See you there!

Key Artist Hung Vanngo designed the look for Rad Hourani Fall 2009

Hung Vanngo, Key Artist for the Rad Hourani show at New York Fashion Week Fall 2009, chose a look that almost seemed transparent yet visibly defined. I was part of Vanngo’s team of artists and translated his designed look on two models (see below).

Key Products Used:

- M.A.C. Moisturelush Cream and M.A.C. Moisturelush Eye Cream:  Applied liberally to the entire face and neck and eye cream was used to hydrate the eye area. More time was spent performing skin care vs. actual makeup application. The skin had to be ultra-hydrated in order to achieve the look created by Vanngo.

- M.A.C. Face and Body Foundation: Applied with the fingertips to the entire face, brushed over lips, and even the ears so the face virtually flowed into infinity.

- M.A.C. Pro Longlash in Barelash was used to block out the eye brows and blend with the rest of the face.

- M.A.C. Fix+: Vanngo lightly sprayed each model before they stepped out on to the runway.

Makeup on Model at Rad Hourani Fall 09 by Victoria Stiles

Runway Rad Hourani Fall 2009 - Makeup on Model by Victoria Stiles

Runway Rad Hourani Fall 2009 - Makeup on Model by Victoria Stiles

Model I did makeup for at Herchcovitch Fall 2009

The upcoming week here in New York is going to be absolutely amazing. Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2009 has officially begun (for me anyway)! I just had a brief sidewalk meeting with the Executive Editor of Beyond Beauty Basics about my schedule for this week and to receive my press pass for tent access. I am scheduled for backstage access to the Pamella Roland show on Tuesday and main tent access through the first half of this week. I will also be attending the Digital Moda Event where up-and-coming designers will be showing their designs to the online fashion publishing pros. Check BeyondBeautyBasics.com for the latest happenings here at Fashion Week and InsideTheTents.com for up-to-the minute Tweets, blogs, photos, and videos!

In addition to interviews and reporting, I will be doing makeup (that’s what I do best!) for two shows: Alexandre Herchcovitch and Rad Hourani.

For the latest on Fall trend, including makeup tips and tricks, check here on Backstage and Beyond Beauty Basics!

Photo Credit: Victoria Stiles

Stylist Patti Wilson will curate and style the entire show – which features 50 different models – using custom-designed accessories include handbags by Rafe, jewelry and sunglasses by Bulgari and jewelry by Alan and Layna Friedman. Even the models are among the top girls in the business, including several famous names.

As a sponsor of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Barbie® will become larger than life through an art installation at the famous Bryant Park Fountain in the lobby of the Tents. The highlight of the fountain is a 5-foot-tall installation of Barbie™ Pink 3D letters filled with nearly 400 Barbie dolls. Each letter represents a decade and is filled with one of the most iconic Barbie dolls ever — from the 1959 original “Teenage Fashion Model” Barbie® doll, to the 1986 Barbie® & The Rockers. Additionally, 4 Rootstein Barbie™ Mannequins – each standing over 6-feet-tall – are styled in custom made black-and-white bathing suits, jewelry & accessories inspired by the original 1959 Barbie® doll. On the back of the fountain, five stunning photographs fill a Barbie™ pink wall and capture the iconic 1959 Barbie® doll as you have never seen her before. Each is professionally styled and shot by Mattel photographers. Finally, the fountain is filled with a pool of Barbie™ Pink shiny apples as a tribute to Barbie’s® arrival to NY & her love for the Big Apple! More than 2,800 apples were used.

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, scheduled for February 13-20, is typically covered by an exclusive group of magazine editors who often don’t provide extensive coverage until their spring issues hit the stands. In contrast, Inside The Tents provides an instant insider’s view - providing a fresh voice in real time through the use of the Web’s best social technologies such as Twitter, Flickr, live blogging and video streaming. Inside The Tents also provides the opportunity for fashion bloggers to engage a wider audience for their content. Coverage will include designer and celebrity interviews, feedback from attendees, overviews of the new trends, insight from fashion experts and advice for taking the runway to everyday.

In addition, this year’s Inside The Tents will also include a private event on February 17, allowing emerging designers an opportunity to showcase their designs to the online fashion publishing world and key tech/social media influencers. The event is an innovative alternative to the traditional runway shows typically seen at Fashion Week and will be part of the featured content covered online at Inside The Tents.

“Bloggers are the new media and we created Inside The Tents as an opportunity for them to be taken more seriously as valid members of the media, as well as an opportunity for fashion lovers everywhere to get closer to the action through valuable and instant content in one location,” said Yuli Ziv, founder of MyItThings, one of the most influential online fashion communities, and one of the founding members of the Style Coalition. “Our mission is to bring fashion and tech together – making fashion contributors’ news and observations easily – and instantly – accessible to an audience hungry for live coverage of this extremely popular event.”

Founding member, Ms. Yuli Ziv, was recently featured in the The New York Observer for her work with uniting Inside the Tents and Fashion Week.  The story notes her efforts in getting IMG to upgrade events with more places to connect laptops in order to upload videos, pictures, information, and more.  The article goes on to quote Ms. Ziv as saying, “We just want to cover their events, and help them understand the opportunities in social media. That’s what frustrates me sometimes, that we have to fight for everything as bloggers. I’m only doing this because I love fashion.”

Style Coalition’s Yuli Ziv and her laptop! Photography by Melissa Hribar, Wardrobe by Gilles Montezin

 Ms. Ziv’s partner in Style Coalition, Mike Pratt, had an interesting quote in the article as well.  He says, “The whole industry is going through a metamorphosis, and it’s very painful for it.” He goes on to say, ”Some people will feel like their empire is being encroached upon, and fashion is queen of exclusivity.”   He added, “But clearly, it’s getting out of their hands. A designer can become very successful without any blessing from the big folks.”

Founding members include two popular fashion bloggers, Jean Vouté Pratt of GiftGirl and The Style Observer and Yuli Ziv, founder of MyItThings.com.

I am personally excited to be a contributing member of Inside The Tents and look forward to reporting for my blog as well as contributing to Beyond Beauty Basics! Check InsideTheTents.com for the latest blogs, videos, and even Twitter updates from Fashion Week!

More Information
Inside The Tents
Style Coalition
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week
Twitter hashtag #NYFW

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that my business, Victoria Stiles Makeup, has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™! 

In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means that my business is one of the very best for wedding makeup in Washington, DC!

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews.

Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s CEO said, “We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community.  This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.” 

I would like to take  a moment to thank my past brides for speaking on my behalf and helping me win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award!

Happy Wedding Planning!!