Lifestyle // Women's

Shoe Shopping With Author Rachelle Bergstein

Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin Very Prive Python Pump

Women seem to shop for shoes in one of two mindsets – one, they need to find a shoe to fill a void in their closet. Or, two, they have the means to buy shoes purely to make a statement or in appreciation of the beauty of the shoe. I realized this during my shopping date with author Rachelle Bergstein, who has just published her first book, “Women from the Ankle Down:  The Story of Shoes and How They Define Us.”  It is a fun and witty look at the way women’s shoes have evolved throughout the twentieth century.  Even more fascinating is how the evolution of the shoe mimics the change in women’s roles throughout history—the growth of women’s self-confidence.  Shopping with Rachelle, who spent four years researching the history of women’s shoes, was not only fun but also quite educational.

rachelle bergstein

Rachelle Bergstein

In her day-to-day life, Rachelle is a city girl who is always seeking the perfect balance between fashion and function.  She prefers wedges or flats due to her lifestyle, but appreciates a beautiful heel as well… preferably a platform.  And with her fashion sense shaped during the Grunge era of the Nineties, Rachelle favors edgier shoes that mix both masculine and feminine elements. So it is no surprise that Rachelle was immediately drawn to the Jimmy Choo studded smoking loafers.  She loves the style, and the studding keeps them edgy, but above all else they offer the “perfect mix of comfort and style.”  With a guilty look she admits, “I don’t wear flats as often as I probably should.”

jimmy choo

Jimmy Choo

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Lifestyle

Ballroom Blitz With DWTS Maks, Tony and Val

Dancing with the stars

Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovoloni and Val Chmerkovskiy (Ken Goodman photo)

NM Short Hills and Maserati of Central New Jersey cohosted a birthday bash for Maksim Chmerkovskiy of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars. Fellow DWTS pros Tony Dovoloni and Val Chmerkovskiy joined Maks in charming the crowd. To say the ladies were excited would be quite the understatement. This trio was in town for a special performance at the Hammerstein Ballroom, a special one-night show that told the story of Maks’ career and benefitted St. Mary’s Healthcare System for children. Celebrities, fellow DWTS pros, and dancers from Mak’ and Tony’s studio, Dance With Me, were among the scheduled performers.  The guests at NM Short Hills were treated to a sneak peek of the Birthday Bash performances, courtesy of the thrilling, young dancers of Dance With Me Studios. Enjoy.

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Women's

Nina Runsdorf: Not-Too-Precious Jewelry

After you have acquired precious jewelry, when can you really wear it?  Most of it is delicate and only looks right with our most formal ensembles. You may start with the best intentions to wear your finery “with jeans,” but in practice, it can instantly make you look (or feel) overdressed. So you tend to stick to costume jewelry for everyday, while precious jewelry rests in a box—that is, until you own a piece by Nina Runsdorf. Nina’s NSR line is made up of precious stones, but she says, “jewelry should never be so precious that it cannot be worn.”  This belief has led to a line of jewelry that mimics the edgy, creative and wear-with-anything feel of costume jewelry, using diamonds, sapphires, emeralds… you name it.

Two elements that separate NSR from other lines is Nina’s use of organic stones (amorphous in shape versus a classically cut stone) and sliced diamonds.  The organic stones have a rougher, less perfect look, which only adds to the wearability and character of each piece.  The sliced diamonds allow her to create head-turning statement earrings without the weight of traditionally cut stones.

The success of NSR (and an inspiring trip to India) eventually led Nina to create Silver Skin & Stone. The SS&S line creates the same look as the NSR line (gorgeous, stand-out pieces) but with semi-precious stones. If you love the look of Nina’s jewelry, but aren’t quite ready to take the plunge, the SS&S line is great way to get your feet wet. The forecast for Spring… fun and color!  Look for lots of turquoise and pink opal.

NSR is available at select Neiman Marcus stores.

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Women's

Resort 2012 With Kareen Mallet

Kareen Mallet

Kareen (standing in the back) highlighted bright accessories like this yellow Alexander Wang handbag.

Neiman Marcus ready-to wear director Kareen Mallet recently visited the Paramus store and shared some secrets on how to keep your spirits bright this winter, long after the holidays are over. How? Think yellow, pink, colorful prints and pops of neon.

Kareen presented the top Resort 2012 trends in a fabulous fashion show.  The looks were fresh and fun and the message was clear – COLOR is the key this season.  While ladylike looks and ensemble dressing remain important, one must infuse color to keep it current.

Captivating looks from designers such as Chanel, Stella McCartney, Roberto Rodriguez and Sachin + Babi were very inspiring. Pink is a very of-the-moment color, as is yellow.

Categories: Women's » Accessories, Women's » Contemporary Fashion, Women's » Designer, Women's » Handbags, Women's » Jewelry, Women's | Tagged , ,

Lifestyle

Project Runway All Stars’ Austin Scarlett & Elisa Jimenez

project runway all stars

Elisa Jimenez and Austin Scarlett

The excitement is building in anticipation of Project Runway’s spinoff, Project Runway All Stars.  Since the cast consists of 13 of our favorite Project Runway alums, we are already aware of their talent, accomplishments and style of design. We have watched how they interact with the other designers and handle themselves under high pressure.  We’ve judged them and think we know them. But do we? Earlier this month I met two designers from the All Star cast, Austin Scarlett and Elisa Jimenez, at Neiman Marcus Paramus.  

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Lifestyle // Men's

Chopard & Paul Miller Racing, Start Your Engines

Chopard and Neiman Marcus recently celebrated the launch of the limited-edition men’s watch, Chopard Paul Miller Racing Mille Miglia GT XL. Though most of us associate Chopard with gorgeous fine jewelry and watches, this is not the brand’s first encounter with racing.  In 1988 Chopard became the official timekeeper of the Mille Miglia – an Italian rally of collector cars.  With this partnership, a new line of watches, rightfully named the Mille Miglia, was developed. A new edition is developed each year to honor the partnership.  Chopard’s interest in racing did not end there.  In 2002 the brand became the official timekeeper of the prestigious Grand Prix de Monaco Historique and created a watch named after that race. In keeping with custom, the Chopard Paul Miller Mille Miglia GT XL was created in celebration of Chopard’s first foray into North American motorsports.

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