booth where I was a celebrity stylist at this P&G booth on behalf of Crest as I am a Brand Ambassador for Crest 3D White! She was absolutely stunning and has amazing skin! I love the plunging neckline of this color blocked dress that also huge her curved and how she mixes her metals together. As an Accessories Expert, I am always focused on styling the right touch for this look. As a fan of natural pieces, I have fallen in love with Kimberly McDonald and am obsessed with this large geode ring with rose cut diamonds (my signature piece is an oversized large cocktail ring by Ana Reign and when I see people that can carry this look off, I'm always looking for was to add it in) as well as her geode necklace! Usually, I love mixing designers but these pieces are perfect together.
We only have 2 more days left of Paris Fashion Week and then Fashion Month will be closed for this season and we will be back to our normally scheduled programming. We're playing a bit of catch up as we have been covering a number of Fashion Week's, the launch of Shoe Week which took place during NYFW and more. We will also be sharing my recent trip to Jamaica to cover the Miss Global International Pageant just days after NYFW! With all of this going on, you may not have realized that Kitten Lounge has turned 5! It has been such a blessing to share my thoughts on fashion, insights to the industry and also what I have been up to. Many of you have seen me grow within the fashion industry from a model to someone who now runs a number of brands as well as represents them! Thank you so much and there is no better way to say thank you then to do a giveaway each day during the month of October!
We're kicking it off with Crest 3D Whitestrips which many of you know that I am a Brand Ambassador for but also a HUGE believer in as well. Last week upon my return from Jamaica, I was invited to an event with Crest that was hosted by Bride's Magazine (congrats to Keija Minor their new Editor in Chief) and Kleinfeld's Bridal Salon. What a fun way for brides and their friends to see what's out there from dresses, cakes, beverages and more! Being a newly crowned Maid of Honor for my sister, I definitely enjoyed learning about what's out there and loved that Crest ensures that on your special day and everyday that you look your best!
I'm going to be at the Essence Music Festival next week! As a Brand Ambassador for Crest 3D White, I will be at the My Black is Beautiful booth styling next Friday and sharing what your go to accessories should be for this season and transitioning into fall! I'm pumped that I'll be wearing a number of accessories from Linea Pelle! In addition, we have the White Room Challenge coming up as well - find out more!
She grew to being one of my favorite characters on The Hills due to her laid back style and great advice, when she moved on to The City it was great seeing her practical nature being put to good use by working in the fashion industry in NYC from Elle to People's Revolution. Seeing that she has a line that is oh so very her - is an amazing accomplishment. I had the pleasure of attending her fashion show which debuted at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, here in NY this past February and as I sat front row, I was excited to see a number of pieces that I fell in love with!
As a brand ambassador for Crest 3D White, I have been invited to a number of events to learn more about the brand and their current spokesperson, Whitney Port. Last week Whitney and I had a chance to chat about her line, her upcoming accessories venture and her position as a judge on Britain's Next Top Model! First off, she is always on the go and although it was a lot of time that was put in to make the runway show successful, when all was said and done, it was worth every minute to see Whitney Eve come to fruition. In addition, all the accessories are from her upcoming line called, Bits and Bobs! If you love chunky pieces, necklaces, hair accessories, rings and more - this line is something that will definitely take your interest. Like me, she shares a love for layering and accessorizing. For the purpose of today's post, I have shared two fab accessories that Whitney could have paired with this look as well as the accessory that we both agree on - a smile! Like me, she knows that Crest 3D White Whitestrips Intensive Professional Effects allows you to whiten your teeth for 2 hours for the next 5 days in order to have a lasting smile! You just can't look past the amazing results. In fact while she was filming in London, for Britain's Next Top Model as a judge (airs in the UK in June), she was the ultimate ambassador by letting people know about them and passing them out as apparently it wasn't available over there! It kind of sounds like what I do when I'm on HSN and having some downtime, I'm always passing out an extra strip to encourage others to try it as they are shocked that my teeth are so white because of them and not due to a pricey procedure!
Much like you would expect, Whitney is a doll to chat with, believes in the individual and enjoying life in whatever it is that you're doing and of course, when you wrap that all together - that sense of style is always in season and on trend!
During New York Fashion Week FW 2012/13, I was able to attend Gen Art's Fashion Show that was sponsored by Crest 3D White (which we all know that I have been a long time fan of this and also enjoy that as a brand ambassador, it's always fun to be invited to their events). Whitney Port emceed the runway show which had a number of designers showcasing their work. Designers competed in the "Little White Wardrobe" and Win Shi was the winner of this event. Enjoy the video that features this fabulous designer and see why she definitely won!
As my loyal Kitten know, I am apart of Crest's Ambassador program which allows me to go to a number of fun events, dinners and so much more. At the beginning of this season's NYFW Fall/Winter 2012/2013 fashion show, I was able to go to Gen Art's event which was hosted by Crest 3D White's spokesperson, Whitney Port, who has her own line which we saw in the making while she was on The City. I loved being able to see her talk about why she loved creating her line and launching it during a Gen Art event in Miami as well as being aligned with Crest 3D White!
Early this morning, I headed to the backstage of Whitney Port's Whitney Eve and obviously Crest 3D White was backstage ensuring that models utilized these strips in order to ensure a dazzling white smile for their walk! In addition, I happened to see Zoya Nail Polish (we all know my obsession with Zoya's Indigo and having them done at Polished Beauty Bar) that was used for this show - 2 fabulous colors - Kristen and Maisie!
Sitting front row, I snapped a number of amazing pieces that incorporated fab uses of accessories such as geometric necklaces and eye popping footwear! Whitney Eve showcased a number of darker hues that were appropriate for fall but I loved many of the leggings and longer shirts. It was such a playful look. She also incorporated a number of peplum shirts and cute dresses - perfect for west coast winters to be sure! Enjoy the final model walk through and of course an appearance by Whitney Port.
I love New York Fashion Week, it's a fun series of days packed with runway shows, previews, media lounges and so much more. I love going backstage and seeing how they create the looks in terms of hair, makeup, accessories and so much more. I love sitting in a number of shows, going backstage and enjoying the cocktails that take place prior to and after. On Kitten Lounge, we love sharing this with you but for the Gen Art New Garde Fashion Show, you can see this live at 5pm! This show is definitely exciting as winners from the Little White Wardrobe Design Competition will share their winning designs that incorporate the theme of Crest 3D White in their looks. Make sure to click back onto this post to see a number of fashions live and of course, I will be tweeting so follow me @Cocoabebe and/or @KittenLounge with the hashtag #3DWhiteNYFW. As you know I am one of the Crest 3D White Ambassadors and thanks to them, they are giving you the opportunity to see how a show works, what goes on and those that attend!
I'll be tweeting throughout the night and I can't wait for you to let me know what your favorite look is!
Enjoy hearing more about this fun show from Whitney Port who showed her initial collection at Gen Art seasons ago as well as Emmanuelle Chriqui (Sloane from Entourage) who talks about a fabulous charity tie into one of the lines presented.
Above are images from the Robert Verdi gifting suite where I launched Kimmie Smith x Sebago Spring 12 by chatting it up with Verdi himself, chit chatting with Nigel Barker (ANTM and phenom photographer - his wife is super cute), my 4th Anniversary of Kitten Lounge party at Shobha, my appearances on HSN prior to NYFW, inclusion within Cosmo for my Get Palladium Pretty campaign and co-hosting Fashion Night Out with Ted Rossi at Henri Bendel.
In doing this post, I feel like I am doing those "What I did over my summer vacation" write ups that we all had to do when we were in school. I remember that one summer was super uneventful and I literally worried about what I would present! But as we're enjoying the fall that has blown into NY (um Pumpkin Spiced lattes, light scarfs and cute layers - hello) I had to look at the 360 of Fashion Week and what it has meant for me in terms of coverage as well as my brand.
Regardless of who you are, Fashion Week for editors and such begins months in advance of the actual shows themselves. We spend a lot of time interacting with brands, their PR firms and related areas. These cultivated relationships, write ups and more result into us having access to the shows, backstage, parties etc which allows us to share with you what's going on. That has been my experience for the past 8 seasons. I cover a number of shows, presentations and lounges but this season took on a new significance due to projects that I had been working on for a number of months that all became public during SS12 NYFW!
Aug 28th - Sept 1st: Since NYFW in Feb of this year, I have appeared on HSN for Sebago as their spokesperson and days before the runways bustled with activity, I beat the hurricane to go to Tampa to present fall fashion within HSN Fall Showcase presented by Elle Magazine. It was a fun series of shows and I love that in terms of my styling, I wore SBS (Smart By Style) which launches in Spring 12 and as the face of the brand, it was amazing to wear them on air - then it was back on a plane home to NYC to do last minute preps and pulls for my appearances for NYFW!
Sept 7th: Although the season ran from Sept 8th - Sept 15th, I started it off with Robert Verdi's Chic Week Twitter Party where we officially launched and shared news about my Kimmie Smith x Spring 12 collection with a room full of my fellow blogger colleagues and press. It's always fun to chat it up with Robert Verdi and to give sneak peeks to people in the know! We streamed this as well so our virtual audience got in on the fun.
On the same day, newsstands had the October Issue of Cosmo Magazine and my Get Palladium Pretty campaign came out. I had shot the photos and the video in the beginning of August and if you go to Cosmopolitan's Facebook Page you can see the video I shot as well as find out how you can get an amazing piece as well. It's my second placement in the magazine as a member of the Beauty, Brains and Blogs Network that was created by the publishing team of Cosmo so being in the Sept issue and then having a huge page in Oct was huge and of course coming out during Fashion Week - I was thrilled! You can see everything here.
Sept 8th: On the first official day of Fashion Week, it was time to hit the shows and of course, that night it was Fashion's Night Out! I kicked this off at Henri Bendel with my dear friend and designer, Ted Rossi! We styled up fans of the brand and I provided amazing tips on how to look fabulously blinged out as he has been dressing me in python and Swarovski for years. It was the first time I did an FNO event and doing it at my accessory destination with a brand I have worn and loved for years was phenomenal! Kitten Lounge also did a Digital Fashion Night Out by selecting brands that we love that people could shop from throughout the day!
Sept 9th - Sept 11th: Although there has been a lot of activity, I'm only at day 2 and it's Friday. Fortunately, it was light enough that I was able to spend a few hours hanging out at the UGG Australia Showroom on their terrace for a post brunch to FNO (also I LOVE LOVE LOVE the slipper moccasins which kept me going in the evening when I was updating). We definitely needed it and I loved catching up with the Fashion Indie crew. You need a bit of a breather as many of my shows were falling on Sat and Sun and I wanted to be rested. In addition, over that weekend I hit a lot of the media lounges that took place which lets you know about in season or future product and of course, it's a great way to have catch up seasons. I ran into Verdi at the tents and we did a fun Pop Up Show with Robert Verdi talking Spring 12 Trends that you should keep an eye out for for First Comes Fashion - Fashion on the Go and we had one of my fave pop up guests, none other than Mariska Hargitay (Olivia Benson - Law & Order SVU) popped by too - she's gorge.
Sept 12th: Mon arrives and I'm running on the pure will to go forward as it's my birthday, I have a number of shows and presentations and I have my first Meet and Greet for my Kimmie Smith x Sebago Spring 12 collection at the Robert Verdi Luxe Lounge for Chic Week which takes place every NYFW! My shoes had been showing since the 8th but due to scheduling I could only come by on various days. It was such a great first day as I was able to see a number of buyers and celebs which I highly recommend checking out the gallery of images as Real Housewives Jill Zarin and Alex McCord (plus her hubby) came by, Nigel Barker (amaze photographer and judge on America's Next Top Model) popped in as well as a number of stylists and bloggers! It was amazing to see Shape, Elle and so many more come through as well. How did I celebrate my birthday - we headed to Pop Burger for Peach Cosmos, burgers and fries!
Sept 13th: It's Tuesday and I'm still going to shows, presentations, media lounges and spending a few hours chatting it up at my second Meet and Greet at Robert Verdi's We end the night having dinner with an amazing meal at The Red Cat with Adam, winemaker of Cupcake Vineyards.
Sept 14th: Wednesday, I have a few shows but that night, I had a fun Kitten Lounge NYFW 4th Anniversary Party at Shobha (where I get my brows threaded). This night was made possible by Shoba, Vita Coco, PopChips, Covergirl, Cosmo, Havaianas, Elizabeth Grant, Crest 3D White (I'm a brand ambassador for them - they are a must for me) and Birchbox - so much fun to have people swing by (read about it here). Earlier on this day, I saw that an article about myself and the merge of traditional and new media had been posted on Huffington Post Style (apart of AOL media) - so this was super amazing!
Sept 15th: It's Thursday and the last day of Fashion Week, so it's all about seeing the last shows and of course my final day at the Verdi Lounge to showcase my Spring 12 collection. By this time, sleep has definitely been a luxury and I have met so many people, brands and so much more that I can say that this is not only a successful season from a coverage standpoint but it is also successful for Kitten Lounge as well as the Kimmie Smith brand. Due to the coverage, we have received a lot of press and interest for upcoming projects and people finally get to see the items that I have been working on from my design line - SUCCESS. I also love that Shobha (which I'm a huge fan of) included me as a blogger/personality that is not only browlicious but my thoughts on Fashion Week and how I prep for it!
Sept 16th: That brings me to today - Fashion Week may have ended yesterday but now it's about making sure that everything was accurate on the coverage end, saying that you for the invites and of course following up on the items that involve my personal brand. We will be doing interviews about the shoe collection and my brand ambassadorship positions as well. In terms of what's next, it's about holiday at this point and I am already on the schedule to shoot an amazing video for a large beauty brand that has a tie in with a movie that will be released on DVD which is exciting. I'm already in the planning stages for designing yet another season and we're excited that it seems that Kitten Lounge will get a fun mention in a show that will be airing that covered Fashion Week - beyond thrilled. So the work continues and moves on but I'm so glad to have been apart of the hectic nature that is NYFW. Also a HUGE thanks to Natori, that dressed me for a number of my Meet and Greets - as I always know that her line makes me look phenomenal and she has fun cuts and prints that I adore! Stay in the loop with She's Kimmie.
The picture above is courtesy of Diva Gals Daily - loved being able to chit chat with them more as I have seen them throughout this season's NYFW!
Today was the day that we celebrated the 4th Anniversary of Kitten Lounge! I can't believe that that many years have gone by! When I think about why I started, how I did it etc and what it has evolved to (being the face of a number of brands, collab designs with phenomenal lines and so much more - I get goose bumps just thinking about it) - I knew we had to have a time to commemorate it even when it's in the midst of NYFW! But there was no question that it would be perfect at Shobha which not only provided complimentary threading, fab additions to the goodie bags and a great music selection - but they also had their famous Shobharitas which we all enjoyed!
I loved being able to mingle with everyone from stylists, bloggers, magazines and one of my favorite stores! Some of us caught up from the last show, presentation, or seeing me at the Robert Verdi suite etc. Thanks to Pop Chips and Vita Coco for supplying goodies and everyone left spreading Shobha love with Crest 3D White, Covergirl, Cosmo Mag (since I am in the Oct issue), Elizabeth Grant, Birchbox and Havaianas!
I'm heading home to NYC after being in Tampa/St Petersburg/Clearwater for my appearances earlier this week on HSN! With Labor Day weekend coming up, the summer went by way too fast! With that said, there was a lot of travel, meetings, events and so much more. It meant that although I always look my best, I had to take it to another level Enjoy the clip of one of my segments that I did talking about Sebago's Fall line on HSN! I'm rocking SBS (Smart by Style) which I became the face of and which you will see for Spring 12. But equally important is my love for fab brows (thank you Shobha), having a dazzling white smile courtesy of Crest 3D White - as well as rocking nails courtesy of Polished Beauty Bar. In addition there are a number of lotions, scrubs and more that I use! Next week is New York Fashion Week which means tons of shows, participating in Fashion Night Out with Ted Rossi meet and greets at Robert Verdi's for my Kimmie Smith x Sebago Spring 12, my 4th anniversary party for Kitten Lounge, it's my birthday and so much more. All of this will take place within a nine day period but at least my skin will look phenom! Of course, accessory wise you''ll see me rocking Virgins, Saints and Angels and Ted Rossi.
She's Kimmie is a virtual scrapbook and is the best way for fans of Kimmie to connect with her, see where she's heading next and of course to get fab insider info!
As an Accessories Expert, Kimmie appears on HSN, designs, is quoted/featured in various publications talking about style from an Accessories Forward perspective! To work with Kimmie or to see project portfolio, visit her site here.
Kimmie is the Co-Founder/Creative Director of Shoe Week which launched during NYFW Sept '12 and is styling a number of shows as well as having evening leading up to our second season of shows during NYFW Sept '13.
Co-Founder, Kimmie, connects brands with bloggers in intimate event settings via Style Tweetup.
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