Bill Hallman Gets Prophetik

The Bill Hallman boutique's party to celebrate the arrival of Prophetik clothing's spring/summer line caused quite the sidewalk-jamming stir on Highland Avenue Saturday night.














Necks craned four rows deep near the doorway _ and faces pressed against the glass walls separating Hallman's conjoined men's and women's shops _ to see the organic cotton and silk designs strutted on the red carpet between them.

Prophetik, based in Nashville (of all places) is gaining headlines worldwide due to its commitment to fashioning garments out of eco-friendly materials like raw cotton and silk, and employing paint-splatter patterns made by woe-be-gone Thai elephants who are gradually being eliminated because machines now do their heavy lifting.





Besides all that, the clothes looked good.


(A certain producer for CNN International seated beside me on the front row nudged me often in approval of looks that designer/Flock of Seagulls-wannabe Jeff Garner (right) trotted out.)








Alternately, tunes by DJ Charles III and the funk-rock band My Glorious serenaded models down the runway.






In the interest of time, let's just say important fashion statements (some off the record) were made at the Hallman party. (Stay tuned to EyeSeeStyle for breaking news about Hallman's expanding empire, a few days from now...)



For a comprehensive view of what went down, visit the JimFlix photo gallery. Leave a comment below to learn more about the Bill Hallman/Prophetik party.

Tootsies: Atlanta's Retail "Roll" Model

Don't let all those "For Lease" signs in the neighboring storefronts at the Around Lenox plaza fool you into thinking the economic downturn is all-encompassing, Atlanta.
Tootsies is on a a roll.

Angela Karatassos

The posh and spacious designer boutique proved that much Wednesday night with a raucous runway show and cocktail party benefiting the Kim King Foundation for improving urban education resources. The affair flaunted the upper echelon of designer labels for sale (Zac Posen, Diane von Furstenberg, Lela Rose, Missoni,Chloe, Etro, McQueen, etc.)

Annie Shu in the Tootsies runway show

For better or worse, the free drinks floating around far outpaced the hors d'oeuvres.
As organizer/celebrity model Angela Karatasos summed it up: "This is about fashion, passion, fun and seeing all my friends!"

Among the "fun" and good-looking in attendance: the Taste boutiques' fashion scout Angela Henderson; movie maven Carolyn Sloss; ergonomics consultant Mike Adams; Atlantan magazine ad director Paige Smith; the power publicicists (Kitsy Rose, Marsha Middleton, Liz Lapidus) and Tara Murphy; the fashion forecasters (Liz Schulte Roth, Amy Flurry, Anita Jan Temple, Tiffany Davis); the bon vivant Warren Huntley; the sultan of spa treatment, John Stupka; and custom shirt-and-tie temptress Melinda Chandler.

Veronica Best in Tootsies' runway show

Kudos to the Tootsies devotees who strutted on the runway for a good cause. Congrats as well to the dazzling, down-to-earth crowd-pleasers Veronica Best and Annie Shu.
To view a massive gallery of photos from the Tootsies event, visit JimiFlixx.com.
JUST WONDERING...: Any thoughts on the news that Marc Jacobs and his Brazilian ad agent are now engaged to be married?

ATL's American Apparel Stores: "Safe"

Atlanta fans of American Apparel don’t have to worry about the brand’s two signature stores here shutting down anytime soon.

The new, gold "Pencil Dress" from American Apparel

The local stores in Little Five Points and Buckhead (along with the vacation destination in Savannah) got a recent new lease on life when the British conglomerate, Lion Capital, bought a 15 percent stake in American Apparel for $85 million.
Industry analysts told WWD that the cash infusion will not only help sustain the quirky contemporary chain’s 260 or so current stores, but perhaps promote expansion as well.
Dov Charney, the L.A.-based brand’s sketch/comedy founder and CEO took the cash infusion in stride; saying that it will allow him to refocus on on “design” and hinting that shorter shorts for men may be on the horizon. That, and he can concentrate on being American Apparel’s main photographer for those cheeky ad campaigns.
American Apparel Founder/CEO/"Sketch" Artist Dov Charney
You go, Dov.

Bill Hallman Sows Organic Fashion Seeds

"Yeah, yeah, yeah...," you say.
"The notion of fashion clothes out of 'green' materials sounds nice. But no one's really shown how 'hemp' and 'high style' fit in the same sentence."
Well, the ambitious Atlanta retailer Bill Hallman invites you to reconsider.
Hallman's hosting an in-store party and fashion show Friday (March 21, 8-10 p.m.) at his Virginia Highland boutique to pump up the volume of interest stirring over the London-based label, Prophetik

Prophetik's "Alcatraz" ensemble ($102)

"Prophetik defines inspirational sustainable euro street wear that serves purpose and is a visual manifestation of art, love, poetry, and the freedom found from within," according to the Bill Hallman event invite.
What occurs to ESS is how profoundly the label forecasts the future demand for sensible clothes made of sustainable materials.



Prophetik's "Ego Patch" men's tee ($48)

The Prophetik show's slated to start at 9 p.m.; a featured appearance by Austria's My Glorious is scheduled that night as well. The London Examiner can't stop raving about Prophetik's exploits: so let the British Invasion begin.

Atlanta Style Scene Heats Up

When people remark that things are heating up in Atlanta, they’re not strictly referring to the pre-spring weather.

Hot deals on clothes, and hot spots to wear them, pack the mid-March style calendar.


Banana Republic's "Monogram" collection racerback gown

For starters: there’s the (March 12-15) “Bringing Sexy Back for Spring” sale being staged by the Revamped Resale Boutique and its coterie of "Ebay Fashionistas at the Scott Antiques Market.

The vast expo center just three miles east of the airport will feature flirty summer looks that, in some cases, date back decades. In addition, Facebook members are offered discounts

During the same weekend span, Gap, Inc. is staging a “Give & Get” promotion where Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy stores are offering 30-per-off bargains with 5 percent of each sale benefiting the charity of the customer’s choice. Gap, Inc. enables customers to share the savings and the good karma with family and friends. Just click on “Give & Get” for details.

And, for those ladies who aren’t still hung over from their St. Patrick’s Day “observances”, the very posh Tootsies boutique at Around Lenox is hosting a March 18 (7-9 p.m.) celebrity runway show and sale to benefit a very worthy cause. Partial proceeds from the Buckhead event will go to the Kim King Foundation for enhanced services in urban schools. Click here for directions and details.

Tootsies

Need a festive occasion to flaunt your new frocks? Check out: the March 12 Covey Run / Buena Vista Wine Dinner ($60 per person, plus tip) at Shaun’s on Edgewood; the “Flux” affair March 13 at Bazaar on Peachtree (where every night’s a fashion show and an art exhibit); and the True Colors Theatre Company’s latest riveting work, "Miss Evers’ Boys", runs through March 21 at the Southwest Arts Center.

Jenn Ripley Hits the Reset Button

Believe it or not, Atlanta style fiends: the intrepid retailer Jenn Ripley’s re-invented herself again.

The savvy upscale fashion broker with the A-List actress looks has just relocated to Los Angeles; where she ‘ll have more immediate access to the Left Coast’s top show rooms, and the TV studios that ply them.
“I’m positioning myself as the go-between for the designers who have these people calling them for the clothes they need for a three-day shoot, and the stylists who have all these items to cull through for each character,” said Ripley.
Long known for delivering boutique bargains to clients at her series of Luxe shoppes downtown, in Buckhead and finally in West Midtwon, Ripley now navigates between Manhattan, L.A. and Atlanta in a similar, multi-task role. If she’s not outfitting stars for awards galas like the Grammys or the Emmys, she’s swooping in to help chic boutique owners liquidate their stock before bankruptcy rears its tacky head.
Partnered for the past three years with the former morning radio star and emerging purse maven Leslie Fram, Ripley’s recently struck out on her own. Her latest enterprise is called The Archive Agency: “(an) L.A.-based, in-house wardrobe and styling agency specializing in studio pulls, personal shopping and designer and vintage clothing liquidation. “

She’s a coordinating partner for the Pop-Up Shop sample sale going on this weekend (March 13-15) in the East Atlanta Village’s former Pieces of Adrene space (493 Flat Shoals Road, 30316) , in case you’re interested in deals like shoes that could cost $500 going for $50.

Can Fashion Survive Any More Shrinkage?

If Vogue scaled back from being a monthly publication to a quarterly, would anyone notice?

The latest, discouraging news about cutbacks in magazine staffing and expenditures makes one wonder if definitive voices in fashion coverage are going the way of the dinosaur.
Recently, Conde Nast CEO Chuck Townsend reportedly sent a staff-wide memo saying that the chain of glossies would have to achieve "more with less" until "the recovery" comes.







ESS shudders at the thought. (Good gracious! Who knew they run Golf Digest too?)
As much as top-tier fashion news sources like W, and the New York Times' "T" tend to overshoot the boundaries of common tastes, they at least break through with savory new ideas on occasion?




Wouldn't you miss them if they were gone, or missing in action?
Voice your opinion below...

Atlanta Forgets Recession For a Night

A deejay with a towering burnt orange afro supplied soulful background music for Thursday's Men's LUXE Night at the W Hotel-Buckhead. But he might as well have kept some synthesized version of Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" on a constant loop.


Bert Weis of "The Bert Show" fame greets a morning radio fan


The 3rd Annual affair hosted by The Atlantan magazine and Jim Ellis Porsche had some of the suavest guys in town scratching their heads, wondering: "Who could ask for anything more."

Munchies from the Market restaurant, sips from the small batch Marques reserves of Crown Royal, a putting green (with a wicked break right) installed by European Autovault, massages from Blue MedSpa, and custom clothes fittings by Guffey's of Atlanta.





Courtney and Krissy

The icing on the cake, of course, was the strong turnout of lovely ladies who seemed not to mind at all as wafts of hand-made cigar smoke wafted from the terrace into the ballroom and men's eyes darted from one beauty to the next.












Models (Jodie Baity, Tonika Davis, Ashley Carson and Brittainy Jefferson) wear private label shirts and ties by Guffey's while sandwiching the Buckhead haberdashery's accessories expert Tim Richey









The '09 Porsche Cayman, waiting for you to test drive









Real estate and music industry execs Venice Brinkley and Lisa McCall













Atlanta's No. 1 Porsche saleswoman, Stacey Frith











Atlanta's perennial "top model" Veronica Best


Noteworthy attendees of the event included: the Reynolds Plantation's golf coordinator, Rob Muggleston; AmericasMart leasing director, Terence Morris; publicity stalwarts, Nick Gold and Lilian Raji; alternative educator Chasity Rosier; lifestyle enhancement guru Chloe Taylor Brown; and Frank Heath, owner of the all-new Sebastian's Closet men's boutique in Buckhead.




Jim Ellis Porsche GM Doug McIntyre posts up by the iconic crest
All Images: JimiFlix Photography

Atlanta Women Wooed By A Different Wang

The name used to be Wang: Vera Wang
The bridal designer’s chokehold on Atlanta bride-to-be wish lists has reached legendary proportions over the years.

But there’s another Wang in town now. And, at the tender, slender age of 25, Alexander Wang is shaping up to be a ready-to-wear scene-stealer.


Just as 2008 was ending, the Council of Fashion Designers of America bestowed the Holy Grail of 'rising star' awards upon Wang (the younger), based on the merits of his Spring ’09 collection. Wang’s “pierced” and fringed black leather platforms drew plenty of attention.

And as the Fall ’09 previews were winding down at New York’s Fashion Week last month, Wang received the following, ringing endorsement for his latest collection: “I am sure he will have a successful shoe business.”

That one came, courtesy of a Women’s Wear Daily interview with Jeffrey Kalinsky. You know…the guy who went from conquering the market with his Bob Ellis Shoes store at Phipps Plaza and then took giant steps further by opening the Jeffrey (Atlanta and New York) upscale shopping meccas. Same guy who’s now Nordstrom’s top buyer.

Anyway, top retailers agree that the defiant, and extremely high-heeled way Wang has with shoes has “winner” written all over it. And since upscale stores rooted in Atlanta like Saks and Nordstrom already support Wang’s apparel rather heavily, his label’s presence here is poised to rise.
Photo: style.com

Calling All Gold-Diggers!

Still waiting on your (ahem) stimulus package?


Well, while your face turns blue, look on the bright side: you can always try and unload some of that gold jewl-ray you now regret buying, receiving or borrowing (but never returning) for cash.

Atlanta's A-List hairstylist, Richie Arpino, is hosting a "Gold Rush" party at his Buckhead Salon Wednesday night (6-9 p.m.) to help you do just that.

There, an anonymous appraiser will offer guests greenbacks on the spot for their not-so-precious metals.

“Maybe some of those guys who should know better will finally part with their gold nugget chains,” Arpino laughed over the phone.



He said the party was inspired by those quirky gold-for-cash infomercials he kept seeing on TV, as word of mouth that gold is becoming something like the new Tupperware.
“Some people I’ve invited tell me that they went to one of these parties a month ago, or two months ago, so they don’t have anything left.”
Comments on Arpino’s Facebook invitation to the “Gold Rush” range from a slew of non-commital “maybes”, to comical accepting comments like “I’ll be there with my Mr. T kit!” to absurd statements of refusal like “Last time you had one of these I woke up afterward pregnant and in Snellville, so, no, I will not be attending....”.
Points of fact, this is Arpino’s first-ever “Gold Rush”. And every effort’s being made to keep this event discreet.

Email the maestro at richiearpino@mac.com to get on the guest list.
And if that doesn't raise your spirits, maybe this selection from Jill Scott will.






As an added bonus just for reading, enjoy this prophetic interlude from Slick Rick...
Eye'll be seeing you!