Wow...

Wow is really all I can say. Tonight was so. much. fun. I just got home from the Neiman Marcus Gala in Bellevue. I had been trying to get a press pass for awhile and finally acquired one! It was worth all the email stalking!

Dawn met me at Neiman Marcus at about 6:45pm. After our media check-in we walked in to the beautiful new Neiman Marcus. I feel the need to mention that all the people greeting us and working in the store were beautiful and well styled. You know who you are Mr. "male model who I have seen before".

First thing was first, we posed for our inaugural picture taken by Team Photogenic and then we grabbed a glass of bubbly.

Oh wait, I am way ahead of myself. The clothing... It was a black tie affair so I picked out a black lace dress I bought at Anthropology years ago... on sale mind you for a ridiculously low price! I was planning on wearing my strappy satin red heels but then Dawn reminded me of "the shoes". "The Shoes" being my $800 Christian Louboutin shoes I won at Barneys... Do you remember that post? I hadn't even thought of them, shame on me, this was the perfect occasion for them. Man was she right. I fit right in! I have never seen so many high end shoes in one place... on people that is as the shoe department actually carried all the high end designers so my statement would be a lie if I didn't mention that.

Ok, so anyways back to the event... Dawn and I headed up to Mariposa's, the Neiman Marcus restaurant/bar, for the VIP party. We found a place to stand so we could people watch but it just so happened to be the perfect place for food as well. Ah the food, everything was so tasty! More champagne please!

At around 7:30, Magic Johnson (Yeah, the basketball player!) and his wife were announced (Cookie Johnson is doing a designer preview tomorrow) and then everyone dispersed into the store to mingle, eat, drink and shop.

Dawn and I carefully examined every floor, tried numerous hors 'd orderves and had another glass of champagne. We chatted with people we knew and didn't know along the way. The clothing and shoes were just amazing. If only I had an endless supply of funds to throw at Neiman Marcus, life would be good... or at least look good.

One of my favorite parts of Neiman's was their shoe department - it was like Barney's on steroids. Barney's has an amazing shoe selection of designer brands but Neimans will definitely be a rival. I guess it's good that one is in Seattle and the other is in Bellevue.

After walking around for 2 hours, we decided to call it a night... actually my feet called it a night, they felt dead, as those shoes were not made for comfort... They look hot though! We were handed an amazing gift bag as we excited - now the excitement will be "what is inside"... (The answer is a Neiman Marcus pop up book, $25 perk card and Anthousa home ambiance perfume with scent sticks.)

If you have a free moment this weekend, head on over to Bellevue to the new Bravern shops and check out Neiman Marcus - its beautiful. They officially open on September 11th.

P.S. I saw a must have for me - a GIANT book on Barbie... Ignore the fact that it was $500 (GULP!)... I just need it for my collection. Take note Santa!

Check out the rest of my pictures from the evening.

FACE Seattle 2009 presented by Caffe Vita

Tonight was the FACE Seattle event which benefited Sunflower Children Foundation. It was an an exciting evening of delicious wine (Young's Columbia Winery), art and amazing clothing from Barneys New York, plus they had a silent and live auction.

The event was held at the Herban Feast at SoDo Park (3200 1st Ave S) and it was the first time I have ever been there - It's such a great space!

The evening started with an open bar of wine and beer, appetizers, pizza from Via Tribunali, coffee by Cafe Vita, a wine toss, and a fabulous silent auction. (I was lucky enough to bid on a cut and color at Seven and got it!) John Curley was the auctioneer and MC for the evening. I had the privilege of meeting him earlier in the evening and even got a quick picture with him.

Melissa and I mingled around chatting with folks here and there and snapping a few pictures of the auction and crowd. Once the live auction started we grabbed a spot stage left and watched as John Curley busted out his auctioneer skills. All in all it appears the Sunflower Children's Foundation raised a nice amount of money for the kids.

The runway show was filled with amazing items from Barney's - Melissa and I were drooling over many of the dresses. The handbags and clothing were all courtesy of Barney's New York, the shoes however were not as they weren't condusive to the floors. No worries, the shoes were paired very well but sadly I don't know where they came from... It was a great show and an even better reason to be there - charity! Or should I say "it's for the kids!"

Simon Says...

Tonight was the Simon Doonan shoe event at Barney's New York and I was lucky enough to be invited to cover the event for the UFN blog.

I arrived a bit early to take some pictures and chat with Simon. I was greeted by the uber friendly staff as soon as I walked in. One of the sales associates, Kyle, gave me a quick tour and introduced me to several people (Thanks Kyle, you are a sweetie!).

Once Simon arrived, store manager Anne Smith introduced me to him and I was able to actually do a quick interview. He is very witty and ever so stylish in what he says and wears. I was definitely "schooled" on several fashion related people (see influences below) and terms. He would be a wonderful fashion sensei; "shoes on, shoes off". Teach me oh wise one! ;)

First off, I asked him who or what has influenced him as he is not only the Creative Director for Barney's but he still enjoys doing their window dressings (which is where he got his start). He states movies as a big influence for the Barney's ads and style. But states surrealism and fluxes as his inspiration for window displays. As far as people; Daphne Guinness and Diana Vreeland were two woman to add to the list of influences and names to know.

Fluxes you say? Well for those of us who do not know what that means I have looked it up for you: "Fluxus—a name taken from a Latin word meaning "to flow"—is an international network of artists, composers and designers noted for blending different artistic media and disciplines in the 1960s. They have been active in Neo-Dada noise music and visual art as well as literature, urban planning, architecture, and design. Fluxus is often described as intermedia, a term coined by Fluxus artist Dick Higgins in a famous 1966 essay."

Simon's favorite part of his job is "absolutely still window displays" he cites they are very forgiving and he likes that. The least favorite part of his job used to be when he had to perform reviews and negotiate salaries for employees, etc. Thankfully he has moved away from that and focuses more on the creative side of things.

Then I brought up a serious question: how is Barney's is dealing with this sagging economy. Simon says they will be sending out a new mailer soon with the theme of "Dare to be Different". They want to remind people to be "fashion daredevils". Fashion is a form of expression and should be used that way. Barney's is all about self expression and that should be emphasized. Shoes are a great example for this as he feels they have become so "demented, crazy and fabulous". You really can express yourself just by the shoes you wear! "Shoes have become coo coo for cocoa cocoa puffs!" (I loved that statement!)

That leads us into the whole reason we were all there, the Simon Doonan shoe event.

It was a fun and energetic event. Many woman tried on shoes, myself included, and it's odd how a fabulous pair of shoes can get you chatting with random strangers... There were a lot of "Those are so beautiful" "I love those" "They were made for you" and so on... I had been eyeing the bright blue Manolo Blahnik that was in the Sex & the City movie ever since I arrived. I finally tried it on and actually got to jump up and down in it when my name was called as one of the 5 winners of the shoe drawing. I couldn't believe it!

The 5 winners were shown a list of 11 vendors with different dollar amounts. The 1st winner picked any shoe from one of the vendors, then the 2nd winner picked from the remaining and so on... I can't believe I was 3rd and was able to get the Christian Louboutin shoes. I had $1000 to spend on a pair and I picked the one I wanted with no hesitation.The selection of shoes there is extraordinary. It was basically a giant candy store!!

It was such a great event. Winner or no winner, I had a wonderful time and met some amazing people. Thank you Barneys and Simon for such a fun event.

Check out my pictures from the evening!

I Heart Barney's!

Want something to do tomorrow night? Well, if you just said yes then I wanted to pass on the info that you’re invited to FACE, an evening of wine, art, and fashion from Barney’s New York and benefits Sunflower Children Foundation.

October 9, 2008 ~ 7 pm – 10 pm at Herban Feast at SoDo Park (3200 1st Avenue South Seattle, Washington 98134)

Tickets are from $85 - $200. Purchase Tickets Here