Nicole MIller

Last night, THE KING COLLECTIVE came out to support the partnership between INDEGO AFRICA and NICOLE MILLER at Nicole’s flagship SOHO boutique at 77 Greene Street NYC.


Indego Africa is an non-profit organization that empowers African women to lift their families out of poverty by emphasizing entrepreneurship and independence through fair trade partnerships, international export market access and long-term skill development.  The organization attacks systematic poverty by delivering access to export markets and job skills to African women.  Indego Africa’s business model is built on core values of transparency and good governance.  The organization:

• Partners with women-only cooperatives of world-class artisans in Rwanda
• Sells their masterful fair trade contemporary accessories and home decor products at high-end retailers across the US and online
• Pays the women a fair wage, in including 50% in advance of production
• Returns 100% of the profits to Indego Africa's ground-breaking training programs in Financial Management & Entrepreneurship, Literacy and Computer
• Harnesses local talent to teach the training programs with Generation Rwanda, an extraordinary NGO that provides university scholarships to Rwanda's top students.
  

At the event, Nicole Miller, the iconic New York fashion designer personally launched an exclusive line of multi-colored fair trade textile bangles and woven bracelets co-designed with, and hand-crafted by, the remarkable artisans at Indego Africa's partner co-ops Cocoki and Covanya.

The crowd came in droves to listen to dazzling Cape Verdean singer Fantcha, mingle with the trendsetters of NYC, sip champagne and browse the merchandise.  Hoards of female shoppers attacked the poor girls tending the cash register in their excitement to buy up all of the beautiful bracelets!  Erin Morgan Sweeney from The King Collective was one of those shoppers and, as did the others, put on her bangles and wore them throughout the evening.

Beyond the Rwandan made accessories, Nicole also donated 15% of the evening’s proceeds to Indego Africa’s programs, encouraging people to shop as they mingled.  We ran into one of our favorites, including Derek Fabulous  and Nicole Miller and her merchandising guru Janey Evett.

The crowd was still dancing away to Fantcha’s tunes when we headed out to Felix’s to enjoy drinks and snacks with design sensation Richie Rich, photographer and Huffington Post writer Alex Geana, Derek Fabulous and Janey Evett of Nicole Miller.

We’re wearing our bangles again today!  Thanks Indego Africa and Nicole Miller for a wonderful night!!

Julie Depardieu in IVANAhelsinki

French actress graces the pages of Dealer de Luxe this month wearing the Gloria dress from IVANAhelsinki's Autumn/Winter Copper Chain Collection!

Nordstrom is Coming to Soho!!

Nordstrom has just announced that they will be opening up a store in NYC's Soho neighborhood.

This fall, the Seattle-based department store is slated to take over the first 2 floors of an 11,000 square foot building at 350 West Broadway (between Grand and Broome).  The other 7 floors are full-floor residences.

The Soho shop will be the first and only Concept Shop, with a charity angle, where all earnings will go to nonprofit organizations.

Bloomingdales beware...they will be just a hop, skip, and a jump away! 

Pierre Hardy X Gap

After months of anticipation, the first pair of shoes from the Pierre Hardy X Gap Collection were to be released today here in New York City.  There was quite a bit of confusion on the release date...first we were told 10/19, then it was pushed back to 10/28.  You can imagine the excitement when The Gap sent out a press release announcing that the first pair, a black suede platform (who's photo had been floating around the internet for months), would be released 3 days early to select stores in New York City, Chicago, and Houston.

However, as shoppers eagerly waited outside The Gap on Fifth Avenue  this morning, they were sadly told that even though the shoes had arrived, they were not on the floor yet and that the store had an extremely limited number of pairs (we're talking single digits ladies).

Word on the street is, that there are 3 stores in NYC which received shipments today...the Fifth Avenue store in the Flatiron District, The Herald Square store, and the Broadway location on the Upper West Side. 

Our advice is to stalk these stores if you want to have any chance of even getting a glimpse of these shoes, otherwise, you'll have to wait until December, when the rest of the collection hits stores.

Good Luck!

xoxo

KING

Tiia Vanhatapio at the Finnish Elle Awards

Wednesday night, Tiia Vanhatapio attended the Finnish Elle Awards, as she was nominated for the People's Choice Award in the "Best Dressed" category!  Check out some of the guests wearing Tiia's designs!

 Designer Tiia Vanhatapio (dressed in Tiia Vanhatapio AW10 Collection "Souls") and Eero Leppanen

 Sanna Myller, Director of Sales and Marketing, Aller Media Ltd (the publishers of Elle magazine) wearing a custom made Tiia Vanhatapio "Black Swan" dress.

 Freelance fashion editor for Elle Suvi-Elina Enqvist wearing Elsa lace "Taboo" dress from Tiia Vanhatapio's SS11 "Druidess" collection

Check out more from Tiia Vanhatapio at www.vanhatapio.fi.

Mia Morgan

Celebrity Stylist and good friend of The King Collective, Mia Morgan styled an amazing shoot for latest issue of Blank Magazine.  Check out her outstanding editorial spread here!

To see more of Mia's work, visit her website here!

Bridal Fashion Week! Anne Bowen Spring 2011

10/17/10

The Eventi Hotel

Anne Bowen Bridal Collection Runway Presentation

On Sunday, The King Collective had the pleasure of attending Anne Bowen's Bridal Collection Runway Presentation as special guests of Anne Bowen herself!  Guests mingled while sipping sparkling water and champagne until it was time to take their seats.  

The Runway

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

This season's collection is entitled "Of The Gods" which is represented in the ethereal quality if the gowns, which are named for Welsh Goddesses, such as Don: Goddess of the Heavens, Modron: Divine Mother Goddess, and Cordelia: Goddess of Summer Flowers.  The silhouettes, which represent the modern goddess, are created of tulle, silk organza and silk satin chiffon.

Dark dramatic eyes and sleek glamorous hair complemented the gowns, courtesy of Warren Tricomi.

 The Morrigan  Great Queen

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 Don  Goddess of the Heavens

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 Sulis Goddess of Healing

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 Amazing train!

 Serona Goddess of Healing and Fertility

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 (photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 Modron Divine Mother Goddess

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 (photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 Guinevere  Sovereign Source of Power

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 Amazing!

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 (photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 Rhiannon  Goddess of Birds and Horses

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 (photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 Tamara  Goddess of Rivers & Protective Force

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 (photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 Ratis  Goddess of Protective Fortification & Boundaries

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 (photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 Cordelia  Goddess of Summer Flowers

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 (photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 Arianrhod  Goddess of the Stars

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

 Anne Bowen with her Goddesses!

(photo courtesy of Weddings Unveiled Magazine)

For more information on Anne Bowen visit www.annebowen.com

Gen Art Resurrection Benefit

On November 4, Gen Art is hosting the Resurrection Benefit at Good Units in the Hudson Hotel.  All proceeds will go to emerging filmmakers and fashion designers who suffered monetary losses when Gen Art went into bankruptcy this past May.

Hosted by:
The Gen Art Foundation
The Evening's Honorary Alumni Host Committee:
Chrissie Miller of Sophomore
Edward Norton
Eva Amurri
Jason Ritter
Jeremy Renner
Jordan Betten of Lost Art
Josh Radnor
Krysten Ritter
Lisa Mayock & Sophie Buhai of Vena Cava
Lisa Salzer of Lulu Frost
Kate Mara
Norman Reedus
Paz de la Huerta
Rooney Mara
Steven Cox & Daniel Silver of Duckie Brown
Wenlan Chia of Twinkle
Whitney Port of Whitney Eve

performance by:
DJ REACH 

To purchase tickets, please click here 

MNG by Mango for JC Penney Launch

On Tuesday night Erin and Keri of The King Collective joined celebrity stylist Mia Morgan at Capitale for the launch of Mango's exclusive line for JC Penney, MNG by Mango.  Mia took pictures on the red carpet next to the Bachelorette's Ali Fedotowsky and fashionista Anne Heche, while Keri and Erin were interviewed about the runway show and Fashion Week by crews from Time Warner.

Also in attendance were Tinsley Mortimer, Mia Moretti, and Caitlin Moe (who were all a part of Richie Rich's POPLUXE runway show) were there as well as Gossip Girl's Kelly Rutherford, and Real Housewife of NY Alex McCord and her husband Simon Van Kempens.

 Alex McCord (photo courtesy of JC Penney)

 Anne Heche (photo courtesy of JC Penney)

 Kelly Rutherford (photo courtesy of JC Penney)

The runway show showcased the new fall collection.  The leopard trench and gold pants were among some of my favorite pieces!

After the show, Janelle Monae performed a stellar set!