I can’t lie, Tim Gunn is the only reason I still tune into Project Runway every week, and apparently, he can’t lie either— not that I mind.

After publicly outing everyone’s favorite Vogue-editrix-to-hate, Anna Wintour, about being carried down the stairs after a surely hellish escape from a fashion show, Gunn has decided to get gossipy about Taylor Momsen.

He calls her a diva and pathetic in an interview with E! News because she spent most of her time on her phone instead of looking at the lines she annoyingly couldn’t remember.

As refreshing as the honesty is, I’m a little surprised, not because I can’t believe Wintour would result to being carried down a flight of stairs or that Momsen could, in all her teen-angsty glory, believe her job was less important than whatever is on her phone. I’m shocked because I wasn’t aware Gunn had it in him.

It’s one thing to be brutally honest to reality show contestants about their lackluster designs, but to knowingly place yourself outside the celebrity inner sanctum because the truth is necessary and often more interesting than fiction may prove quite dangerous in the celeb-circles— however, it does make me want to read his new book, Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making It Work.

Though reporting on the fashionably elite’s maddening behaviors may strike fear in celebrities whilst in his presence, Gunn is definitely winning the love and allegiance of the masses, not that parenting a catchphrase like “Make it work!” wasn’t worship-worthy to start.

On Tuesday, Sarah-Jane released four e-books on her newly launched website. The e-books including, the one I contributed to, So You Want to be a Fashion Retailer?, give valuable advice for starting and maintaining a successful career in fashion and music.

Costing only £6.99 ($11 USD), So You Want to be a Fashion Retailer?, discusses everything from marketing aspects like branding and sales mediums to public relations tools like blogging and press kits. All topics have sound advice from online notables including: Crosby Nicks of PR Couture, Maureen Puia of Smashing Darling, Jenny Hudson of Indie Quarter, Jennine Jacob of The Coveted/IFB, Michael Egan of Model Mayhem, Raoul Keil on NINETEEN74, Jade Stoner, Sarah Ayoub, Reem Kanj of Five Five Fabulous/House of Rena, and me.

Sarah-Jane’s other titles include: So You Want to Be an Urban Model?, So You Want to Be a Glamour Model?, and So You Want to Be an Urban Musician?, £6.99 each. Purchase them on www.sarahjaneadams.com/ebooks. ]]> http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/2010/05/19/so-you-want-to-be-a-fashion-retailer/feed/ 3 http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/2010/05/06/how-to-start-an-online-magazine-with-rachel-phipps/ http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/2010/05/06/how-to-start-an-online-magazine-with-rachel-phipps/#comments Thu, 06 May 2010 18:31:29 +0000 Chelsea Rae Simmons http://pinkrockcandy.net/fashion/?p=1844 I first encountered Rachel Phipps almost a year ago. She was a very professional young woman who emailed me about being featured in her magazine Lipstick Royalty. I, of course, agreed, and since, have continuously been impressed by her endeavors including a very funny video she created about the great weight debate. Her latest venture is an e-book, Magazine: How To Start And Run Your Own Online Magazine or Publication, which gives helpful, simple, and understandable advice about starting your own online magazine.

From tips on how to score and interview to lists of the best online magazine websites and so much more, this quick read is not only helpful to those looking to digitally publish a mag, but also to anyone writing online— that means you my lovely bloggers!

At $7.50, Magazine isn’t going to break the bank, but it might help you make a little, and at the very least continue on the road to journalistic success.

Before you all run off to grab Magazine: How To Start And Run Your Own Online Magazine or Publication,

In your e-book Magazine: How To Start And Run Your Own Online Magazine or Publication, you explained many people came to you with questions about starting an online magazine, leading you to write this book. With so many intricacies in the process, how did you actually go about planning what is and is not important to write about?
When I started Lipstick Royalty, out of what I’ve included, I knew almost none of it. And the bits I did know I didn’t know the full implications of, like for example what to think about when I was choosing a name, I just chose one and had to change it a year later. My magazine grew organically so I think its important that other peoples do to. It is with this in mind that I have included everything I wish I had known in the planning stage as long as things I could not live without towards the end. I hope I’ve managed to supply a framework for people to build their own vision onto, but a framework they can still refer to if they get stuck!

What are the top three topics people should know about and will learn from Magazine, when they purchase it, if they want to start their own online magazine?
Defining the vision for your publication, if running your own online magazine is really a route you want to go down and all the legal stuff I wish I’d known in the first few months before I learnt all about it!

At 17, you’ve achieved more than many aspiring journalists have at 27. What inspired you to start writing and dabbling in the field of journalism?
Chance. I think of about four big ideas every week, and most of them turn out dead on arrival. It was around the time I had really started to get comfortable with my creative writing – after I had been doing it for about a year – when I wanted to try other stuff. One of my mad, mad ideas was starting my own fashion magazine, so I did it, and its been my most successful spur of the moment ideas yet! Why did I start writing at all? Because I actually listened to what one of my school teachers was saying in lessons and though ‘wait, I can do this!’ I owe him a lot for at least daring to make his lessons interesting and getting me to sit up and pay attention for once!

When you began exploring your writing career, did you know you wanted to publish your own magazine?
I seriously had no clue what I wanted to do, I just wanted to write. Fashion was actually this totally new thing for me, and I’m really surprised that is what I chose to write about. I think it may have been something to do with the fact I had a copy of Vogue on the bed next to me when I decided I wanted to try my hand at an online magazine. Except for reading the magazine occasionally and looking at all my Mum’s beautiful shoes and dresses in her wardrobe fashion never used to be part of my world. I love writing about fashion now though, but I’m looking to branch out into more of a politics/ current affairs direction. I’ll always write about fashion though!

In Magazine, you stress finding one’s niche, how did you go about finding yours for both Lipstick Royalty‘Cause I Rather Waste My Life Pretending?
With Lipstick Royalty I was so unprepared with my vision, I had no clue where the magazine was going at first. Someone introduced me to alternative fashion, I thought ‘okay, lets run with this’, we did and people seemed to love it and it stuck. When the time came to change the name from Inside Out to Lipstick Royalty I had come to understand how important having a creative, niche vision is so I worked hard on tailoring that to fit, so that the magazine was specific for our alternative, but not too avant-garde audience. With my blog I just wanted to do my own thing, so I decided my niche would be someone like me; with an interest in fashion and art, but someone who is also into film, literature and the odd smattering of politics too. By making sure my posts cater to this type of person I’m starting to build a loyal readership inside my specific niche of people like me!

What skills did you learn from starting Lipstick Royalty that you use now with your own blog ‘Cause I’d Rather…?
Tailoring content to suit both myself and the reader; publishing something they want to read but I’ll enjoy writing. While I was running the magazine I became somewhat of a whiz at online PR, and that has been so helpful with the blog I can’t tell you how much!

In what way did blogging help you as a magazine editor-in-chief?
Blogging actually realised for me that I don’t want to be the editor of a magazine, not just yet anyway. It freed me form editorial and time constraints and I loved it, it was actually one of the things that lead me to shutting down the magazine.

How do you deal with the days when you have homework, real life, magazine/blog work, and seemingly everything else to do?
That sounds like every day. During the school holidays I live a very BoHo artists existence either in England or France, unless I happen to have a photo shoot (I’m a fashion photographer) booked that day. I go to a boarding school so when class and homework is thrown into the mix my time becomes insanely structured. I seem to be cramming studying, homework, photography, writing, blogging, classes, leisure time and, when I was still running it, the magazine into every spare second. I literally do stuff as and when they occur to me to do it, or if I haven’t done it by the night/ day before it is due I make myself do it. I know I don’t have the best work ethic for my school work, but love all my other commitments so I try to chop and change so I never stay on the same thing too long! We have compulsory sport which is actually a bit of a blessing, so almost every single day I’m either training with my team if its hockey season, or doing a social sport like tennis so I can hang out with some of my friends! I also make myself watch an hour, and only an hour of TV every evening so my brain can switch off before the last slog before 11pm. However, even with all this you still find me sometimes revising political pressure groups in front of Britains Got Talent and walking along corridors and around the school reading the days paper, as that is the only time I have to spare to do it!

Will there be more e-books to come?
I think I may write an e-Book on getting into fashion photography, but I’m don’t think I’ve yet reached a high enough personal standard to be advising others yet, but I’m getting there I hope! The same with blogging. I would absolutely LOVE to write an e-Book on how on become a publish author, but I need to become one of them myself first!

What else can we look forward to seeing from you in the future?
At the end of late year I wrote a young adult novel, and I’m looking for an agent with a view of getting it published right now but I’ve actually decided I want to re-write it, so that may be a couple of year in the making by the time (if ever!) it hits the shelves. I’m also hoping to greatly expand on my fashion photography portfolio, and maybe do a bit of make-up art as well for fashion shoots, depending on how well this mental full face make-up concept I’m doing at one of my next shoots goes. I’ll always post my fashion photography on my blog so keep an eye out! This summer as well as working on the re-write of my book I have a plan for a nine part mixed media art and photography series of works based on poems by famous poets. Its something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and I’m going to be sure to post pictures/parts of the finished works online too!

The “exceptional book” Menkes spoke of is called My Favourite Dress, a compilation of stories and pictures about the favorite dresses of fashion designers, editors, and elite. Inspired by the original ‘My Favourite Dress’ exhibition at Zandra Rhodes Fashion and Textile Museum, an exhibit curated by one of the book’s authors, Gity Monsef, this wonderful coffee table book is chock full of mesmerizing masterpieces chosen by over 150 of fashion’s finest, including: Manolo Blahnik, Tom Ford, Dolce & Gabbana, John Galliano, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Hamish Bowles, Calvin Klein, Christian Lacroix, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Issey Miyake, Zac Posen, Oscar de la Renta, Zandra Rhodes, Paul Smith, Anna Sui, Valentino, and Vivienne Westwood.

It has also topped Amazon UK’s list of best fashion books, all while donating to a good cause— a percentage of the proceeds go to Save the Children.

I first started reading this book not knowing what to expect, but finished with starry eyes and a little more insight into the worlds of some of my favorite designers. I think I also found my dream dress, a Coco Chanel piece made in the late 20s chosen by none other than Hamish Bowles. Not only does the man write one of the only columns I am guaranteed to read in US Vogue, but he has a collection of vintage pieces, probably, no one can rival. I’d never seen this dress before, but with the low back, a scandalous statement in the 1920s, and intricate embroidery, I can’t help but swoon each time I think of it.

What is your favorite dress?

Buy My Favourite Dress on Amazon.com

Naughty me. I’ve been too consumed with my own stuff to actually try to figure out why everyone was so stoked about The TeenVogue Handbook, a title that’s been on everyone’s lips for the past few weeks. I initially thought it was yet another unnecessary coffee table book I’ll buy and absently gush about it’s creative views when guests come over.

This is where I apologize, to TeenVogue, Amy Astley, and all my friends who work at the magazine.

From what I can gather via this video, The TeenVogue Handbook is my salvation and will be that of thousands of other girls looking to get their foot in the fashion industry door.

I’ve had, and am having, some amazing experiences working in Fashion Public Relations, and having had such experiences I know the good doesn’t come without a lot of hard work. That is one reason, the rosy picture so-called reality shows like The Hills and The City have put on the fashion industry annoys me to no end.

Young girls watch the episodes and may think to themselves that fashion is this glamorous industry where you play with clothes, go to parties, and take 4 hour lunches, when in reality, the extent of playing done, in Public Relations at least, is imagining if a celeb or model would look awesome in the garment you actually dream of wearing. As an intern, parties are generally attended only if you’re working them, and you’re lucky if you’re able to pop out for a quick bite before getting back to work— sack lunches all around!

I’m not saying there aren’t glamorous aspects of the job, like when the samples are out of season you get to take a piece or two home, but no job is all fun and games, even in the fashion industry. I hope, when I pick of my copy of The TeenVogue Handbook on October 5th, I find that they present the industry as it truly is, full of hard work, long hours, and majestic pieces of wearable art.

Remember when you were just a little sprout and you would “read”, a.k.a. look at the pictures and interpret the story through the crazy drawings of one Dr. Seuss. Your parents would look at you in surprise until they realized the words you were uttering didn’t match those on the page. Then, they would help you sound out the actual text. That might just be me, but from then on I’ve been sounding out words, or for lack of a cooler term, reading. Luckily, in fashion those visual analyzing skills I acquired at an early age are put to good use, and with the book, Yves Saint Laurent: Style, it is no different.

Of course in this retrospective trip down YSL memory lane, there are words to be deciphered including a couple carefully scribed tributes by Hamish Bowles and Florence Müller, but it is the collection of sketches and photographs of stitched masterpieces from the Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent collection that are the most awe-inspiring. Spanning 40 years of creative genius, this book not only showcases the finished product but the thought process behind many pieces in the YSL arsenal, via the notes scribbled on each sketch in Yves’ hand.

After setting this book on the coffee table in my living room for almost a month, I can tell you not only have I gone through it multiple times just for the sake of oohing and awing, but the book has been quite the conversation piece on multiple occasions. My favorite was when a male friend of the family was going through the book, and decided being a fashion designer would be easy. I promptly corrected him and said, “Yves just made designing look easy!”

This book coincides with a retrospective exhibit created by the Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. The exhibit is currently in Montreal and will run until September 28, 2008 and will run in San Francisco from November 1, 2008 to March 1, 2009. The official release date is September 10th, 2008, but you can pre-order your version of Yves Saint Laurent: Style on Amazon.com for the sale price of $31.50.

p.s. sorry for the shody camera pictures, books are too hard to scan.

How do I say this lightly? I think Pete Wentz is trying to take over the world! I know it’s scary, but just listen. Not only is he in a multi-platinum selling band, but he has a clothing brand (which is selling at Nordstrom, online, and his store), a music label,a clothing store, a hair salon, a nightclub/bar, a book, a Jackass type movie, multiple blogs, and a legion of screaming fans. Plus, he’s now in a Walmart ad campaign (I don’t even want to talk about it!), is marrying a Simpson, and I heard through the grape vine he’s coming out with another book. What form of media hasn’t he dipped his feet in? Newspapers, and I’m not even sure about that!

Before I get a bunch of raging emails from fangirls, I have to say, I’m a fan of Mr. Wentz. I think he’s and extremely intelligent business man who is in one of the biggest bands of the recent past. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s mildly attractive, tends to be very sympathetic towards those in need, and writes lyrics/poems that make me swoon but hurt my head all at the same time. That being said, I think he’s sort of like the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious. He’s all like, “Anakin, I can teach you the true strength of you powers,” and then everyone turns into little Darth Vader clones who happen to be a bit emo.

The book that I heard from a reliable, yet disinterested source is already written and is about modern rock stardom or something. I like to say it’s Pete’s memoirs, but I haven’t actually gotten my grubby hands on the press release yet (this is all hear say, there’s my DISCLAIMER!) I‘m also not quite sure what it’s going to be titled, but if I were Pete, I would name my book Boy Bangs and Guyliner, and I would write about societies new found loathing of the emo sub-culture, which isn’t even true emo. So if you are reading this Pete, I think you should change the title of the book I heard is coming out, mine is better. I won’t even charge you for it. Okay, maybe an acknowledgment in the back saying something along the lines of, “Thanks to Chelsea Rae, the (insert endearing adjective) writer of Pink Rock Candy, for suggesting my wonderful, tongue-and-cheek title,” but that’s it!

p.s. This really has nothing to do with anything, but I had to put it out there. What would you call Pete’s book? (I’m opening Pandora’s box, I know!)

Photo Credit: Pete’s Friends Or Enemies

EDIT: The book is called Rainy Day Kids, which is a book Pete has been writing for a while. Its said to be fairly autobiographical following my whole memoir idea, and comes out October 7th, 2008. If I get my hands on it before, maybe I’ll review/give you guys all the juicy details before it comes out (that’s only if you want, I know Pete isn’t always that popular!)

The Neiman Marcus Pop Up Book was created in celebration of Neiman Marcus’ 100 year history. The story follows a “young girl’s journey through Neiman Marcus from past to present”. If the story doesn’t interest you, its always fun to see the gorgeous, movable 3-D images.

You can get your copy of the Neiman Marcus Pop Up Book for $125 on the Neiman Marcus website.

Click to Zoom

Daniel Peres, the editor-in-chief and the other great editors of Details have written a fashion book for men called the Details Men’s Style Manual. The book gives tips on everything from how to dress for work to how to pick the right pair of underwear. It also includes my favorite part from the magazine the “Rules of Style” section where different notable fashion icons like Tommy Hilfiger, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Giorgio Armani, and Michael Kors, give their 5 rules of style.

The Details Men’s Style Manual is published by Gotham Books. You can get a copy for yourself, or ladies, for your guy, at bookstores nationwide starting today, October 18th, 2007 for $30.00, but the hope this book will give to those of us who hate seeing guys in pants 8 sizes too big is priceless.