STYLEMOM Night Out: Sex And The City 2

Finally! What so many women have been waiting for, Sex And The City 2! How excited was I to be invited by SJP NYC perfume to a special Wednesday night screening! I decided to show off a little ‘Sex and the City style’, and wore my Carrie meets Charlotte dress – a Taylor melon colored jacquard sheath complete with roses and gold studs ;) , then grabbed one of my Jersey style mom bff’s, Jenny from the block, and hopped on a train. (Thank the lord we lucked out to got on a new double-decker NJ Transit train, I loathe the old trains!)

StylemomTrainEdit1 STYLEMOM Night Out: Sex And The City 2

We arrived at the AMC theater just in time, totally “sfitzing” from the heat and in need of a serious snack. How ecstatic were we to be greeted by the SJP NYC team with a much needed drink, SJP popcorn, and the famous “Carrie” cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery :) !

SATC2 MovieNight STYLEMOM Night Out: Sex And The City 2

Me JenSATC@ STYLEMOM Night Out: Sex And The City 2(Me & Jenny from the block strike a pose outside the theater)

The day before I read a pretty harsh review of SATC 2 at USAToday.com, so unfortunately, I went having very low expectations but I didn’t let it tarnish the excitement of getting see Patricia Field’s latest wardrobe creations. I was pleasantly surprised that the movie overall was pretty good, not great, but good enough for me to get my fix of fantasy, fashion, and female camaraderie and worth a girl’s night out. I laughed, I cried, I said “WTF is wrong with you Carrie!” – all worth the price of a movie ticket.

SATC2Balcony STYLEMOM Night Out: Sex And The City 2

Claudia Puig at USToday.com wrote:

Tasteless ‘Sex and the City 2′ Stumbles Badly

“An insult to the memory of the cleverly written show and its celebration of friendship, it’s a slap in the face for the four gal pals (often photographed at unflattering angles) and an affront to Muslims….

The premise has always trafficked in the superficial. But the TV series dipped beneath the surface and interlaced the fashion forays with honest, wry discussion about relationships. Carrie may have had a fairy-tale wardrobe, but her love life endured the ups and downs of reality. And the bond among the women felt authentic. Very little in this second movie feels genuine.”

An “affront to Muslims”? Seriously? No. First of all, Samantha has historically been offensive to anyone and everyone in any other location other than NYC (remember the trip to Atlantic City as an example). If you really want authenticity in her character, how could you possibly put her in another country and expect her to be politically correct? She’s not politically correct in her OWN country, and that’s a major part of her character. Furthermore, Miranda was more than PC and promoted respect of the culture continuously throughout the movie, so I think Ms. Ping went a little overboard on this criticism. Yes, the cultural differences were acknowledged, but as a woman of color, I tried hard to find something offensive, and I did not. You can also flip the coin on this one and say the movie depicted American women as pompous, insensitive, egotistical jerks with a cultural superiority complex. If you’re an American woman, would you be offended to be portrayed that way? Sounds far fetched in my opinion, so let’s not judge a light-hearted movie as if it were an HBO documentary.

The “critics” didn’t like the first SATC movie and most certainly didn’t like the sequel, but let’s keep it in perspective – the movie was NOT made for YOU critics! It was made for the fans of the show, fashionistas, mommies, cougars, etc. – viewer categories in which most critics don’t even fit in! I personally, majored in film in college, and have worked on film sets, and I always wonder, how many of these movie critics ever actually worked in film production? hmmm….  Women around the world will always share a common bond of motherhood and the continuous struggle of redefining gender roles in ALL cultures. And by the stats we review on Stylemom.com, Arabic women, and women from predominantly Muslim countries, have an affinity for style and fashion just as much as many other women in the world. So I say to the “critics”: take a chill pill and put a double-shot in your cosmo, it’s not that deep. **Shout out to our readers in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and the middle east! xoxo!! ;)

Now, regarding the authenticity and the question of being genuine, mommies, the scene with Charlotte and Miranda discussing mommy issues and stress, has happened to almost ALL of us (I cried as did other mommies who attended). We have mommy meltdowns on a regular basis, and sometimes it calls for a chat with our BFF, a good cry, and a few martinis – been there done that, that’s real life – i.e. genuine. I cried again when Miranda became so excited and emotional to make it on time for Brady’s science fair. That scene pulled at the heart-strings of my working mother’s guilt – i.e. genuine.

I won’t give too much away for those who still have not seen the movie, but was it worth a girls’ night out? Totally! The performances, the fashion, and the fabulous soundtrack! Ladies make sure you check out Carrie’s Closet and join Stylemom.com as we continue to get “Carried” away with a “fantabulous” SATC2 prize pack!

Click here and enter to win
Stylemom’s Sex and the City 2 give away
!!

The Gals Are Back! Sex and the City 2 Movie Premiere

This week is all a buzz with the much anticipated release of Sex And The City 2. On Monday night, our favorite girlfriend pack made their debut at the star-studded blue carpet premiere at Radio City Music Hall in NYC with the cast of characters:

The Star
As always, Sarah Jessica Parker kept the “Carrie” tradition of fashion fabulousness wearing an infinitely flowing lime-yellow dress by Valentino (in spite of a wardrobe snag):

sex and the city 2 premiere sarah jessica parkerjpg fe0edbf8f03be6a3 large The Gals Are Back! Sex and the City 2 Movie Premiere(Sarah Jessica Parker in Valentino dress – Photo by: EPA/JASON SZENES)

The Gals
Showing off their brilliant and sexy gowns, the fabulous foursome looked stunning on the blue carpet.

Premiere Sex And The  Gree3 20100525072214 640 480 The Gals Are Back! Sex and the City 2 Movie Premiere(What they wore from l-r: SJP in Valentino, Kristin Davis wears vintage Jean Desses, Cynthia Nixon in Carolina Herrera, and Kim Catrall wears Naeem Kahn. – Photo by AP/ Starpix Dave Allocca)

SJPKristinChangeClothes The Gals Are Back! Sex and the City 2 Movie Premiere(SJP (L-with hubby Matthew Broderick) and Kristin Davis (R) change wardrobes for premiere after party at Lincoln Center – Photo by Steven Lovekin/Getty)


The Hunks & Heart-throbs
The men who’ve taken us on a love roller coaster over the years and who have stolen the hearts of Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha:

SATC2 TheHunks The Gals Are Back! Sex and the City 2 Movie Premiere(John Corbitt (L) and Chris Noth with wife Tara Wilson (R) – Photos by AP)

TheHeartthrobs The Gals Are Back! Sex and the City 2 Movie Premiere(Evan Hander (L) and David Eigenberg (R) – Photos by Getty)

JasonLewis The Gals Are Back! Sex and the City 2 Movie Premiere(Jason Lewis… damn! he’s fine! ;) – Photo by Charles Norfleet / PR Photos)


The Gay BFF’s and Flamboyant Femmes
A star fashionista isn’t complete without her favorite gay bff’s to shop with, a fashion wardrobe guru, and a flamboyant legend to liven the party:

FavoriteGays The Gals Are Back! Sex and the City 2 Movie Premiere(Willie Garson (L) and Mario Cantone (R) – photos by Getty)

LizaMinelle PatriciaField The Gals Are Back! Sex and the City 2 Movie Premiere(Liza Minelli (L) puts the “F” in fabulous in her shear silver duds and SATC minister of fashion and style, Patricia Field (R) – photos by Getty)

The Celebrity Friends & Fans
You can always count on some of Hollywood’s “who’s who” to come out and support Carrie and the gang:

VanessaWilliams JLoveHewitt The Gals Are Back! Sex and the City 2 Movie Premiere(Hot momma Vanessa Williams (L) rocking the “goddess” one-shoulder dress, and Jennifer Love Hewitt (R) is smokin’ as she shows off those curves in a Herve Leger dress – photos by AP)

See more photos from the SATC 2 premiere, and vote for the best dressed at Huffington Post.

Shop the looks from SATC 2 in the movie closet.

Join in the fun on Sex and the City 2 Facebook Page.

**Check back daily this week as Stylemom.com will be hosting super chic SATC 2 give aways with fab prizes!

Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

For The Girls: UNIQLO Alice in Wonderland Collection

We love Alice in Wonderland and was excited to hear that UNIQLO has partnered with Disney to design an exclusive UT printed T-Shirt collection with the debut of the movie. The UNIQLO Alice in Wonderland UT collection has been inspired by the mysterious world of Alice depicted in the film and features a wide range of styles including printed t-shirts, vests, leggings, tunics, tote bag and stole.  Prices range from $10.50 – $29.50.

AliceWonderland Backdrop For The Girls: UNIQLO Alice in Wonderland Collection

The best part: buy 2 products from the UNIQLO Alice In Wonderland collection and receive one of these cool limited edition mirrors for free!

 For The Girls: UNIQLO Alice in Wonderland Collection

Click here to check out the full Alice in Wonderland collection at UNIQLO

Missing the Manolo’s: Sex And The City 2 Movie Trailer

The buzz never stops in the world of fashion and entertainment when it comes to Carrie and the girls. However, the Sex and the City 2 Movie is coming in haute and hot, under a veil of press heat for not showing off a more “recession conscious” wardrobe.

Fashion may have needed them to make these movies…remember all the back and forth, movie, no movie for the 1st one? In the face of dismal luxe retail sales, the economy, and the digital age changing trends faster than you can change your underwear… I can only imagine the labels and Pat fields kiss up sessions going on to get placement in these movies.

Check out a sneak peak of all the fashion and glam in all it’s glory in the SATC 2 movie trailer:

Valentino The Last Emporer DVD Release

In my mad mad mommy world and crazy schedule, I was unable to get to a theater to check out Valentino The Last Emporer. Unfortunately, Transformers, Up, G.I. Joe, and other action packed and animated movies took precedence with my boys this past spring and summer. But how excited am I as Valentino’s acclaimed documentary is being released on DVD September 8th! Ahhh the dresses and handbags from this legendary designer make me absolutely swoooon!

ValentinoTheLastEmpDVD

Order your copy today!
Buy Valentino: The Last Emperor Valentino The Last Emporer DVD Release

If your a fashion documentary junkie, get your fix and check out these other fab movies about designer legends:

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Street Style Immortalized: The Sartorialist Book

So in the wee hours of the a.m. in a bout of insomnia, I went online and purchased the much anticipated “bible” of street style photography, The Sartorialist by Scott Schuman.

TheSartorialist_Book

Just released yesterday in the U.S., this book is a must have for all, not just the fashionistas that read Scott’s Blog or those who work in the fashion and photography industry. If you’re a professional, educator, or simply an enthusiast of history, culture, anthropology , or even sociology, The Sartorialist is a definite book to add to your reading repertoire.

One of our favorite irreverent agent provocateurs, the cavalier yet brilliant music man, Kanye West, summed up Schuman’s work best:

“Scott doesn’t just take pictures, he captures emotion. He is not just a photographer. He’s a historian marking the feelings of this generation one photo at a time.”

- Kanye West

So go get some style inspiration and pick up a copy of The Satorialist, and be sure to check out these other great style and fashion resources on Amazon:

Could this be the End of an Era?: Vogue's Anna Wintour

Hype is building and the rumor mill is swirling around Vogue Magazine’s (America) future. Many questions and speculations about the destiny of this fashion media powerhouse have sparked a frenzy to say the least.

So now inquiring minds want to know: What prompted Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, to make a rare public interview appearance in NYC two nights ago? What was the PR motivation behind the 60 Minutes interview and the much anticipated documentary about Ms. Editor-In-Chief? Why did Conde Nast Chairman, billionaire S.I. Newhouse, come out of seclusion, and what is he doing in Europe? Will there be big changes coming to Vogue and the fashion industry as a whole?

Anna Wintour 2009 Met Gala in ChanelAnna Wintour in Chanel Gown 2009 Met Costume Gala (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

The winds of change began to blow through with the growing power of online/social media, a force that the fashion industry is slowly realizing it must reckon with due to the rapidly growing influence it has on trends and consumers. But many of the ‘heavy hitters’  in the industry are still reluctant to dive deeper into digital relations. This of course can be attributed to the age gap between the decision makers and the largely tech-savvy consumer base. (I say let Gen X take over, we may be out numbered but we are the keepers of cool ;) ) Mr. fantabulous fashion himself, Andre Leon Talley, was dragged “kicking and screaming” into the blogosphere according to Ms. Wintour. Now, Mr. Talley “digs” blogging on Talley Ho! and I’m personally greatful for his insightful and intelligent musings and inspirations.

AndreLeonTalley(photo from wikipedia)

As the changing winds picked up speed in the digital world, a big gust blew by with the announcement of the move of Mercedes-Benz NY Fashion Week from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center. From Jonathan Tisch’s interview on NY Mag’s The Cut blog:

How is New York for fashion shows now?
There’s a sense that we have too many shows right now. Bryant Park had run its course. They didn’t want us anymore. The space was proving way too small. A move to Lincoln Center is going to be very energizing for the fashion community.

(Read entire interview/recap)

What’s on the Horizon for Vogue and Anna Wintour? It’s certain that Vogue.com will soon exist soley on it’s own away from Style.com. Some speculate a changing of the guard is necessary and when I hear Vogue France’s Editor-in Chief, Carine Roitfeld’s, name being thrown around, I have flashbacks of The Devil Wears Prada!

Check out preview of 60 Minutes with Anna Wintour as she compares her magazine to a “glamorous girlfriend.” Morley Safer reports on the fashion icon. (CBSNews.com)

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And the saga continues…stay tuned!

lg addthis en Could this be the End of an Era?: Vogue's Anna Wintour

STYLEMOM Night Out: Next Day Air Movie Premiere

It’s always exciting to find out that one of your friends from back in the day is doing big things. My former college classmate, director Benny Boom, has brought music to life with romantically creative videos for Keyshia Cole’s “Love” and Robin Thicke’s “Lost Withuot You”, as well as bringing the flash, bling, and hauteness to some of the proverbial ‘club bangers’ such as Busta Rhymes’ Touch it (1 & 2) and Ciara’s “1, 2 Step” featuring Missy Elliot. From P. Diddy to the Pussycat dolls, Benny Boom has worked with many heavy hitters in the urban music scene.

Nichelle Pace and Benny Boom(Me and Benny – Photo by Jonene Taddei)

I was thrilled when I received my invite to the NYC premiere for Next Day Air,  Benny’s first feature film starring Donald Faison (Scrubs, Clueless), Mike Epps (Something New, The Honeymooners), Wood Harris (Remember the Titans, The Wire), the sexy Omari Hardwick (Miracle at St. Anna and Gridiron Gang), and Mos Def (Brown Sugar, Italian Job, 16 Blocks). The movie poster you may have seen in ads has Mos Def on the front holding the box. I will go out on a limb and “assume” this was the film company’s marketing department’s bright idea to get more folks to the theaters. My opinion, totally unnecessary. If you see the film, you’ll see that the original movie poster is a more accurate depiction of the characters roles.

Next Day Air Original Movie Poster

(The original movie poster)

A comedic mix of “Friday” meets Quentin Tarantino, Next Day Air makes for a great “grown folks” night out at the movies if you’re into dark comedy (it’s rated R ;) ). The movie also stars two new, up and coming actors, Cisco Reyes and Yasmin Deliz, who add some hysterical moments as “Jesus” and “Chita”, a crazy couple in a predicament way over their heads. (I will fully admit, I may be a bit biased not just because Benny Boom is an old friend but more so as a former film major with several years of production under my belt, I know what it’s like to have 22 hr. shoot days, watching dailies at 1 a.m., and just wanting to see all your hard work come to life on the screen.)

The Story: Watch the trailer and read about the story Next Day Air

The Scoop:  Another one of my Temple U. friends, Gerald Rawles (Benny Boom’s fraternity brother and right hand man) was a co-producer, they shot this film in ONLY 20 days (whoa!), and the movie was originally slated to go straight to DVD as the entertainment company did not budget for theater distribution. Benny and crew hustled on their own and secured distribution, which is a major accomplishment in the film biz – kudos and snaps for my peeps!

The best part:  It was like a Temple U. reunion! I saw soooooooo many peeps I hadn’t seen in years! After the screening, we all headed over to the uber chic Hotel Rivington’s Thor Lounge for the after party. The security staff there had to be the nicest and most accommodating folks I’ve met in a long time (weird for NYC I know) and the music was classic hip-hop tracks for the 30′s the new 20′s crowd which made for a fantabulous partay!

Rah Digga, Karen S. Colour U Cosmetics, Nichelle Pace - stylemom.com(Stylemoms: Flipmode’s Rah Digga, Karen S. Founder of Colour U Cosmetics, & Nichelle Pace – moi ;) Photo by Jonene Taddei)

281x211 STYLEMOM Night Out: Next Day Air Movie PremiereYes I know, some of my fellow bloggers gave Rah Digga heat for the purple hair and make-up, but she’s a fellow mom, and hip-hop/rock stars are a bit ostentatious compared to us everyday folks, so let her- do her. I’m not hating, she’s had many glam looks as well.

Native Tongue member, D-R-E-S from Black Sheep was also in the place to be!

DRES and Stylemom

I was so excited that my wonderful designer friend Tamara Pogosian put me in one of her fantabulous dresses for the event. All night, my friends had “Greek goddess” jokes – which is our Temple U clique’s way of saying glad to see you, you look nice ;)

Nichelle Pace wearing Tamara Pogosian

(Stylemom in Tamara Pogosian dress and Marc Fisher boots)

Check out all the rest of the fun & festivities and don’t forget to check out Next Day Air in theaters May 8th! (Photos by Jonene Taddei)

lg addthis en STYLEMOM Night Out: Next Day Air Movie Premiere

Mother's Day Wishlist: Something Stylish

I am grateful as the next mother to get the hand drawn cards or hand-made gifts our wonderful offspring create in school. However…..if Mother’s Day was like Christmas, and I got to make a list (economical of course), it would go a little something like this:

Chic Buds: Swarofski Crystal bling, super cute and can support a good cause with your chosen design! Hmmmm, and maybe a  matching blinged out Ipod sleeves to match the ChicBuds…hmmm

 Mother's Day Wishlist: Something Stylish

 Mother's Day Wishlist: Something Stylish Mother's Day Wishlist: Something Stylish

A day at the Spa, or a gift basket full of Natural Spa products like Vital Earth Traditions. I just want someone to give me a back and foot massage with the Vital Earth Bitch Balance Butter and feed me grapes, is that too much to ask? lol ;)

 Mother's Day Wishlist: Something Stylish

A set of Banglez so I can stay in shape and be stylish at the same time ;)

banglzhips Mother's Day Wishlist: Something Stylish

 Mother's Day Wishlist: Something Stylish

 Mother's Day Wishlist: Something Stylish Mother's Day Wishlist: Something Stylish

If You Give a Mom a Martini - a witty, light read book to remind me to make time for myself

 Mother's Day Wishlist: Something Stylish

And if this wish list doesn’t help you or your family member looking for a mother’s day gift, or if your hubby and/or significant other can’t pick a gift to save their life, send them over to the Gift Girl. The Gift Girl takes the pressure off from finding that perfect gift and ensures that it will be stylish!

lg addthis en Mother's Day Wishlist: Something Stylish

Styling at Barnes & Noble

So I just got back from Barnes & Noble for a fundraiser reading night for my youngest son’s elementary school. After coaxing him to participate, in spite of the fact that he was miffed that there was no pizza and games like his teacher said, I of course was drawn to a stylish display on the way towards checkout.

The Jonathan Adler for Barnes & Noble display sported some cool and stylish stationary, coffee mugs, notebooks and even umbrellas in the ever trendy robins egg blue and mocha color scheme. (sorry, accidentally deleted the full display pic from my phone trying to juggle child, books and handbag)

 Styling at Barnes & Noble

 Styling at Barnes & Noble

I really dig Jonathan’s Adler‘s interior design and am super excited to see what he’s created for Barbie’s Malibu House and the pink carpet 50th birthday bash in Malibu, CA on March 9th.

Watch Jonathan Adler’s video on his inspiration for the B&N collection:

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more about “Jonathan Adler for Barnes & Noble“, posted with vodpod

You can check out the collection at your local B&N location or visit the online store here: Barnes & Noble

lg addthis en Styling at Barnes & Noble