Interview

What did we get today when we opened our mail today? One envelope marked Slow and Steady Wins the Race yielded a Russian doll of envelopes. When we finally got to the invitation card, it announced "P R E S E N T S," a holiday pop-up boutique emphasizing holiday gift-giving, and creative display. These days, everyone's curating something, so it might be a little over-the-top to apply it to holiday stockings. But Slow and Steady designer Mary Ping's curated selection of objects by Tauba Auerbach, Mika Tajima, and filmmaker Matt Wolf is as elevated as it goes.

P R E S E N T S is on view December 1–24. Brachfeld Paris is located at 78 rue des Archives, Paris.

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"Sexiness is a fun form of power," is the decidedly empowered mantra of Polish-born, F.I.T.-educated Karolina Zmarlak, "As a woman designing for women, I would like my clients to express their own sensuality." Zmarlak launched her ready-to-wear collection in Fall 2009 with a collection called Fluid Foundations—which is, in its own way, quite feminine and empowering; it was inspired by a wearer's agency experimenting with the styling of the designs. LEFT: PHOTO BY JOE TERMINI

Zmarlak's Spring/Summer 2010 collection, "Ocular Geometries," plays with geometry, and shows a strong sense of volume and space. The collection, the designer says, was inspired by the nomadic life of the modern women and spiecifically, "the Maghrebian exploration of art and culture." Using motifs from traditional Middle Eastern designs, Zmarlak turns curved lines into silhouette. Citing Balenciaga as an inspiration, she says that, "Design starts with shape, it has to reinvent allowing fantasy and stabilize for functionality." Powerful words, indeed.

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The weather in New York was unseasonably lovely for Louis Vuitton's garden-themed 2010 Resort Line. Hostess Maggie Gyllenhaal enjoyed the temperature, wearing satin shorts and a cowl-neck black tee underneath a plum LV trench. The event, held at Saks—which was the first department store to carry Vuitton women's ready-to-wear—premiered super-rich, voluminous-but-shrunken looks presented for Spring 2010.

Transformed into the costumes for Le Jardin, the collection appeared on a series of vignettes inspired by nature and featured heavy doses of the iconic LV. Artisans hand-painted flowers on luggage underneath full-sized trees and well-manicured hedges and lawns (often emblazoned with the logo) were nests for handbags and necklaces.

Most of the collection, aside from a floral frock with heavy layers and a pleated evening gown, didn't necessarily require the whimsy of this event. Instead, the house favored toward the Americana it has been doing so well recently, with nautical mini-dresses with full skirts, or slouchy, tailored rain coats in lilac yellow. However, resort collection revolve around fantasy, and despite the odd weather, as the winter months set in, an idyllic respite on Fifth Avenue sounds just about right.

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Stylist George Papanikolas of the Andy Lecompte Salon has worked with clients like Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Mila Kunis, Jessica Stroup, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. We asked him how to darken up for fall:


SARAH HOWARD: Why do people go darker for fall and winter?

GEORGE PAPANIKOLAS: Naturally, hair gets darker in winter and fall because people spend less time in the sun. Usually, after a summer in the sun, hair can get really bleached out and needs to be refreshed, especially if you color your hair.

HOWARD: When to lowlight as opposed to dye?

PAPANIKOLAS: Lowlights are a great way to richen your existing haircolor without having to go dramatically darker.  You would only dye your entire hair if you want a dramatic change.

HOWARD: How many shades should one change?

PAPANIKOLAS: Just because people say to go darker in the winter doesn't mean to go from blonde to black.  Instead, opt for a few caramel lowlights for  blondes. A rule I like is to never have the lowlights be darker than the root or base color, otherwise you end up with a stripy effect.

HOWARD: Tips on maintaining darker color hair?

PAPANIKOLAS: Don't shampoo for at least two days after you darken your hair, so that the color can fully adhere to the hair. Then, try to go as long as possible between shampoos to prolong the vibrancy of the color.

HOWARD: Any special products to use?

PAPANIKOLAS: Color safe shampoos are a must. I like Joico's K-Pak Color Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner.  It's really gentle on color treated hair and will maximize the vibrancy of the color while, at the same time, repair any damage done during the coloring process.

Sarah Howard is the editor of Beauty Banter.

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