BAGS AND LUGGAGE: Ananas Collection, ONO Accessories, Signature M

Categories: Fashion, Bags

Ananas Collection, ONO Accessories, Signature M, more options for stylish computer bags



The Style Page has already highlighted Ananas Collection handbags, which are made of natural fibers - piña (derived from pineapple) and abaca (derived from the banana plant). Above is their Miko handbag in white trimmed with sequins. Ananas Collection has also branched out into leather handbags.



ONO Accessories makes evening bags from silk, ribbons, and other trim. Above is their Aloha evening bag in espress silk with ruffled trim and black ribbon. ONO Accessories also has a bridal collection of bags and clutches.



Signature M is a collection of handbags designed by Mistie Dawn. Her handbags are created from vintage books and adorned with silks, paper, feathers, and other materials. Above is a clutch featuring the cover of the October 17, 1969 issue of Life magazine with Naomi Sims, one of the first fashion models to break the color barrier.

How sad that the Signature M web site erroneously identified Naomi Sims as Molly Simms (sic) (particularly as Mistie Dawn appears to be a woman of color). It's all the more ironic, as we conclude African-American History Month. The JC Report webzine had an excellent February 2005 issue on blacks and fashion, covering Oprah's latest role as fashion plate, the other Naomi (Campbell), and black fashion designers, including Edward Wilkerson of Lafayette 148 and Tracy Reese.

We've found additional stylish options for computer bags from Melissa Beth and Gyms Pacific.

For more on Ananas Collection, ONO Accessories, Signature M, and stylish options for computer bags, please visit the Bags and Luggage page on The Style Page web site.

WHAT'S NEW in Beauty

The Style Page gets a lot of requests from small companies selling "natural" bath and body products to list them and finds that it's difficult to craft a description that will distinguish one company's products from another's. For the latest update of the Fragrance page, we've found three companies that offer unique spins on bath and body care products:


KölDesign offers bath products with fragrances that appeal to both genders that evoke special locations (El Maroc, Curacao, Bethlehem, and Picnic) and mix-your-own facial masks. In keeping with the unisex appeal, the packaging is minimalist. They've since added candles to their product line.

Nadina's Cremes offers scented body cremes made from coconut oil, almond oil, aloe vera oil and beeswax. The containers are what makes them special. Nadina's Cremes may be purchased in ceramic jars or beaded tins. I found Nadina's Cremes at Whole Foods Market. You may also order products in bulk, by the half-gallon or gallon.

Tade is a company based in France that markets products for the home from the Middle East. Its soaps are formulated with olive oil and laurel oil, and its rose and olive soaps look like little pieces of sculpted terra-cotta. I found Tade soaps at Vesta Home in Arlington, VA.

From the Makeup Alley discussion board:
...and a long list here! from acqua di stresa to zents. worth bookmarking, guys. ...r/o pls ( )
http://www.thestylepage.com/fragrance.htm

What's New in Beauty

Categories: Beauty, Cosmetics, Fragrance

Dream Matte Foundation from Maybelline New York; Bigelow Chemists; Updated layout of Beauty pages; Consumer page content reorganized

Dream Matte Mousse Foundation is a new offering from Maybelline New York (I find this name pretentious, as I remember Maybelline from the days I putzed around Kresge's dime store as a kid, but I guess its corporate parent L'Oreal wants to give it a more upscale image). This product dries quickly, so apply it to one part of the face at a time and blend before applying to another part of the face. It's especially effective for reducing breakthrough shine on the nose - much better than using a mattifier under your base. Dream Matte Mousse Foundation comes in 12 shades, grouped according to Light, Medium, and Dark. You may find Dream Matte Mousse Foundation at supermarkets, drugstores, mass market retailers (Wal-Mart, Target), and drugstore.com
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Bigelow Chemists is an apothecary based in New York City's Greenwich Village. I requested the catalog after reading a feature about Bigelow Chemists in Shop Etc. (I have a love-hate relationship with that magazine). The catalog featured a lot of boutique brands. One of the things that caught my eye was that it offered scented candles from Henri Bendel, but the candles are as accessible as the nearest mall with a Bath and Body Works store (Both Bath and Body Works and Henri Bendel are owned by Limited Brands). Curiously, the catalog didn't feature Bigelow's own Alchemy Cosmetics, which features some beautiful, silky matte eyeshadows (as well as some truly garish ones). I found Alchemy Cosmetics at Beyond The Pale, a beauty boutique in Middleburg, Virginia, outside of Washington, DC.

The Layout of Beauty pages has been tweaked slightly. Please let me know how you like the new look - I plan to use it on all web pages on The Style Page web site.

Content on the Beauty > Consumer page has been reorganized. I have grouped links according to Product reviews, Consumer interest, and Government oversight so that users can quickly find links and information of interest.

I hope that you enjoy the latest updates to The Style Page! For those of you who track this blog via news aggregators such as Bloglines, you can track updates to The Style Page web site by subscribing to http://www.thestylepage.com/thestylepage.xml.

WHAT'S NEW: Home and Design

Categories: Home, Kitchen, Lighting, Tabletop, Accessories, Ceramics

Chatchada, Kamelyon Design, Vesta Home, Penta, Carrol Boyes, Mustardseed & Moonshine, Lindt Stymeist, and Riverside Design Group.



Chatchada markets modern and contemporary objects for the home, mainly from Japan and Italy. The founders are architects who started this site to promote good design and create a design network. Above are Covo Group teapots offered by Chatchada.



Kamelyon Design is a company based in Austin, TX makes custom handmade lamps with solid wood bases and lampshades sculpted from laminated paper. Above is the Fish-on! pendant lamp from Kamelyon Design.

Vesta Home is a store in Arlington, VA offering bespoke (one-off, custom) contemporary furniture. It also sells Penta lamps and lighting fixtures from Italy.

UPDATE: Vesta Home closed in June 2006.

Potter & Mellen is a jewelry and tabletop store in Cleveland, OH, near the Cleveland Clinic. I will highlight its jewelry when I next update the Fashion pages, but P&M offers many brands of home accessories and tablewares which were new to me. Here are a few that caught my eye:

Carrol Boyes is a company based in Cape Town, South Africa that specializes in innovative, contemporary metalwork designs based on African motifs for the kitchen and home.

Mustardseed & Moonshine specializes in botanically inspired pottery. It is also based in Cape Town.

Lindt Stymeist is a company based in New Jersey that manufactures fine stoneware.

Riverside Design Group from Pennsylvania makes handcrafted tablewares from post-industrial/pre-consumer recycled glass

You may find links to Chatchada, Kamelyon Design, Vesta Home, Penta, Carrol Boyes, Mustardseed & Moonshine, Lindt Stymeist, and Riverside Design Group in the latest update of the Home and Design pages on The Style Page. We have also added a page on lighting and have expanded the carpets and floors page to include windows, walls, and doors. We're excited that our Home and Design pages are attracting more attention!

Yellow bracelets and more UPDATED 2005-02-09

Categories: Fashion

The yellow silicone rubber bracelets from the Lance Armstrong Foundation have become a fashion statement to support people living with cancer, in much the way that red ribbons are worn in support of people with AIDS and pink ribbons are worn in support of people with breast cancer.

It was inevitable that this idea would be copied. Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits fast food outlets in the Washington, DC metro area are raising funds for the Children's National Medical Center through the sale of green, gold, and purple silicone rubber bracelets ("Mardi Gras colors") for $1 a piece. Net proceeds go to the hospital, while the purchaser gets a coupon for free meal with meal purchase. Clever idea. The cashier will ask you if you'd like to buy a bracelet in the way she'd ask if you'd like to add a dessert to your order.

The French company alt-go is using the silicone rubber bracelet concept for strictly commercial purposes (select Bijoux/Jewelry). The bracelets come in multiple colors, and have statements such as don't worry ..., be happy ..., Je t'aime (French for "I love you"), sex bomb, sex bomb ...

One doesn't know whether this is sincere imitation, or French contempt toward Lance Armstrong's unprecedented series of wins at the Tour de France. I was disgusted by the picture of the person who had jumped into Lance's path and flipped him the bird.

The Demand Truth Campaign offers a blue rubber bracelet that serves Democratic Party causes.

UPDATE 2005-02-09 Fashion UK notes Oxfam's "Make Poverty History" white canvas bands with black clasps and the Breast Cancer Foundation's pink wristbands.

WHAT'S NEW: Fashion UPDATED

Categories: Fashion, Apparel, Accessories, Bags, Jewelry

Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute, Coldwater Creek, Graham Kandiah, Maruca Design, and Bakelite Bits at Ruby Lane

The Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute is a trade association that promotes the integrity of cashmere and camel hair garments. In recent years, cashmere has become an affordable luxury, no doubt due to the opening of markets in formerly closed countries such as Mongolia. One can find cashmere almost anywhere, including mass-market retailers such as Target. The problem is assuring if a garment labeled as 100% cashmere is really 100% cashmere or a blend. The Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute offers free testing (on parameters such as fiber diameter and length) to members to assure truth-in-labeling.

Coldwater Creek is known for its catalogs, but is now opening retail stores in major shopping malls. The relaxed fit of their clothes suit many different body types. My husband has purchased several outfits for me through Coldwater Creek, and I get compliments on them every time I wear them - now I just hand the catalogs to him!

Graham Kandiah specializes in totes and sarongs hand printed and hand embroidered in India. The bright colors and light fabrics are something to look forward to for the warmer months.

Maruca Design from Boulder, Colorado specializes in jacquard fabric handbags, but it's not the formal jacquard used in drapes and the fitted coats that characterize the "ladylike" dressing trend. Rather, the Spring/Summer 2005 collection features lively designs but soft tones. Believe it or not, I found Maruca Design handbags at Whole Foods Market!

Bakelite Bits from Ruby Lane is a line of jewelry that recycles vintage Bakelite plastic jewelry and finishes them in new pieces.

You may find the Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute, Coldwater Creek, Graham Kandiah, Maruca Design, Bakelite Bits at Ruby Lane, and more ideas for Valentine's Day gifts in the newly updated Fashion pages at The Style Page!

What's New: Papergasm!

Categories: Bookstand, Stationery

I was checking site statistics, and found an unusual link to the Bookstand - Stationery page from a LiveJournal entry:

martexx writes:

"Attention cranberryink and anyone else who is all gaga about office supplies...where, other than the Container Store (which I love, love, love) can I look at some really stylin' desk accessories? Like letter trays and clear desk pads and vertical sorters and stuff?"

cranberrylink replies:

"Russell + Hazel is great and my personal favorite. This site also has some cool links."

To which martexx replies:

"Oh my god, some of the stuff on that second site. *papergasm*"

If martexx is out there, she'd see new causes for papergasm on the Bookstand - Stationery page:

Compendium, Inc., featuring Extraordinary Greetings, which open not only once, but twice, to reveal an inspirational quotation on paper that's the size of a poster. While inspirational message have become cliche, the two-color posters and type faces are strictly modern. I found Extraordinary Greetings at the shop at the Cleveland Museum of Art.


Extraordinary Greetings

Mara-Mi, a Minneapolis-based company that licenses the designs of handbag and accessories designer Lulu Guinness (froufrou) and ceramist-turned-design mogul Jonathan Adler (modern).

Nouvelles Images, a French company whose products include Fold 'n Please, a postcard with a flap that folds over and seals to conceal your message - and please, no jokes about French postcards :-) I found Nouvelles Images at Whole Foods Market - its store in Vienna, Virginia features a wide selection of cards and non-food items in its middle aisles.


Fold'n'Please postcard featuring sketches by Rodin

WHAT'S NEW: Media

The Media page on The Style Page has undergone major changes.

The media page links to three major publishers of lifestyle magazines in the U.S:

Conde Nast - publishers of Allure, Architectural Digest, Cargo, Lucky, Vogue, and Domino, the shopping magazine for the home, which will debut in April 2005. Conde Nast is already seeking charter subscribers on the basis of a sneak peak into a few of the pages of Domino.

Time Inc. - publishers of InStyle, People, REAL SIMPLE, Southern Living, Sunset, and of course, Time.

Hearst Corporation - publishers of Cosmo, Marie Claire, O (Oprah), and SHOP Etc. While I was critical of SHOP Etc., it's growing on me, even though their style is still too frou-frou for me. I bought the first three issues at the newsstand, and then decided that it was time to subscribe.

The media page features links to Fashion and lifestyle coverage from major newspapers, such as the International Herald Tribune, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the Telegraph (UK). Please note that access to online coverage for these publications might require registration or even a paid subscription.

Finally, the media page features links to "new" publishing ventures, such as femail.co.uk (featuring Trinny and Elizabeth of BBC's What Not to Wear), handbag.co.uk, and MochaSofa from Canada.

For those of you who track this blog via news aggregators such as Bloglines, you can track updates to The Style Page web site by subscribing to http://www.thestylepage.com/thestylepage.xml

I hope that you like the updates to the Media page. You can subscribe to many of the magazines listed here through amazon.com.