Kitten Lounge

Fashionable Fridays ~ To Be a Star Trailer

KittenCouture — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0700

It seems like forever a go but towards the end of the summer, I participated in my first reality show, To Be a Star! This show follows 6 aspiring models and shows them all the information they need to be a well packaged star beyond just being the model, dancer or actress that they aspire to be. I was in an episode as the Style Mentor and although the show isn't out just yet, I do have the trailer! Enjoy and yes you'll see me in the trailer (I'm at 2:07) which was so exciting! Other amazings in here are Coco Mitchell (fab Whilemena Model and totally gorgeous), Ted Rossi and more.

Fashionable Fridays ~ Checkin' in With Kimmie

KittenCouture — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0700

Whether you catch me at an event, see me talking to someone on a show or you just happen to catch me out, you know that clearly I'm all about style. When I'm out and about, people will ask what made me think of Kitten Lounge back in 2007 and I always let them know that Kitten Lounge actually originated as an Internet show back in 2004 when it covered my favorite artists and blended my love of fashion but even that is not an accurate description so I thought it would be good to tell you how it came to be and why it is such a driving force for everything that I do. First off, hi - I'm Kimmie, the Editor in Chief of this site and although I'm not really into the whole "Letter from the Editor" setup, it's nice to understand who is bringing you all of this content and why it's all here!

I fell in love significantly twice when I was younger the first time was at the age of 3 when I remember looking through Vogue and loving gorgeous dresses that showed me that you could be a princess everyday. For those that know my love for accessories, only the big baubles caught my eye! I loved going with my mom to fabric stores where she would make items from Vogue patterns into reality and when she later opened a boutique of custom design clothing in Indianapolis, I was in love. My world opened up to gorgeous brides, sequins, shantung, gaberdines and more and I had an AMAZING closet. That love came from my mother.

My father gave me a second love - at the age of 5, he taught me how to use a computer. We had an Apple and I loved it (don't ask me why I have an HP now although I have to give it some love too even though I continue to dream about a Mac book haha). I loved playing games on it and wondered what would the possibilities of that machine be? Who knew that in college one of my majors would be Telecommunications with a focus in New Media? Leaving IU and coming to NYC, I began doing PR for independent music artists who were only available online and I assisted them in getting spins and getting them booked. Why not, my Great Uncle was Joe Henderson, tenor saxophonist with Blue Note, Verve, etc so it was in my blood and I loved it. But then again fashion kept pulling me back in.

Is it true that I modeled (yes lingerie/swimwear), had a fashion line and currently have my own jewelry line Kitten Couture, and also assist firms with their Social Media via my other company Sikara Designs Group - check it all. But is it true that Kitten Lounge has been around more than two years? Absolutely. It initially came on board in 2004 as an Internet Radio show that I hosted daily for an hour each day for 3 years. Then I played DJ's who had crazy mixes and then talked with indie artists about their personal style. I loved it but realized after I began blogging for another site that I wanted to talk about more than just accessories on that site and do more than just host a radio show. The Kitten Lounge became my place to talk about fashion, style, beauty, food, music and travel. I believed that as a whole person all of this was important to me and that I wasn't alone.

I realized that I'm around stylish and amazing people who they need advice on where to go or how to dress when they are not in the settings that tend to go to all the time. People have always gravitated towards the way I present things and what better way then to introduce my world of showrooms, designers, industry shakers and more to you! Where do I go from here? Because of Kitten Lounge, I have been able to attend Fashion Weeks, go to Project, Magic, see private presentations, launches of all kinds and more. But I truly loved it when I made the cross over to personality when I shot an episode of To Be a Star which comes out later this year. Sharing the importance of accessories, finding your signature look and ultimately branding yourself was so important to me and to the 6 aspiring models that I worked with to achieve it, I'm very proud that I could be apart of that experience.

It is my goal and vision to continue to push various themes that are not only keys to my success but are core mental investments: I feel that accessories are an essential way to set yourself apart and that in the vein of Audrey Hepburn, you can take great classic pieces and look amazing. In addition, you can be someone that crosses over into a lot of areas (hello - I run a style blog, have my own jewelry line, create Social Media strategies for fashion/entertainment firms and am a personality as well) and yet still make it truly your own. Finally and most importantly, Kitten Lounge is about community whether it's introducing you to my favorites that you may not be aware of, reaching out via Twitter (@cocoabebe) or checking in with such favorites as the Holiday Gift Guide which launches Nov 1st (I can't wait to share the fab giveaways that we'll have, those who will be in the guide and a list on who to keep an eye out for in terms of industry must knows for your business). The experiences that I have had and those that will come have come to pass as I'm always open to reaching out, learning and helping someone else. In doing so it has created friendship, trust and has allowed me to interact with groups that I would have never come across if I had done it alone. The power of collaborations and having good people as your checks and balances definitely come in handy when you're running 300 miles an hour - no you're not crazy, you just know that you can do 48 hours of work in a 24 hour cycle and still go out to grab drinks and have a little fun! I want to thank everyone that has made this brand successful and who has been with me in each phase of re-invention that I have been through and look forward to sharing a lot of AMAZING items that are coming up soon!

Fashionable Fridays: Bebe's It Girl

KittenCouture — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:42:46 -0700

Earlier this year, I let you guys know about Bebe's search for their It Girl - in case you missed out, you should check out the previous post about this. Well with a search that stretched across the country, it all culminated in LA. Regional winners represented their part of the world by being apart of a an amazing 3 days where they were photographed, met one another in order to see who would be the first "It Girl" for Bebe! As you may remember, these girls were give the opportunity to interact with people within the fashion industry including Bebe, Elite Model Management, Look Model Management and Elle Magazine! Another amazing experience was that their photoshoot took place at the Malibu home of Jack Guy. In September, you'll be able to see a lot of images but until then, we were given a sneak peek at the finalists, winner and notables within the industry! Congratulations to Rachel who became the first 'It Girl"!

Sippin Saturdays: Up Next - Bebe's It Girl

KittenCouture — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 04:00:00 -0700

I love sharing interesting tidbits with you guys! Whether it's an event that I attended, a new find or simply something that you may be interested in doing - it's always fun to keep you in the know. Today's goodie comes from our new friends from Bebe. It Girl is a contest that is sponsored by Bebe, ELLE Magazine, Elite Model Management and Look Model Management. Together they're looking for your submissions to find the It Girl. From now through April 3rd, you can submit your photos and other info to Bebe's It Girl site. 600 semi-finalists will be chosen and will have the opportunity to do an in store photoshoot in NYC, Chicago, Miami, LA, Atlanta and San Francisco. Those who participate here will receive a 20% discount which will definitely help you with getting a wardrobe just in time for the best part of the Spring.

One finalist from each of the photoshoots will be chosen to go to LA (yes flight and hotel are covered). They will receive an outfit courtesy of Bebe, a $250 Amex Gift Certificate and a photoshoot from a photographer that's with Elite. This is a great way to build your book and of course to meet the other finalists that represent their cities as well.

Finally the winner will of course get an amazing gift: a photoshoot with Bebe, a 6 month modeling contract with Elite Model Management and Look Model Agency, $1,000 cash price, $1,000 wardrobe from Bebe and of course a chance to be featured in ELLE! This is defintiely an exciting opportunity and one where you simply have to enter in order to be considered! Take some time to check out Bebe's It Girl page and begin submitting your info as the last day is April 3rd! Enjoy this video which shares some info about this contest.

Trendy Thursdays: Iman

KittenCouture — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 06:19:02 -0800

If you were to ask me who my favorite models were, Iman would definitely be at the top. She is one of the most exotic women in the world and I love her focus and mark that she has left within the beauty industry! Iman Cosmetics is focused on making sure that all women have fabulous shades to choose from that will work with their tones! In addition, she released a book a few years ago, The Beauty of Color, that also touched on this topic. Recently I received some new items from her line and I definitely liked the rich hues. My favorite is the Eye Defining Powder which is an eye liner that has the silky application of eye shadow with a great pearl finish. It will be available in stores next month!

Sippin Saturdays: Halston Creates a Moving Video

KittenCouture — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:00:00 -0800

Fashion Week started yesterday and with today being Valentine's Day - it's all about the love! Although I love the official collection of designers that show at the tents, I am also a fan of those that are offsite or are apart of additional presentations. As many of you are aware, many designers pulled out of the tents in an effort to have a smaller affair. I love that Halston decided to do an interesting interpretation of the runway showing the full movement of his clothes. I definitely think that innovation is going to be what sets designers apart this season and into the next ones. Enjoy the video and the journey of the model as she passes various designs from his collection.

Trendy Thursdays: A Gift For You & A Step Towards Awareness

KittenCouture — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:00:00 -0700

October is an amazing month where temperatures begin to cool. you begin thinking of the holidays and so much more. But this month is also about Breast Cancer Awareness Month as well. Although various companies support this ongoing effort, October is a time where you hear about what companies are doing in terms of awareness and research. On this site we also have the Pink Lounge where we will continue to highlight products that you can purchase in order to support the cause and within this post, purchasing these items assist Breast Cancer Organizations. Tan in a Can from Model Co (you could also win one of these during our giveaway) is an item that you can purchase. While you stay golden, portions of the sale of this item will support someone else. In addition, Therapy Systems Gentle Scrub is also apart of this fight as well. Keep an eye out for these items and more so that you ensure that you make your dollars count.

Wednesday Wrap Up: Mommie Giveaway Winner Announced

KittenCouture — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:25:14 -0700

Ah hump day is almost over but I wanted to announce the winner of the Mommie Giveaway for Lucky Me Tees! Congratulations Hip Mom. I will reach out to you so that we can send you a super cute shirt! You have one more day to leave your comments on our giveaway that ends tomorrow - for Model Co Cosmetics. These winners will be announced on Friday! I just wanted to run this by everyone as I am working on odds and ends after watching Project Runway and Lipstick Jungle! Finally, for those that love dressing up, there is a party coming up where I think it would be fun to meet other readers from this site, Twitter and more. I will include more details within the next few days but the party will be on Oct 25th. Have a great night and I am on Twitter for about another hour or so!

Kitten Lounge Roundup: Week of 9.22.08

KittenCouture — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 07:09:40 -0700

This week has been yet another interesting week in terms of what posted and what you can expect to look forward to for the rest of next week. But first the recap! As always we have our eye on another band which I believe will be a group we will follow for quite awhile here on Kitten Lounge! PaperDoll is a fun band that will play this Sat and they will also be in the city playing a Halloween show as well. The lead singer Teresa definitely has a sense of style which is very important to us! Another highlight was the Modern Romance event which allowed brides to get a feel for the different kinds of looks, tastes and more that they could have at their wedding. There are also two giveaways going on at the moment as well! Model Co cosmetics has amazing tanners (in addition to other ares of their product line that I enjoy) and you could win your own self tanner so read this post and then comment! Another giveaway reminds me of my mom. I always remembered that no matter what she looked great and Lucky Me Tees believes the same thing. Read the post and make your comments so that you could be a winner. The Rachel Sage gift pack winners will be conacted this week so that those packs can be sent out to you. Finally, Lipstick Jungle premiered this week and there was some behind the scenes footage of the show! You never know what we will share about the show but we definitely have some intel and will pass the goodies along when we get them! That was quite a week and while that was going on, a lot was happening behind the scenes.

On the 22nd, Food Editor, Paul and I went to il Buco and tomorrow you will read and see images/video of the post. In addition we have monthly posts from Sandra Lee of Food Network's Semi Homemade who will contribute to Kitten Lounge! Speaking of books, novelist A W Gryphon, released Blood Moon in May 2008 which is an intriguing book that I would not be able to put down if it wasn't for all the work that I have going on at this point! Expect to see coverage of her during the month of October which is a great tie in with Halloween. As you know, Kitten Lounge will cover Islands of the World Fashion Week. In addition, we are traveling! We will be at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, covering their Halloween festivities and then making our way to a few days in Philly to capture food, designers and a little history as well. We will also make a trip to the Poconos at the Skytop Resort to share with you one of their food oriented weekends! We do love to travel and can't wait to share this with all of you. With the holidays coming up, not only will we have the Holiday Guide showing you what's perfect gifting for those on your list, but we will also have the 25 Days of Holiday Glam which allows each day to be a giveaway - and I know you love those. I do believe that that's it for now and as you know, there is always something in the works.

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Trendy Thursdays: Model Co Love & Something For You

KittenCouture — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:57:29 -0700

So you guys have heard me rave about Model Co! There is barely a day that goes by where I don't use the Illuminiser which creates a nice shimmer effect or the refresher which ensures that I have a great dewy look. Using both ensures that you have such a fresh scent that doesn't come off as something chemically created but as apart of your natural scent! Recently I received two items that I have found to be an absolute necessity - The Liquid Buds remind me of the Go Smile capsules that you can simply snap to move the liquid towards the much needed area. It's nice to have something compact that allows your lips to not only look amazing but to get nourishment as well.
Another item that I just received but will not try until this weekend are the Heat Caps. Simply put, the directions state that by wetting your face and applying the mixture within the heat caps, it becomes self heating and opens your pores and cleanses. I love that this is good for all skin types and in each box, there are 4 one time use capsules. This is definitely a nice way to pamper your face and to prepare it before you go back to the grind.
Finally, I am all about the Exfoliant Wipes. Who doesn't need a refresher whether you're leaving a meeting and heading somewhere else or you just want to make sure you smell absolutely irresistable. But even beyond smelling great, you're ensuring that your skin is the softest possible by taking off the dead cells. I love these and I think that it is a must to have and with that vibrant color, you're all set.
The pop factor of the products is absolutely amazing. It's girly to look at and yet so effective. I feel that there are so many amazing things that I would like to give 3 items to readers under the condition that you share your feedback about these items. It's like your Kitten Lounge Testers! We have 2 Tan Airbrushes in a can and 1 package of Tan Self Tanning Gloves with 4 wipes! This giveaway will definitely get you introduced to the product while also sharing your thoughts with others. We will run this giveaway from now until next week and all you have to do is say why you think that this should work for you! We will then have a round up after the first week of use and then over the next couple of weeks to get more feedback from you! In addition, don't forget about the other giveaway that is taking place on Kitten Lounge as well.

Lipstick Jungle Airs Tonight

KittenCouture — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:00:00 -0700

Today was amazing as I purchased Sex and the City on DVD (woohoo and yes I saw it in the theater) and today I get to follow it up with something as equally enjoyable! I love when the fall season starts and you get to see a lot of new shows and of course you get to have your old favorites back. NBC's Lipstick Jungle kicks off its second season at 10pm EST! I am very excited as I am a huge fan of Lindsey Price and think that she is the cutest. In addition to watching Lindsey, I love the portions that include Bonfire Magazine whose cover girl is none other than Hazuki who is one of Janice Dickinson's models. In this clip, you learn about Hazuki and what modeling means to her, her personal style and how it is to be at the agency. I can't wait for season 2 to start and if you're fan, let me know!

MTV Model Makers Is Looking For You

KittenCouture — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 07:51:27 -0700

With so much talk about modeling, who makes a good one and what it takes, it's clear that everyone needs to take a step back and think about what modeling means. Finding women that are true bodies is definitely a request that is being heard around the world. Although the industry may be struggling with what it is considered ideal, we can all agree that positive health is essential and MTV is adding a show that allows women to work towards their goal in being a model while also enforcing losing weight in a positive way. Could it be that MTV's new show Model Makers may help 15 people from around the country by providing trainers, nutritionists, stylists and industry leaders under the supervision of Michael Flutie could provide some answers to this? For 12 weeks, contestants will compete in intensive physical training to ensure that everyone is at their personal best while also completing high fashion challenges to see who has the "It Factor". The winner will receive a $100,000, a models portfolio and a personal trainer for one year. If you are interested, there is an open call and all the details can be found by visiting MTV's Model Maker site. If you can't make it to these locations, you can turn your application in via email as well.

Trendy Thursdays: Illuminate in a Flash

KittenCouture — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:00:00 -0700

The first time I saw Model Co, I was in Sephora. I would later learn that it was an Australian brand that definitely knew a thing or two about beauty. I enjoyed seing the pink and white containers and loved that the products looked so simple while being absolutely amazing. I have had the pleasure of receiving some great products from their PR team and can't wait to share my thoughts on them with you! I have to say that I was so excited to try their Shimmer Airbrush Illuminiser!

I love that as you spray your skin, you're not only pleased with the shimmer that it leaves behind. Not only does this create an amazing glow, but it also has an amazing smell - which leaves you breathing in Frangipani (my school's flower interestingly enough). Not only do you smell amazing but you will be relaxes as you have chamomille and vitamin E to calm you as well. So you'll always look completely refreshed.

I definitely love the price point and the fact that it is so accessible at Sephora as well. With a full line to take care of your skin, you'll pamper your way through every look your're going for from illuminating skin that sparkles to having a nice tan that you can apply yourself (more on that for next week) and much more. I can't wait to share with you and I have to say that there is nothing wrong with having these cute colors and containers to brighten up my bathroom!

Fashionable Fridays: Diesel Kicked off Miami Swim Fashion Week

KittenCouture — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:27:33 -0700

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week was kicked off last night with Diesel at the Raleigh Hotel's Pool Deck and of course, I had to share my favorite look from that night! I love the colors and think that this is definitely a swimsuit that would turn heads wherever you are! Of course I am a huge fan of side ties as well. A lot of the shows will go on tonight so I can't wait to share some of my favorite looks! You can also see all of the swimwear (they had a cute set for the kiddies) in photos and as a video by visiting Mercedes Benz' Fashion Week site!

Fashionable Fridays: Fashion Week in Mumbai

KittenCouture — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:00:00 -0800

Fashion Week is an exciting time that occurs all over the world. On Christmas Eve as many of us wondered whether we would get all that we wanted for Christmas, models hit the runway to show a variety of the looks that hit the catwalk. I am constantly in awe of what creativity comes from the hearts of designers and its fabulous to see it emerge on that thin strip with a variety of beauties rocking it out! Take some time to check out the images that are courtesy of Yahoo and the AP! I love the pop of color that is shown in the images and a hint of a princess/empress look which every girl wants to feel at some point or another. In addition, some of the looks, would be perfect to wear at a beach event as well. I love this beachy glam which is absolutely perfect for the summer.

What a great way to show the vision of a fab designer while also transporting you to a dream vacation at the same time?