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Friday, October 29, 2010

Lauren Bagliore's Barbarella Girls

Black, white and grey are the holy trinity of colors for the fashion crowds.That infallible formula was also on the mind of designer Lauren Bagliore for her Spring 2011 collection. The collection appropriately named,The Resurrection: From the Dark to the Light by Lauren Bagliore.

Stunning models in Barbarella-esque updos rocked hard bodies and flashed their flirty black liner winged eyes down the catwalk.
A black asymmetrical suit with Thierry Mugler like wasp waist was highlighted with a side panel of vertical thin nautical stripes adorned one model.  Another stern looking model wore a prim, fitted sleeve Victorian inspired blouse with a multiude of covered buttons and inset of leather down the center.  This was topped over shiny patent leather like dhoti pants. The dreaded dhoti pant seemed to crop up in a few designers collections we saw in Canada. 

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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Toronto Fashion Week: Joe Fresh Spring 2011




Next time you cross our Northern border, you can pick out a cocktail dress along with those famous President's Choice cookies at the local grocery store.  It's absolutely true as we penciled down our grocery list to include Joe Fresh collection pieces which were presented at the Exhibition Hall in Toronto for LG Fashion Week.

The Garden of the Finzi Continis movie clip played for the audience before the show.  We were perplexed at first to see early 20th century tennis whites floating on the silver screen when gift bags clearly announced a collaboration with Scouts Canada. However, it came into focus through the show.

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Toronto Fashion Week: Rachel Mara Spring 2011


Stripes…Narrow and nautical, rugby wide, retro variegated…They were all represented on Rachel Mara’s runway.  The designer’s Spring 2011 collection showed a range of patterns reminiscent of the 1930’s with a modern twist.  There were the stripes of course, but also demure  and oversized florals.

The Rachel Mara girl had a carefree, rebellious attitude.  The title of the collection was "Stolen", inspired classic Hollywood bank heists.  The various prints were used in transparent blouses or flirty, sexy dresses.   Blouses were breezy and light in silhouette.  They were paired with cropped skim pants or short pencil skirts.  

Accessories included antique brushed gold rope necklaces and cuffs.  Hematite and studs embellished belts.  Vintage-inspired black head pieces accented gangster-moll hairdos.  Soaring platform heels were the updated touch on footwear.  Unfortunately, many of the models did not handle this modern development well...

Rachel Mara already has fans in Sarah Jessica Parker, Halle Berry and Diana Krall.



Photos by Ritika Wahal
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Toronto Fashion Week: Kingdom by Evan Bidell Spring 2011


Medieval and romantic pieces, punctuated with studded leather pieces provided excitement to a highly memorable collection. Evan Bidell's Spring 2011 collection was a standout among all the fashion weeks this season. This collection had the hallmarks of great design associated with the early rise of stars like Galliano and McQueen.

Evan is only 27 but poised after this collection to be an international star. He is a reality TV star from Project Runway Canada's 2007 season. Evan Bidell's presentation was aspirational and inspirational to true design lovers.  Evan displayed pieces from his Spring 2011 collection and presented it on mannequins along with a screening of his full collection. 

Evan is the l'infant terrible of Canada's fashion scene. He is the brightest but less commercially successful. His clothes are like no other and command the spotlight rather than let it glide by.  Take a look at his work - if you can find it. It's stunning in person and more so when we discovered that he creates most of his collection on his own Juki industrial sewing machine.  Thankfully, he has found a supporter in Ken Albright from Seven Continents.  Mr. Albright believes in Evan and showcased the Spring 2011 collection earlier this month to a select group of editors and buyers.

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L.A. Fashion Week: Julia Clancey Spring 2011

Los Angeles Fashion Week is really unlike any other Fashion Week. Not having an official sponsor for the entire week, Fashion Week ends up being scattered events across the giant sprawl that is Los Angeles.  With so many events, each sponsored by a completely separate entity, you never quite know what to expect when you show up at one of them.

Last Saturday, I attended the show for the Julia Clancey collection in West Hollywood.  I wish I could say that I was savvy enough to have known Julia Clancey’s work before requesting an invitation to the event.  Of course, once I had determined to go to the event, I did my homework and researched Ms. Clancey and her work.  My research, however, gave me a little background and a feel for her style, but I was still a bit vague as to what I should expect ...

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Monday, October 25, 2010

Toronto Fashion Week: Baby Steinberg Salvage


There is plenty of trashy fashion out there.  How often have you seen very chic fashion made of trash?  Baby Steinberg presented one of my favorite shows during LG Fashion Week with an inventive collection from salvaged materials

There were dresses made from pleated coffee filters, braided garbage bags and crocheted cell phone chargers.  Found keys jingled with knitted VHS film.  Discarded take-out bags made a dramatic outfit with feathers and seeds.  Window screen puffed out into a dramatic cocktail dress.  

Baby Steinberg is not a mass-market designer.  She made her reputation creating one-of-a-kind garments for performers and socialites.  She also creates jewelry

A concept like this usually looks like a gimmicky art project.  What made the difference in making this look like a sophisticated runway was the treatment of the materials.  The coffee filters were pleated into delicate shapes to mimic organza flowers popularized by designers like Monique Lhuillier.  The garbage bags were twisted and crocheted into contouring forms like a metallic yarn.  
Photos by Ritika Wahal
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Friday, October 22, 2010

Toronto Fashion Week: Jessica Jensen with Alexander Berardi

Was it deja vu?  I had already seen Alexander Berardi's presentation for Spring 2011 during New York Fashion Week last month.  What was I supposed to see at Heritage Court in Toronto?  This runway show showed a tight, highly edited collection focusing on the collaboration between Canadian handbag designer Jessica Jensen with the designer of NYC.  

The clothing had a nautical-inspired palette of cream, navy and beige.  Fabrics included Swiss dots and dainty prints.  There were a few pieces with a fountain-like embroidery.  The silhouettes were ladylike, but understated.  

The handbags included over sized carryalls, embellished envelope clutches and large hobos.  The main theme of the purses was woven texture.  The leathers or fabrics were woven, or other trims woven into the body of the bag as embellishment.  

Shoe heels were perilously high for most of the daywear looks.  However, the very last look was a glittering gold sequin gown that was at odds with the rest of the collection.  Inexplicably, the shoes for that dress were flat sandals...


Photographed by Ritika Wahal
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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Toronto Fashion Week: LOVAS Wesley Badanjak Spring 2011

The Wesley Badanjak girl is tough.   The women who walked the runway at LG Fashion Week for the LOVAS label don't take BS from anyone.

The collection was a mix of bright pink and pale yellow mixed with cool greys and graphic metallic lightning prints.  The majority of the presentation had upscale sportswear with nicely tailored jackets or dresses that could be worn daytime into night.  There were several frocks that executed a play on ruffles very well.  The majority of the looks were tailored and contemporary, with the exception of a few 'daywear' looks that didn't fit the rest of the collection and looked frumpy.  

The accessories had an emphasis on chains accented with jewels.  Earrings and statement necklaces draped and dangled off the attitude-embodying women.  


Photographed by Ritika Wahal
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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Toronto Fashion Week: Pink Tartan Spring 2011

1980’s Hollywood was the theme of Pink Tartan’s presentation at LG Fashion week yesterday.  This Canadian label (now headquartered in NYC) already has fans in Sex and the City's Kim Catrall and Kate Hudson.  Designer Kimberley Newport-Mimran showed lots of neon pink, royal blue and orange for a new wave color palette.  

Blonde models channeled Brigitte Nielsen were draped in one-shoulder striped dresses.  A geometric print that was a twist on Ikat patterns made its way into jumpsuits, pants and jackets.  I wish I could say it was used well, but often, it just looked garish.  Leopard print also made its way into the collection with more success.    The best looks were the tailored shirts paired with slim pants.
Oversized sunglasses reminded you of the Valley Girls of the decade.  The collection paid tribute to 80’s Gucci with a variation on the horse bit belt.  Neon versions of barbershop quartet hats were paired with many of the outfits.  Bandanas a la Poison’s Bret Michaels completed the headwear accessory options.

The models of the show stepped onto large light boxes as they finished their runway walk.  I’m not sure if it was the instability of the box itself or the height of the shoes, but no less than four models tripped and stumbled getting on or off the stand.

Photographed by Ritika Wahal
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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Fashion Designer Couture Ornaments


Are you ready for a Red Carpet Holiday Tree?  Want your pine boughs trimmed with ornaments personally designed by the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Sean Jean, Gwen Stefani, Naeem Khan, Carlos Falchi or Jonathan Adler?
You can get festive and have the most fashion-forward decor of the neighborhood with the Home Shopping Network's  HeART HSN Designer Ornament collection.

100% of the profits in this collection will be donated to the St. Jude Children's Hospital.  St. Jude's is a pioneering research hospital devoted to finding cures for pediatric cancer and childhood diseases.

The Home Shopping Network launched this collection with an intimate soirĂ©e at their showroom last week. St. Jude chair Marlo Thomas hosted the event while ornament designers like model Iman and Naeem Khan attended in support.

Swarovski is a participant and the famed crystals are featured prominently in many of the ornaments.  The price range for the pieces range from below $20 to $40 for most of the collection.  You can also splurge up to $299 or a jewel-encrusted Naeem Khan piece. The collection goes on sale October 20, 2010 through HSN and will be available through the holiday season.
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Monday, October 18, 2010

Los Angeles Fashion Week: Green Initiative Spring 2011

Los Angeles Fashion Week started last weekend and what better way to begin my coverage than with The Green Initiative Humanitarian Fashion Show.  The show is sponsored by The Green Youth Movement, an organization founded by Ally Maize with a goal to educate youth on how to be eco friendly.  As Ms. Maize put it at the opening of the show, “We’re the next generation and can and will make a difference”.
The event showcased four labels that concentrate their efforts on eco-friendly fashion: organic and sustainable fabrics, local manufacturing, fair trade practices, non-toxic dyes.  Although these labels all put an emphasis on being eco-friendly, they each have a very distinctive personality.
First up on the runway was Kristinit, by designer Kristina Lenss.
In a collection that covered the bases from daytime casual to dressier pieces, Ms. Lenss turned out a very feminine and versatile line.  Constructed jackets paired with flirty skirts were key to this grouping as were a mix of day to evening dresses.


Next up was , a line with a primary goal to provide jobs for women with HIV in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. With this noble goal, they produce a line that is very handcrafted and artisanal, emphasizing elegance and comfort.  Using a color palette that is very earthy and natural, Keokjay produced a nice line of mostly casual separates, all with handcrafted details that really stand out.    One look that stood out was a dress with the fabric braided in the front to produce and interesting textural element from which the fabric emerged in soft drapes.




JonĂ£no followed with a line that was also more geared toward casual wear.  Utilizing mostly natural colors, JonĂ£no accented the collection with a few shots of mauve, a bright blue and an ethnic-look print.  A “macramĂ©” shawl, an intricately twisted front print dress and a lace sheath dress with a long jacket were standouts in this grouping.


Last, but definitely not least, the Emily Factor line.  While the other lines were all beautifully done, this line kicked it up a notch.  The Central Saint Martins education was definitely apparent here.  Vibrant sophisticated prints were the focal point of this collection, whether draped in fluid dresses or as leggings. This bold use of color was a nice ending to the show. Flowing dresses with an emphasis on drape were knock outs and high waisted “paper bag” pants and shorts were stylishly reminiscent of the 80’s.


All in all, The Green Initiative Humanitarian Fashion Show  made good on its promise of showing us that fashion can be eco-friendly without compromising on style. Let’s hear it for Eco Chic!
Photos & Reporting by Mdivani Monroe

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WWD 100 Years, 100 Designers

If you're in the fashion biz, or just a fan of the apparel industry, you already read Women's Wear Daily.  It's the newspaper for this crazy business of fashion.  The publication is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a book honoring 100 top designers.

WWD: 100 Years, 100 Designers launched Thursday with an elegant party at Bergdorf Goodman's BG restaurant.  It was hosted by executive editor Bridget Foley and attended by many of today's top designers.  Vera Wang, Isaac Mizrahi and Francisco Costa mingled with muses like Bianca Jagger.  Everyone was in Manhattan chic (meaning lots of black, but exquisitely accessorized).

The book itself is gorgeously illustrated with photos of the best of fashion through the years.  If you missed your chance at Bergdorf Goodman's, WWD is holding another bash at Cipriani on November 2.  Otherwise, you can pre-order your copy on Amazon.com.
Photos courtesy of pmk.bnc
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Friday, October 15, 2010

Custo Barcelona Fact or Fiction Spring 2011


Fall fashion in NYC generally means dark and somber colors.  Custo Barcelona defies this in leaps and bounds.  The spring 2011 offerings being previewed were a super-bright mix of prints and embellishment techniques.  The luxe pieces included pieced tops that included pleated details, appliques.  Another dress included beading and embroidery.  A jacket was created with eyelet, piping and studs.  Dresses with fringe, dresses with feathers...

Textiles with multiple dying techniques from different countries made the cut.  The knits collection had prints with every color of the rainbow.   This collection is clearly for the bold and extroverted.  The bags and shoes followed the same aesthetic.  

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Thursday, October 14, 2010

Manolo Blahnik Sketches Shoes

The legendary shoe designer was in town to sign his new book, Manolo's New Shoes.  The gorgeous tome showcases the designer's sketches.  The illustrations remind you how a shoe can be a work of art.  The new collection of Manolo Blahnik's shoes were also debuted on the Bergdorf Goodman floor that evening.  It was nice to see the sketch and final product next to each other.

Ladies who lunch with a shoe fetish sipped champagne as they lined up to meet the designer.  Vogue editor Andre Leon Talley camped himself in a corner to bellow out instructions to the department store staff.  He also bullied Mr. Blahnik into putting on a pair of his own designs to pose with his book for a photo op.  
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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

West Coast FAB: Delano





California. Beautiful people with beautiful bodies playing on the beach.... But those bodies didn’t get that way by accident. It’s all about working out!  But what do you wear when you are working out?  I mean, you need to be practical and wear clothing that is functional for working out.  But you also want to look good WHILE working out.  And wouldn’t it be great if some of those workout clothes could serve double duty by being fashionable enough to wear on other outings?

Back in the 80’s, the movie Flashdance started a craze for wearing dancer inspired workout wear as street clothing.  But in all honesty, although it seemed cool at the time, the clothes that came out of that fad were merely sweatshirts that had necklines cut out of them and ripped leotards. They were hardly what you would call fashionable and it was a look that probably should have stayed  in the dance studio. Which raises the question, is it possible to have clothing that is practical for working out and also appropriate for daily activities?

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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Alternative Fashion at NY Comic Con

It's not Lincoln Center, or the Carousel du Louvre...However, the fans here are equally, if not more passionate about fashion.  Their style does not follow trends, magazines or runways, but their favorite time period, comic character or movement.

New York Comic Con brought together fanatics of horror movies, anime art, comic books, sci-fi television in all forms to the Jacob Javits Center in NYC.  For some, it was the place to show off their favorite costumes ahead of Halloween, or parade their alternative sense of style.  

The Goths...
It's about corsets, dark and edgy sensibility.  Lace, frills and theatricality.

The Steampunk...
Started as a literary movement, it's about 19th Century-WW1 and science fiction.  The fashion is about ornament, craftsmanship, gears, vintage technology.  The clothing is a little worn, formal, think vests, boots, goggles.

The Lolitas....
Lolitas are sweet and cute.  Petticoats are key.  Motifs are abundant, (cupcakes, cartoon characters, hearts, it's all good).  Sometimes there's a Gothic Lolita in there.  Wings, bows, stuffed animal purses and Mary Jane shoes are great accessories.
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Monday, October 11, 2010

Cynthia Rowley's FEED Shop

Fashion feeds the world...At least some designers try to.  Cynthia Rowley and Lauren Bush hosted the opening of their FEED pop-up shop last Thursday in the back of Ms. Rowley's Soho boutique.  The shop sells products like eco-friendly bags, pouches and clothing to benefit FEED Projects.

The FEED Project's mission is to feed and reach hungry children around the world through the sales of their collection.  The line uses fair labour practices and uses organic cotton and burlap when possible.  

The designer and colleagues were on hand to sip champagne and answer questions.  Her Fall 2010 collection looked chic accessorized with the FEED totes.  My personal favorite was the Jack o-Lantern tote made in collaboration with Unicef.  It was a nice Halloween update to the change-boxes I carried around trick-or-treating in my childhood.  It is available on HSN and in the boutique.

The pop-up shop is available at 376 Bleecker Street in NYC until October 21st.  The FEED merchandise is available online and at Whole Foods indefinitely.
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Saturday, October 9, 2010

West Coast FAB: LACMA Fashioning Fashion



Die hard Fashionistas, it is time time for a history lesson.  And this one will be fun for a change!  A new exhibit has opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and if you are lucky enough to be in the LA area, don't miss it!

Celebrating the museums groundbreaking acquisition of a major collection of European men's, women's and children's garments and accessories, LACMA has on exhibit Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915 Covering a period that spans the Age of Enlightenment to World War I, the exhibit explores the technical developments and dramatic changes that took place in fashion during that period.  The exhibit highlights the evolution of luxurious textiles, advancing tailoring techniques and the use of brilliant trims, embroidery and other decorative applications.

Among the must see pieces in the exhibit is an evening mantle designed by French couturier  Ă‰mile Pingat (active 1860-96) that is embroidered with silk thread, embellished with glass beads and trimmed with ostrich feathers.  Also included in the collection are three piece suits and gowns worn at the royal courts of Europe and an eighteenth century men's vest with embroidery that carries symbolic messages relevant to the French Revolution.

Okay, so you can't actually shop at the exhibit (except of course in the bookstore!!).  However, you will definitely be inspired by this exhibit.  And since history does repeat itself, elements form this exhibit could be popping up in collections that will hit the market soon.  So why not start dreaming now :).

At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
October 2, 2010-March 6, 2011
Reported by Mdivani Monroe.  Photos © 2010 Museum Associates/LACMA
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Friday, October 8, 2010

Swatch Launch Party for New Gents Collection

Remember the 1980's?  Swatch was THE accessory to be seen with.  The range of designs, the colors...You couldn't have just one, you needed the collection.   Well Swatch is BACK baby.  They released an updated rendition of their popular Gents line Wednesday night at a celeb-filled party. 

The evening was hosted by Twilight's Nikki Reed.  She wore a jewel-studded Isabel Lu dress, coordinated by both a black and a white New Gents watch.  Other guests included Chris Brown, Susan Sarandon and model Jessica White. 

The watch collection itself was sleek and affordable.  The overall design consisted of a matte band in solid colors, and a a coordinated irridescent  or metallic face.  Some styles had numbers, some did not.  The size of the face was enlarged.  They had a sophisticated look.  The color palette was perfect for cosmopolitan wardrobes.  While female guests were fighting to grab one, the guys really liked them.  It's really a timepiece that appeals to all.  The average price was $65 USD.
Photos by Mariana Leung and Dimitrios Kambouris
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Thursday, October 7, 2010

Audrey Talbott Spring 2011




Audrey Talbott?, you ask. You may not be familiar with this line, but I assure you that you will be. Audrey Talbot was launched in 2002 as the women’s division of the successful menswear line, Robert Talbott, and has continued to grow and become a true lifestyle brand.

The founders of the Talbott labels, Robert and Audrey Talbott, began the Robert Talbott Tie Company in Carmel, California after transplanting themselves from a life in New York and Connecticut.  It is from these beginnings that the Audrey Talbott line has taken its inspiration:
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Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Norma Kamali - Wellness Mission

So much of fashion is about what’s on the outside.  American fashion icon Norma Kamali is making it her mission to makeover what’s on the inside.

The designer hosted a forum last week at MOMA to introduce a panel of wellness leaders in different disciplines.  She also started a video channel on Hulu.com screening videos of her conversations with these gurus.

She spoke to legendary choreographer Twyla Tharp, who was inspirational in urging people to move past mistakes.  She emphasized how the human body was a moving animal, and her methods of getting people to reach past their limits.

Another guest was Horst M. Rechelbacher, former founder of Aveda Cosmetics.  After he sold the company, he became an organic farmer.  Now he is developing a new bodycare line, Intelligent Nutrients that is food-based, non-toxic, harmonically made and organic certified ingredients.  The ingredients from his farm are produced via solar, wind and geothermal power.  He explained how toxic many of our foods and cosmetics truly are, yet most people have no idea.
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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Paris RTW: Christian Dior Spring 2011

Anchors away mates.  Fashion bad boy John Galliano sent models down the runway in flirtatious island fare a la South Pacific.  Sophisticated versions of tropical prints, bright florals, big leis.  Some nautical themed jackets and hats gave the collection some sailor chic.  Is this the big trend for Spring?  Betsey Johnson had some cute sailor twins and of course, Nautica did as well.  

Shoes ranged from strappy sandals to feathered fantasies.  Handbags were more practical in big carryalls and some of their more traditional purse silhouettes.  Other accessories included bright knotted belts, feathered necklaces and more leis.
Photos by Giovanni Giannoni

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Monday, October 4, 2010

Fashion Designers for Breast Cancer

In the month of October, pink is the new black.  Fashion designers and celebrities are putting their talents into raising awareness for Breast Cancer.  


Ralph Lauren is hosting the Pink Pony Auction to raise money for their foundation.  The auction is selling rare collectibles from fashion, celebrities and athletes.  

It also includes once-in-a-lifetime experiences like shopping with Simon Doonan, a ride with Lance Armstrong or lunch with Maggie Cheung.

Pink Pony supports programs for education and quality cancer care to medically underserved communities.  If a bidding on an item is out of reach, you can support this cause by shopping for pink pony fashion accessories like the printed silk scarf and sunglasses.


Narciso Rodriguez teamed up with Swedish chain Lindex to create the Pink Collection.  Lindex is a major sponsor to the Swedish Cancer Society, where a portion of the proceeds will be donated.  The collection itself consists of reasonably priced wardrobe staples, cashmere-blend knits, asymmetrical dresses, skinny pants.


Vera Wang collaborated with department store chain Kohl’s.  This special collection gives fans the opportunity to buy dressy pink pieces from the high-end designer at very affordable prices.  Check out the grosgrain ribbon evening bag  at only $10.00 or the sequined scarf also for $10.00

It’s not just clothing designers in the mix.  You can shop and help Breast Cancer Awareness with jewelry.  Ice.com’s Think Pink & Smile For a Cure campaign doesn’t  just ask you to shop for the cause.  They are asking you for your story of hope and humor to raise awareness of the disease.  Readers vote for their favorites to win amazing pieces of jewelry as part of their sweepstakes.   A percentage of sales from their Think Pink collection benefits the Comedy Cures Foundation.


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