Summer Brights For Hot Summer Nights

Posted on August 8th, 2011

Despite all the chatter about the summer season coming to an end, the rising temperatures suggest that summer is still in full swing.  With summer fun-filled nights yet to be had, let’s get ready to party!

Ladies, grab your friends for a girls night out and hit the town in one of this season’s most coveted trends: neon brights.  What better way for you to stand out fabulously in a crowd than wearing vibrant colors of neon?  With electrifying blues and shocking pinks you’re guaranteed to light up the summer’s night. Continue reading →

Posted in HPNOTIQ HOTLIST, Live Louder, Retail Therapy, Trend Spotting | 2 Comments

Ladies We Love: Jewelry Designer Ariel Gordon

Posted on June 23rd, 2011

Every girl needs her bling, but how often do we think about what the company behind our favorite accessories actually stands for?

Enter Ariel Gordon, a jewelry designer that prides herself in sustainable locally made adornments that are sure to become a staple in your wardrobe — and not to mention, special occasion gift go-to.

We caught up with Ariel recently in her native Los Angeles to talk about designing with social responsibility in mind, handmaking her very own font and why celebs like Claire Danes, Eva Longoria and Drew Barrymore love her flirty and sophisticated pieces.

So all of your jewelry is made here in Los Angeles?

Yup, I make everything locally here in L.A. with all responsibly sourced materials, a lot of the gold I use is recycled and all of the stones I use come from reputable dealers.

What are your inspirations behind some of the pieces and what are some of your favorite pieces?

Well in general I tend to design pieces that can be kind of staples in your wardrobe, like your favorite jeans or favorite handbag. It’s not jewelry that you have to change every day. A lot of my girlfriends have the same necklace that they wear all the time or the same studs so I just try to design pieces that can just be your “go-to” and “everyday” pieces.

I think I am well-known for my initial necklaces. I saw that movie Helvetica and became obsessed with typography, and was like “Wow, I want to make a font,” so I designed the font by hand. Drew Barrymore has one, so does Eva Longoria and Claire Danes.

I also have the little love knot rings which are really big sellers. I try to do pieces that are personalized and still sentimental, but because I design in real metals, you can shower in it, workout in it, sleep in it and it’s not going to tarnish on you, it will last for years. Continue reading →

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Jasmine Solano, Female Streetwear Ambassador

Posted on June 6th, 2011

Our girl Jasmine Solano lets us know we can be sexy without all the fuss:

In this day and age, bandage dresses and 5 inch heels are thrown at us everyday. Being somewhat of a tomboy, I usually feel uncomfortable when I explore the typical magazine get up. Instead I go for balance, as comfort is sexy in my eyes. With that said, I still feel that women can be sexy without all the extra effort and some of my favorite pieces come from streetwear — especially female streetwear brands. Being a DJ and rapper, their clothing represents my balance between masculine & feminine style.

Here are some of pieces that I love:

MARRIED TO THE MOB

Continue reading →

Posted in HPNOTIQ CHIQ, Retail Therapy | 1 Comment

TONIGHT: Yumi Kim Upper East Side Opening Party

Posted on May 25th, 2011

One of our favorite designers, Kim Phan, is celebrating the opening of her new Uptown Yumi Kim boutique in New York City tonight, and HPNOTIQ Harmonie will be on hand to assist in the festivities! So for a taste of our newest BFF before we reveal the full flavor profile on our Facebook page on Friday, stop by and sip on our vibrant violet cocktails while you spruce up your Summer wardrobe with some cute and sexy Yumi Kim frocks.

Posted in HPNOTIQ CHIQ, HPNOTIQ NIGHTS, Retail Therapy | Leave a comment

NYC Gets a Taste of the New HPNOTIQ at Yumi Kim’s Spring Social

Posted on May 3rd, 2011

On Thursday, HPNOTIQ celebrated the arrival of designer Kim Phan’s Spring collection for Yumi Kim — a line that we have been obsessing over ever since Lucky Shops LA. And once you’ve gotten a glimpse of the boutique on New York City’s Lower East Side, you’ll understand why!

The amazing prints and colors pop off the clothing racks, which means they’re sure to do the same while you’re out on the town in one of these super seasonal frocks. Candles, jewelry and other accessories including throw pillows in the collection’s eye-catching fabrics, adorn the store as well.

Both designer and her brand named puppy, Yumi, were in the house as guests mingled while enjoying cocktails by yours truly as well as satisfying their sweet teeth with our signature candy bar. And while Refinery29 — our favorite fashion-forward website — dished out the deals, we surprised guests with a special appearance by the new HPNOTIQ.

Many of you have been guessing the color of the newest addition to our Girls Night Out crew and since we can’t tell you all the details about our new BFF until the official release on June 1st, we thought it’d be fun to see if you could find her in the crowd among the imposters…

Be sure to check out more photos from the event after the jump as well as on our Facebook page!

Continue reading →

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Trend Spotting: These Are Not Your Mom’s Pastels

Posted on April 19th, 2011

With Easter around the corner, there are more fashionable ways to celebrate than by simply painting your nails with Essie pastels. Stars like Whitney Port, Leann Rimes, and Cameron Diaz show us they’re ready for spring (and Easter brunch) with pastel skinny jeans.  Think of them like the subdued, slightly more wearable version of bright skinnies. Check out some of our favorites over on SheFinds.com!

And be sure to impress your friends with your own taste of Easter with our cocktail of the month — the Jelly Beani Teani — because every girl loves a yummy martini that matches her favorite pair of jeans!

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Ban The Bland with Patricia Field and Win A Trip To Fashion Week

Posted on April 12th, 2011

Woman have always had choices to express themselves — from their outfits, hair color, shoes, purses, cell phones, manicures, and more! — so why are we still settling for the boring and institutional look of feminine care? Well now the wait is over as U by Kotex partners with fashion visionary Patricia Field to give women the chance to have a voice when it comes to the one product we’ll pretty much always be committed to buying.

“At this point in my career, I am thrilled to have the chance to speak with young women and bring design to the bland feminine care category through this partnership with U by Kotex,” said Patricia Field, an Academy Award-nominated, two-time Emmy Award-winning stylist whose fashion career spans 45 years and who is best known for her TV and film work, including Sex and the City, Ugly Betty and The Devil Wears Prada. “I’m looking forward to seeing the creativity come to life in the design contest and final products.”

In addition to introducing color and design variety on pads and liners for the first time ever this month, U by Kotex is inviting women to share their inspiration and creativity by designing a pad, accessory or inspiration board at www.BantheBland.com for a chance to work with Patricia to design a new product for 2012 and attend Fashion Week in NYC. For everyone who submits or likes a design at BantheBland.com, $1 will be donated to Girls For A Change—a national non-profit organization that empowers girls to create and lead social change within their communities.

Now we can Live Louder to the very core, so get inspired and you could be rocking a personally designed carrying tin to match your favorite cocktail!

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The Fun and Flirty Frocks of Yumi Kim

Posted on April 11th, 2011

Of all the amazing designers we saw at Lucky Shops LA, one room in particular just spoke to us — with floor to ceiling racks of aqua blue, it was love at first sight with Yumi Kim.

These fun and flirty frocks are perfect for Spring and have been seen on the likes of celebrities such as Lauren Conrad, Tinsley Mortimer, Paris Hilton and Khloe Kardashian.

HPNOTIQ got a chance to catch up with Kim Phan, the designer behind New York City’s bright and spunky line, about how bright colors and patterns are sure to turn heads, why blue looks great on everybody and how every Manhattan girl has her own Sex in the City crew.

What is the inspiration behind this collection?

The inspiration behind the collectio is really that I always work with a lot of bold colors and vibrant prints. And I think the reason why I really like working with those things is that I really believe that when people wear something such as florals and really vibrant colors, your mood is affected by it so with my pieces, even if it’s a gloomy day you can put on a nice bold shirt and walk out the door and be like, you know what, I feel pretty. Even though it’s ugly outside, you can still feel pretty and automatically set the tone for the day.

How would you describe the Yumi Kim girl? Who is she?

See, the thing that’s really cool about the Yumi Kim girl is that because we’re based in New York, she already has that Downtown cool, vintage-inspired look. She’ll rock a pair of vintage boots with one of my frocks, and then you can see an Uptown girl rocking it in a completely different way — but it works. That’s the thing about our brand, everything is very versatile where you can dress it up or dress it down, it’s more about your own personal style.

When it comes to fashion, do you think accessories are a big deal?

Honestly, I don’t think accessories are that big of a deal and the reason why is because my prints and styles and colors speak for themselves. A lot of times I see a girl in flip flops come into my store, or a girl in pumps, and ultimately it’s the girl who carries the dress and not what she pairs with it. I’ve always been a firm believer that you wear the dress, don’t let the dress wear you and with Yumi Kim, the dress will get you noticed.

Continue reading →

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Last Night’s Party: Lucky Shops LA Kicks Off With Celebrity Packed VIP Night

Posted on April 8th, 2011

Last night in Los Angeles, Lucky Magazine hosted the kick off VIP event for their first annual Lucky Shops LA — turning Siren Studios into the ultimate shopper’s paradise.

With dozens of designers including Rebecca Minkoff, Wren, Botkier, Cosabella and Theory marked down up to 70% off, LA’s fashion elite got first picks at the three day, tri-level shopping event.

HPNOTIQ served up signature cocktails like the Blue Breeze, Roq Candy Martini and Bubbles ‘N Blue to guests as they packed their shopping bags or lounged on the amazing rooftop.

The Hollywood Candy Girls were on deck doling out yummy treats from the HPNOTIQ custom candy station while celebs such as Mandy Moore, Whitney Port, Rashida Jones, Michelle Tratchenberg and the lovely Jenna Dewan (pictured here) roamed through outposts from some of our favorite designers.

And since every HPNOTIQ girl loves to stay in the know, keep a lookout on our blog for interviews from designers such as Yumi Kim, Luv AJ and Lauren Wolf, as well as Spring styling tips from Baby Phat and amazing shoe line Pour La Victoire. And speaking of shoes, be sure to sign up for fellow sponsor Hautelook’s newest venture, Sole Society — the chic new address for the shoe obsessed!

Lucky Shops LA’s First Dibbs Friday is open to the public today from 12-6pm and again tomorrow at 3-5pm for a Saturday Shop-a-Thon. Get your tickets here and be sure to follow HPNOTIQ and LuckyShopsLA on Twitter for up to the minute updates on sale items, Spring trends and a view of the Hollywood sign from our rooftop bar.

In November, Lucky Shops returns to New York City for the 9th year running and HPNOTIQ will be there to quench the thirst and sweet tooths of our favorite east coast fashionistas as well! Check out photos from the red pink carpet and last night’s party after the jump…

Continue reading →

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Retail Therapy: Charlotte Ronson, Vena Cava and More For Uniqlo

Posted on April 4th, 2011

This spring, Uniqlo’s Designer Invitation Project lists Vena Cava, Charlotte Ronson, and Costello Tagliapietra among the roster of 9 designers slated to create 6-piece capsule collections for the Japanese brand, WWD reported.  The best part? Each piece will cost only $29.99!

Uniqlo’s Designer Invitation Project, which has featured past designers like Phillip Lim and Alexander Wang, will kick off this spring with the launch of Costello Tagliapietra’s line on April 21 (followed by Charlotte Ronson on May 5 and Vena Cava on May 12).

However, all capsule collections will only be in stores until May 21–so with prices that low and names that big, it’s safe to say you should probably mark you calendars.

[via SheFinds]

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