Name: Oxana Ong
Occupation: Fashion editor, Glamour Russia
Spotted: Milan

The post Street style: Milan appeared first on Metro.us.

Essentials to relax in during your (much-needed) long weekend away.

The post Packing for Memorial Day Weekend appeared first on Metro.us.

Banana Republic and Milly designer Michelle Smith teamed up for a limited-edition capsule inspired by summer days spent in the Hamptons. The concept is perfect for Smith, whose main line consists of bold, graphic prints — the kind you want to live in during those days of lobster roll lunches and cocktails parties on the sand. But before you think this collection was just a day at the beach, the partnership marked the first time Smith ventured into menswear. The results: plenty of peppy separates for the man who’s not afraid of color.

And since Jitney season is here, we thought we’d pull three of our favorite looks from the 60-piece line, which hits stores on May 30.  If you haven’t booked your summer house or found a friend’s place to crash at yet, here’s some inspiration to get you moving.

The post Banana Republic and Milly head to the Hamptons appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Monica Ainley
Occupation: Fashion features writer at Avenue 32
Spotted: London

What she’s wearing:
“I’m wearing a COS coat, an Alexander Wang handbag, a Barbara Casasola top and trousers and Cutler & Gross sunglasses.”

The one trend that she would banish from existence:
“A life-sized, bloodthirsty Rottweiler on your sweatshirt is never ‘a look’ as far as I’m concerned.”

The post Street style: London appeared first on Metro.us.

Walking the red carpet of the world’s most famous film showcase is a test of nerves for celebrities, not helped by wind, rain and the chaos of hundreds of photographers shouting their names. From choosing the perfect dress and hairdo, to trying not to trip on the famous red steps, the pressure is on for movie stars and glitterati at the 12-day Cannes film festival on the swanky French Riviera, which wraps up May 26. “It’s always scary and I’m always intimidated by these things,” actress Carey Mulligan told Reuters TV after her entrance in the pouring rain at the festival’s premiere of Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” in a pale pink Dior gown.

“There’s always a lot of pressure. Girls have lots of pressure. But I felt great and comfortable. Apart from the rain it was all pretty smooth,” she said. An actress who can smile, wave to the cameras and sign autographs while battling wet feet, goosebumps and mussed hairdos deserves an acting award. “I’m going to blow away! I feel like Mary Poppins!” joked jury member Nicole Kidman, wearing a spring-like floral gown, also by Dior, on opening night.

In the latest celebrity wardrobe malfunction, “Desperate Housewives” star Eva Longoria inadvertently exposed herself as she hiked up her gown to avoid red carpet puddles on Saturday. The foul weather has meant local stores have done brisk sales of jackets, sweaters, closed-toe shoes and umbrellas.

Some stars, however, managed to stay immaculately groomed. French actress Marion Cotillard arrived at Monday’s premiere of “Blood Ties” by director Guillaume Canet and co-starring Clive Owen with a high beehive hairdo that would have been impossible without a girl’s best friend: hairspray.

Even less-glamorous dealmakers who head to the festival to buy and sell new films have been affected by the weather. “If this Cannes market turns out to be slower than usual, I will blame it entirely on wet socks,” tweeted Magnolia Pictures executive Peter Van Steemburg.

With all eyes in the entertainment industry on Cannes, making a memorable red carpet entrance is a must for stars, and brands from Swarovski to L’Oreal also seek to benefit. “Now the movies, and especially the red carpet, are becoming the new fashion catwalks,” said Swarovski’s public relations director Francois Ortarix. “As a brand, we had to be here also.”

Stars managed to keep the fashion stakes high, with fashionistas like China’s Fan Bingbing showing off new outfits at a series of parties. Dior, with its full skirts and elegant appeal, appeared to be the favorite of the fashion set this year as new designer Raf Simons has made wooing A-listers a priority. Cotillard and actress Jessica Biel attended Dior’s cruise collection fashion show in Monaco on Saturday night. It was marked by bold colors and pointy-toed shoes.

But some opted for Chanel: “Harry Potter” actress Emma Watson chose a pink and black sequined dual-tone dress for the premiere of Sofia Coppola’s “The Bling Ring.” Model and actress Milla Jovovich chose a black and white floral sequined Chanel in one of the few bold prints to hit the red carpet.

An even more striking choice was made by “Baywatch” actor David Hasselhoff, in town to promote his new movie “Killing Hasselhoff,” who wore a fuchsia pink shirt under his tuxedo. “Red carpet, pink shirt … I know, sorry,” he quipped.

The post Nerves of steel and hairspray are musts for Cannes red carpet appeared first on Metro.us.

The retro slip-on
Try: Rivieras France slip-on shoes
$85, www.asos.com
What it says: You’re a laid-back, no-fuss kind of guy who probably doesn’t work a traditional 9-to-5. Thanks to Vans, this shoe is as much of a wardrobe staple to 20- and 30-somethings  as pleated chinos are to their dads. This spring they come in all sorts of new styles, like this retro 1950s model.

The gladiator sandal
Try: Damir Doma Frido sandal
$772, www.ln-cc.com
What it says: You’re the guy who gets a pedicure and possibly even peruses the street-style blogs, where these shoes have been cropping up. Gladiator-style sandals, like the solid-strapped pair pictured below, are sold pretty much exclusively to the fashion pack.

The colorful driving shoe
Try: Mr. Hare Sergio driving shoes
$418, www.mrhare.com
What it says: They’re the kind of shoes that womanizer Daniel Cleaver from “Bridget Jones’s Diary” would wear while speeding off for that steamy weekend away. So if that’s what you’re going for, the shoe pictured above is for you. The cobalt color gives the classic revved-up sex appeal, especially when teamed with a perfect St. Tropez tan.

The bold track sneaker
Try: New Balance men’s Country Fair sneakers
$184, www.oki-ni.com
What it says: You’re aware of trends (bright trainers are, like, so now.) This is also ideal for those of you who give rules the middle finger. Think: the guy who wears a suit with sneakers to the company conference, a la Steve Jobs.

The color-blocked boat shoe
Try: Thom Browne boat shoes
$520, www.mrporter.com
What it says: You’re someone who finds the basics boring and knows what a Thom Browne suit is. With these shoes, tradition meets quirky modernity, offering just enough of the unexpected to set you apart from all of your friends dressed in conventional wardrobe staples this summer.

The post Judging men by their shoes appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Brenda Díaz de la Vega
Occupation: Editor-in-chief, Harper’s Bazaar Mexico and Latin America
Spotted: Milan

The post Street style: Milan appeared first on Metro.us.

1. 3.1 Phillip Lim Chambray pants, $425, www.netaporter.com

2. Reiss 1971 Robbie shirt, $170, www.reiss.com

3. MiH Jeans, $235, www.netaporter.com

4. Madewell Two-tone chambray shirt, $88, www.madewell.com

5.Paige Emily jean, $189, www.shopbop.com

6. Zara Jeans, $80, www.zara.com

The post Trend alert: Two-tone denim appeared first on Metro.us.

As a supporter of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, J.Crew has been launching exclusive capsule collections with the winning designers — meaning this year, you can score affordable wears from winner Greg Chait of the Elder Statesman, along with runners-up Jennifer Meyer and Tabitha Simmons when the collections hit stores Wednesday. We’re especially psyched for Simmons’ adorable flats in punchy brights or featuring dainty Liberty of London prints. Come on summer, hurry up already.

Click through to see the entire collection, including one sweet cashmere beach blanket from the Elder Statesman.

The post Preview: J.Crew’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Collection appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Hanh Merriman
Spotted: Paris
Occupation: Blogger

The post Street style: Paris appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Hilary Wong
Occupation: Student
Spotted: London

What she’s wearing:
“I’m wearing a Zara dress and the bag and shoes are from Chanel.”

Her style influences:
“I work in fashion PR, so I look out for trends, but I also like to keep things simple and classic”

The one trend that she would banish from existence:
“I’d get rid of dip-dyed hair because it’s kind of passé now”

The post Street style: London appeared first on Metro.us.

You might not be able to get your hands on her stunning blush Dior gown, but Carey Mulligan’s beauty look is within grasp. The starlet really hit it out of the park at the Cannes Film Festival premiere of “The Great Gatsby” on Wednesday. We are suckers for the way pale pink looks with bold red lips and that’s exactly the route makeup artist Georgie Eisdell took to top off Mulligan’s plunging-neck Dior.“I loved the idea of contrast with the pale pink dress,” said Eisell, who applied Nars’ Jungle Red lipstick and lip liner to Mulligan’s pout. “I felt strongly about that being the focus of the look.” Eisdell kept the rest of the actress’s makeup soft, using the brand’s Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder and Blush in Sex Appeal.

The post Steal Carey Mulligan’s red pout from Cannes appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Candice Lake
Occupation: Photographer

What she’s wearing:
“I’m wearing a Emm Kuo bag, a Lanvin coat, an Alberto Ferretti dress and Alexander Wang shoes.”

The post Street style: Paris appeared first on Metro.us.

Brands like Target and H&M roll out a new designer collaboration each season, and we’re pretty numb to them these days. But Anthropologie’s latest high/low dalliance has our inner bargain-hunter’s heartbeat racing.

On Thursday, the ladylike brand will debut a limited-edition collection with New York-based designer Peter Som — known for his elegant and print-happy womenswear — as part of its Made in Kind initiative. The union makes perfect sense, since both brands exude a bohemian-yet-refined aesthetic.

“We share a similar love of color, pattern and embellishment,” says Som of the partnership. “I’ve been able to play with many of my signature prints and silhouettes in a new and fun way.”

This translates to bold florals on flirty dresses and whimsical zebra heads on breezy frocks. The 11-piece line, which channels eclectic icons such as Peggy Guggenheim and Diana Vreeland, ranges in price from $128 to $368.

You can stop stressing about what to wear to all those summer weddings now.

Sophie Dress, $228

Elizabeth Zebra Dress, $198

Jacqueline Pencil Skirt, $178

The post Peter Som makes Anthropologie even prettier appeared first on Metro.us.

1. Topshop Solarised Safari tee, $72, www.topshop.com

2. Marni graphic tee, $400, www.netaporter.com

3. Zara Afrikan print tee, $30, www.zara.com

The post Three graphic tees that complete any outfit appeared first on Metro.us.

The euphoria was understandable when rescuers pulled 19-year-old Reshma Begum alive from the wreckage of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, last week. More than 1,127 were killed and thousands more injured when the factory fell on April 24. It had been 17 days since anyone had been found alive.

• 
  View Slideshow

  PHOTOS: Inside the lives of Bangladesh’s garment workers

Even in a country where life expectancy is low, the devastating collapse sparked protests, with rioters calling for the owner of the factory to be hanged. The outrage was worldwide — and had previously been missing among Western observers and consumers about the working conditions in factories in Bangladesh. They have been deplorable for years while churning out cheap clothes for some of the West’s best-known clothing brands. Despite its small size, Bangladesh is the second largest garment exporter in the world with the U.S. being its largest export market, with 19.4 percent of exports coming to the States. Wal-Mart alone does more than $1 billion worth of manufacturing in the severely impoverished country.

But while everyone is quick to point at the labels that produce their clothing there — J.C. Penney, Gap, Sears, Zara, among thousands of others — Chris Rhomberg, associate professor of sociology at Fordham University who specializes labor and labor movements, says it’s a very complex and multilayered situation. “These labels don’t actually own the factories in Bangladesh,” he notes. “They contract the work out to contractors. But this is how the garment industry works: The contractor then contracts them out to subcontractors that are even cheaper and creates this enormous pressure on all the labels to go even cheaper.” Rhomberg and others in his field call this continual outsourcing and downward push of cost “race to the bottom.”

“Bottom” is an apt term. Since there is little to no direct oversight by these western clothing brands, workers making these garments work in shockingly unsafe and unregulated factories. Many are forced to work seven days a week, are bullied into working overtime – and the youngest of them, mainly girls often as young as 10 — earn as little as $400 per year.

“No company is willing to spend the money for safety, adequate standards and wages if that makes their product more expensive than their competitors,” notes Rhomberg. “If you allow this race to the bottom to occur, there is pressure on each one to go cheaper.”

And who is cheap? Women and children. Estimates vary, but up to 30,000 children are said to toil away in the sweatshops. The average age of the children is 13, of whom 10 percent, according to the United States Department of Labor, are married by the age of 10. The USLD report supported the findings of the Institute of Global Labor and Human Rights. “In a recent visit to Bangladesh, a Department of Labor official spoke with children who … also reported that, like adult workers, they are often paid two to four weeks late, and rarely paid extra for overtime.”

Out of the 3.5 million people who work in Bangladesh factories, 85 per cent are women. Although the principle of women working in this predominantly Muslim country has been accepted – largely for economic reasons – they still face paternalism, at best, and outright discrimination at worst, according to the European Union, which noted high levels of forced, early marriage and domestic abuse.

But even with this global spotlight shining brightly on the working conditions in Bangladesh — and the international outcry almost overwhelming — change is still very hard to initiate. There is immense international pressure for brands to sign the binding Fire and Building Safety Agreement, which protects garment workers. This five-year accord, which H&M and Zara signed this week, promises that they will not hire manufacturers and contractors whose clothing factories fail to meet safety standards; it will also commit them to paying for necessary repairs and renovations. The Bangladeshi government is acting as well — they are raising the minimum wage for workers and will make it easier for them to unionize. Still, the Gap, J.C. Penny and most notably Wal-Mart, had refused to sign as of Wednesday afternoon. Wal-Mart believes that their own safety plans are enough. “Walmart believes its safety plan meets or exceeds the IndustriALL proposal, and will get results more quickly,” the company said in a statement.

A major U.S. retail trade group on Wednesday spoke out against a Bangladesh fire and building safety accord, saying that signing on would expose American companies to a legally questionable binding arbitration provision.

“While the proposal put forth by the labor unions addresses a number of shared concerns, the accord veers away from commonsense solutions and seeks to advance a narrow agenda driven by special interests,” Matthew Shay, chief executive of the National Retail Federation, said in a statement.

Unionizers and labor activists worry that if these garment behemoths don’t join the pact, the agreement will lack influence.

Still, H&M’s decision to sign the accord is crucial, said Scott Nova, executive director of Worker Rights Consortium, in Women’s Wear Daily. “They are the single largest producer of apparel in Bangladesh, ahead even of Wal-Mart. This accord now has tremendous momentum.

Rep. George Miller, the senior Democratic member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, who has been working in Congress to fight sweatshops and improve working conditions in factories, also stressed that the onus lies with major fashion brands, not just the Bangladeshi government.

“Right now, [these retailers] must join other brands, unions and civil society groups in [signing on to the Fire and Building Safety Agreement] and begin the very affordable process of making their supplier factories safer. If they fail to sign an enforceable agreement, they are declaring that they accept blood on their labels.”

Eyewitness account

The images that accompany this story were taken by Taslima Akhter, a Dhaka-based photojournalist and activist for the rights of women garment makers in Bangladesh. It shows two workers, a man and a woman, locked in a final embrace in death. Akhter took the image shortly after the collapse of the garment factory on April 24.

She told Metro: “Sometimes owners and the government try to say that activists and workers are trying to make a conspiracy against industrialization – a common tactic when it comes to undermining workers’ rights.

“But as an activist and photographer I want to say that I, other activists, trade union activists and workers support the development of industrialization. We believe that without improving the conditions of workers through proper wages and safety standards, it cannot be possible. And it’s not only our local issue, it’s an international issue too.

“Buyers get products from our country at a very cheap rate, and our labor has become the cheapest labor in the world. International buyers also do not really care about pay rates and safety standards. Through my photography for last five years I am trying to campaign against low wage of workers and insecure working condition of workers.”

Akhter, 39, works as a photography tutor at Pathsala University, Bangladesh. In 2011 she participated the summer course on human rights and photography at New York University.

Involved in student politics during her student life, she became the president of Bangladesh Student Federation. She continues her involvement with women’s and worker organization as an activist. Considering photography as a part of her activism, she chooses to work on gender-environmental-cultural issues and the issues of social discrimination.

Bangladesh by the numbers

Bangladesh’s economy has grown by nearly 6 percent per year since 1996, despite, according to the CIA’s summary of the country, “political instability, poor infrastructure, corruption, insufficient power supplies and slow implementation of economic reforms. Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated and inefficiently governed nation.”

The country’s population is 90 percent Bengali Muslim. Per capita income is $2,000 dollars per year – making Bangladesh the world’s 192nd poorest nation. As a comparison, the average wealth per head in the U.S. is nearly $50,000.

Dorothy Robinson and Tina Chadha contributed reporting.

The post Blood on your labels: What you need to know about the Bangladesh factory collapse appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Nefeli Georgala
Occupation: Fashion blogger
Spotted: Paris

What she’s wearing:
“I’m wearing a Natal Georgiou skirt, top and jacket, Topshop shoes and the glasses are by Céline.”

The post Street style: Paris appeared first on Metro.us.

When you step into the brand new Frye Company flagship space on Newbury Street, it hits you. The distinct, inimitable smell of fine leather: rich and warm, at once familiar, rustic and undeniably expensive.

The leather company, known for its signature boots — though they also sell a range of handmade goods that include flats, sandals and bags — unveiled their newest flagship store in the space formerly occupied by Charley’s restaurant. It’s a bit of a homecoming for the brand, which has deep roots in New England and was founded in Marlborough more than 150 years ago (then the John A. Frye Shoe Co.) and once outfitted Civil War soldiers.

Frye’s staying power can likely be attributed to both the quality of their product and the timelessness of their aesthetic. Each boot is crafted by hand, in fact by hundreds of hands. “It ranges between 150 and 190 steps to make each pair of boots,” says creative director Michael Petry. “It’s astonishing to see the number of people that touch your boot before it gets packaged and put in the box.”

The Newbury Street store is understated and expansive at 9,000 square feet, marked by dark wood and raw metal accents. A handcrafted installation constructed entirely from the metal rings you’ll recognize from Frye’s signature Harness Boot hangs in the entryway. The art piece contains 9,000 rings in total, hanging from leather straps. Vintage suitcases, old metal fans and other retro decor are interspersed artfully throughout displays of leather boots, Mary Janes and even a wall of aged leather sneakers. In the menswear section there’s a space where guys tagging along with female shopping companions are invited to chill out on a comfy leather couch.

The new flagship is one of just a handful they have planned. Petry says they’ll soon be opening Georgetown and Chicago flagships as well but have no plans for a big retail expansion. “Two is twice as many as one, I think?” he jokes. “I’m not great with math; I do design.” They have no interest in opening stores in malls or giant shopping centers. Rather, they just hope that these new flagships help spread awareness of the Frye brand.

And lest you question the business smarts of opening a leather boot store just at the start of summer, Petry assures, “Boots have become a 12-month-a-year business.” He continues, “Really, we just want to make products that we’re really proud of and hope that everyone enjoys them as much as we do.”

Frye
284 Newbury St., Boston
617-247-FRYE
thefryecompany.com

The post Newbury Street gains well-heeled new flagship with Frye appeared first on Metro.us.

Now that leopard print has transitioned from trend to fashion perennial, it gets the same treatment that other classics like, say, a white shirt might. Meaning, designers remix and reinterpret it again and again and again. This season, the spots come in graphic renderings meant to pop. Here are some of our favorites.

1. Kenzo tote, $227,  www.kenzo.com

2. Charlotte Olympia pumps $1,100, www.netaporter.com

3. Vans sneakers, $50, www.nastygal.com

4. Just Cavalli skinny pants $295, www.stylebop.com

5. Kenneth Jay Lane bracelet, $134, www.asos.com

6. Topshop tunic $76, www.topshop.com

The post Trend of the week: Leopard spots that pop appeared first on Metro.us.

Hollywood stars galore came out last night to the Chateau Marmont in L.A. for a dinner hosted by John Demsey, of Estee Lauder Companies, and Vogue editor Lisa Love to celebrate designer Prabal Gurung. Dinner guest included fashion-loving starlets such as Diane Kruger, Emma Roberts and Zoe Saldana. And as you can expect, the glamour quotient was through the roof. We were especially impressed by Kruger, who paired an edgy crop top with silky printed trousers while the man of the hour, Gurung, came in a laid-back but classic Breton striped pullover. Click through for more images from the party.

The post Party pics: MAC Cosmetics and Vogue fete Prabal Gurung appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Alina Hachikyan
Occupation: Photojournalist
Spotted: London

What she’s wearing:
“I’m wearing Aldo shoes, All Saints jeans, a Zara shirt, a Miss Selfridge jacket and a bag from Debenhams.”

Her style influences:
“I dress for my mood and it’s usually something that reflects my personality.”

The one trend that she would banish from existence:
“I’d get rid of fast, cheap fashion like Primark.”

The post Street style: London appeared first on Metro.us.

Loeffler Randall
525 Broadway, 4^th Fl
Thursday 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Tibi Silk Faille Strapless Dress in Kelp, retail price $750, sale price $175

Tibi
Shop up to 70 percent off
May 21 to 23^rd
Hartford Studio
348 W. 36 St.

Theory Women’s and Men’s
Up To 60 percent off
Tuesday– Sunday
Three NYC locations:
Clothing Line- 261 W. 36th St., 2nd Fl.; 212-947-8748
Chelsea Market- 75 9th Ave.
Company store- 139 5^th Ave.; 212-398-2777

Reformation Warehouse Sale
Up to 80 percent off
Wednesday — Saturday
10 a.m. — 6 p.m.
412 Broadway, 5th Floor
www.TheReformation.com

Aloha Rag
Up to 85 percent off from current and previous seasons including items from Balmain, Martin Margiela, Lucien Pellat Finet and Herno
Thursday — Sunday
545 Greenwich St., #2A

The post Sample sales to hit this week appeared first on Metro.us.

1. The hipster
Most likely to be found in areas like Williamsburg, New York and Shoreditch, London, sporting a beard in an ‘ironic fashion’ – too cool for trends. Look out for square-framed glasses, novelty necklaces and baseball caps.

2. The artist
Overgrown beard from months of creative angst, teamed with a rolled tee, trilby and tattoos inked in by his arty mate. Frequently found hanging out in ‘creative spaces’ – i.e. warehouses and lofts.

3. The city professional
His beard will be as perfectly cut as his made-to-measure suit. Nothing wild here. But his fashionable follicles do separate him from his shave-a-day corporate city friends.

4. The eccentric
He obviously works in the media – nobody else could get away with Rasputin’s beard. The unkempt look takes hours of hair manipulation and the use of premium grooming products – but he’ll never admit to that.

5. The fashionably preened
Ah yes, the ‘fashion beard’. It is of course perfectly groomed, trimmed and runway-ready. You’re most likely to find this one on menswear editors and stylists, like our man Jeremy Langmead, Editor of Mr Porter. ​

The post Analyzing the male beard appeared first on Metro.us.

This morning it was announced that H&M will sign the binding Fire and Building Safety Agreement protecting garment workers in Bangladesh.

This decision to sign the agreement follows the tragic events that occurred in Bangladesh last week when the massive housing building Rana Plaza collapsed, taking the lives of approximately 1,126 employees.

“H&M’s decision to sign the accord is crucial. They are the single largest producer of apparel in Bangladesh, ahead even of Wal-Mart. This accord now has tremendous momentum,” said Scott Nova, executive director of Worker Rights Consortium, in Women’s Wear Daily.

He added the agreement is one that PVH (Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein) and German retailer Tchibo have already signed on to.

Organizations such as United Students Against Sweatshops have called on major brands including H&M, Wal-Mart, Children’s Place and Gap to sign the agreement.

“The agreement is a binding agreement between unions and brands to ensure safe work places,” said Garrett Shishido Strain, international campaigns coordinator of USAS. “It will require public, independent inspections of factories for fire and building safely, it will require brands to put money on the table to make their factories safe, and we believe very strongly that the best workplace safely program is a collective voice for workers through a union.”

Rep. George Miller, the senior Democratic member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, who has been working in Congress to fight sweatshops and improve working conditions in factories, also stressed that the onus lies with major fashion brands, not just the Bangladeshi government.

“Right now, [these retailers] must join other brands, unions and civil society groups in [signing on to the Fire and Building Safety Agreement] and begin the very affordable process of making their supplier factories safer. If they fail to sign an enforceable agreement, they are declaring that they accept blood on their labels.”

Although the news of H&M signing on is a major victory, there’s no time to stop and celebrate for USAS, which is continuing its efforts.

“We’re doing actions at Gap stores in over a dozen cities,” said Strain. “We’re targeting the Gap primarily because in 2010, 29 workers were burned alive at a Gap supplier factory in Bangladesh. After the fire the Gap had a chance to do the right thing and make a commitment to the safety of its workers by signing the binding Bangladesh Fire and Safety agreement with the Bangladeshi Union, but instead they announced their own self-regulatory fire safety program. That, in our opinion, does more to protect the company than the lives of its workers. Hundreds of workers have died in subsequent fire and building collapses and the Gap, of all the companies, has the blood of these worker’s deaths on their hands.”

Get involved: At gapdeathtraps.com people can find information about what’s happened in Bangladesh and how they can take action demanding retailers sign on to the Bangladesh Fire and Safety Agreement.

The post Shop at H&M guilt-free appeared first on Metro.us.

Massachusetts College of Art and Design’s Fashion Department showcases students work in an annual lavish pro runway show. Dubbed Studio 621, this year’s production takes place at the Castle at Park Plaza on Wednesday and will spotlight the talents of a select group of students showing pieces that range in inspiration from Frida Kahlo to Korean architecture.

Designs in ready-to-wear, swimwear, bridal and formalwear will vie with wearable found art pieces made from recycled CDs, egg cartons, can tabs, filmstrips, lottery tickets and window blinds. Some designs incorporate original prints digitally created by students. An angle that takes precedence each year is sustainable practices in fashion, a hot-button topic in an industry not exactly known for being eco-friendly. Collections focusing on sustainability this year have incorporated organic and natural fabrics, some hand-dyed with colors derived from twigs and tea.

“This year’s showcase is about trendy, affordable, healthy fashion,” says MassArt Fashion Department head Sondra Grace. “You’ll see collections using hidden repurposed fabrics and natural dyes offering sustainable life styling for the individual and the planet. MassArt presents what young fashion designers can create with a message and a purpose.”

If you go

Studio 621
Wednesday; reception 7 p.m., show 8 p.m.
The Castle at Park Plaza
130 Columbus Ave., Boston
$40
massartfashion2013.eventbrite.com or 617-879-7676

The post MassArt’s Studio 621 fashion show to feature wearable art and eco-friendly design appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Stephanie LaCava
Occupation: Writer
Spotted: Paris

The post Street style: Paris appeared first on Metro.us.

(For the record, Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci, who gave Kardashian the frock, said he was inspired to use the upholstery-like pattern because when someone is celebrating something like a birth, you give them flowers.

“She is a really good friend, and I am very happy she came to the Met for the first time,” he said to Women’s Wear Daily. “I think she looked amazing. She was the most beautiful pregnant woman I dressed in my career.)

The post VIDEO: Kim Kardashian’s carpet dress appeared first on Metro.us.

2. The tech-savvy mom will love this chic color-block leather iPad case, which features a tassel pull. $84, www.spartina449.com

3. This luxurious anti-aging lip treatment— with a sexy 24-karat gold-plated tip — help keeps mom looking her best. Hourglass N 28 Lip Treatment Oil, $42, www.hourglasscosmetics.com

The post Three last-minute Mother’s Day gift ideas appeared first on Metro.us.

Who’s next in the high-low collaboration world, you ask? On Thursday, Target announced its big fall collaboration is with none other than Phillip Lim.

The New York-based designer, known for his laid-back cool aesthetic, will create an exclusive line for women and men set to hit Targets stores Sept. 15. But why has it taken so long for the mass retailer to tap him?

According to the Wall Street Journal they’ve been trying for years, but the designer felt he wasn’t ready.

“The context and the scale, they’re huge,” Lim said in the article. “For us, a little tiny brand, there’s a lot more at stake working with Target.”

But now that Lim’s 3.1 Phillip Lim label has grown into a major force on its own, the designer felt good about stretching his boundaries even further. “I wanted to go in and say, ‘I don’t need to do this, but I would like to,’” he said in the story.

If you, like us, were obsessed with his motorcyclist-inspired mainline collection, here’s what you can expect from the capsule: According to the release there will be more than 100 pieces, including shoes, bags and travel accessories, in neutral tones and prints, ranging in price from $19.99 to $299.99. We’re keeping an eye out for Lim’s trench and motorcycle jackets, sure to be the standouts of the collection.

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Name: Tiany Kiriloff
Occupation: Journalist and TV host
Spotted: London

What she’s wearing:
“I’m wearing a Pucci vintage skirt, a Joseph coat, a COS jumper, a Marni necklace, Rupert Sanderson shoes and a High cap.”

Her style influences:
“Working in fashion inspires me to try different looks.”

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