9 Things to Know about Nancy Gonzalez

We recently viewed the Resort 2012 collection of handbag designer, Nancy Gonzalez, who is known for her handbags and clutches made of precious exotic skins. We were totally amazed by the beauty and craftsmanship of this luxury line, which boasts bright beautiful colors inspired by the designer's native city, Cali, Columbia.

Nancy Gonzalez launched the line in 1988, a woman entrepreneur from a Latin American company who eventually took her eponymous brand worldwide and whose bags are sold at high-end boutiques and the department stores, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.


Here are nine fascinating facts about this fabulous line:



1-  Each skin is selected and matched by experts as it takes multiple skins to fabricate a single handbag, and each design is hand-sewn and hand-dyed.

2- Due to the particularities of precious skins and the dyeing process, no two bags are ever identical. Furthermore, each bag is lined with a different, randomly-selected shade of suede, making the bag-lining color combinations varying and unique.

3- If all the above-mentioned features weren't unique enough for you, every season, the company also creates a diversity of singular one-of-a-kind designs, which is an incredible opportunity to own something exclusive and unique.

4- Nancy Gonzalez's designs are surprisingly practical; even the smaller handbags and little clutches open to reveal deceptively roomy interiors and offer organizational features like tons of pockets and slots for credit cards.



5- The company's Cali factory employs hundreds of local artisans, 90 percent of whom are women.

6- Nancy Gonzalez recruits single mothers and provides them with training and on-site day care, according to a book about the company by Pamela Golbin. Golbin quotes Nancy Gonzalez as saying, "For me, if a mother has a job, then her child has a much better chance for a healthy life and a successful future."


7- The company actually raises its own crocodiles in-house- by farm-raising their own animals, they can guarantee the quality of the skins and the sustainability of the species; they keep 25 percent of the crocodiles on the farms in order to maintain the species.


8- Nancy Gonzalez's designs have been featured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.

9- If you are ready to make an investment handbag purchase, Nancy Gonzalez's bags are a great value. They are stylish yet timeless and delicate yet sturdy enough to stand the test of time. They are the kind of bags you can pass down from mother to daughter! Check out the collection at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Star Style: Cindy Crawford's Daughter Makes Modeling Debut

Cindy Crawford's daughter, Kaia Gerber, age 10, has debuted as the first face of the newly launching Young Versace children's clothing line.  The photo of Kaia for Young Versace is above, juxtaposed next to a photo of her supermodel mother.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Young Versace will hit stores in the spring and that "the kid's line (ages 0 through 12) will feature signature Versace details such as Medusa heads, gold studding and an overall edgy, rock 'n' roll vibe." In a press release, Donatella Versace said, "Like her mother, Kaia has a very special gift."

At just 10 years old, Kaia is very young and the ad campaign has not been without controversy, but she does look beautiful in the photograph and bears an amazing resemblance to her model mom. 
 
Kaia doesn't just resemble her mom in the Versace ad; check out how much Kaia looks like her famous mother in the family photo below:

The Versace children's campaign may be Kaia's first modeling job, but based upon her genetics, it will undoubtedly not be her last!

A New Spin on Cuff Bracelets

How fabulous is the above-pictured cuff bracelet? It is the work of a super-talented local designer here in SW Florida, and would you believe that the inspiration for this bracelet began with a pile of old LPs at a garage sale? Let us explain.

Kris Isenberg, a former children's birthday party planner and mother of four, says that the inspiration for her jewelry line began in the Spring of 2010 when she had a garage sale, and was left with a stack of vinyl records which did not sell. Just as her husband was about to pack the stack up to take over to Goodwill, Kris said, "Wait, I can do something with those old records!"

After a little research and a lot of experimentation, Kris figured out the perfect formula for transforming old records into fabulous jewelry. By heating, cutting, cooling, sanding and then painting the LPs, Kris creates custom cuffs from old records- yes, the bracelet shown above is actually made from an old LP, as are these other great designs:

Some of Kris' most beloved designs center around a Wonder Woman-theme:

Kris explains that the Wonder Woman cuffs actually have a very inspirational message. "A lot of people give them as gifts to women in their lives who may be in crisis and who need to be reminded of their own inner strength, such as women who may be ill," she explains. "It's a good thing to wear as reminder of the strength a woman has within."

Kris has many more fantastic designs, and each piece is handmade, hand-painted and totally gorgeous. Our Om Bracelet (like the one pictured at the very top of the post) has even been mistaken for vintage Chanel!

The bracelets retail for a very reasonable $25 each. Shop the Lucky Power collection on Etsy here.

Susan Says: Hair Advice from the Experts

I am always looking for the latest and greatest hair-care tips and products. In an effort to gather some great ideas, I went to some of my favorite sources, including my own personal hair stylist and two of my favorite magazines. Here is some of the hair-care wisdom:

 
Brian McClain, Hair Stylist 

Since hair is usually the thing that people notice about us first, the first thing I sought out when I relocated to Florida (yes, even before a finding a physician) was a skilled hair stylist who "gets it." Your hair style is your everyday accessory and your hair color should be updated to complement your skin tone and keep a youthful appearance. 


Our personal hair stylist is Brian McClain.  Before bringing his talents to Naples, FL, Brian was Artistic Director of his own salon in Chicago for over twenty years.  I asked Brian about the latest trends in hair and he replied,  "Full, textured hair is very of the moment and rightfully so after ten years of stick straight hair. ... I personally love lush, textured looks with color that is artistically painted with a variety of gorgeous hues blended with definition.." 

Brian's favorite new hair product? Paul Mitchell Texturizing Sea Spray.  Brian raves, "It is a hair spray that a day at the beach would give you.  I prefer applying it on wet hair and adding a little throughout the day."

You can make an appointment for a consultation with Brian by phoning him at 239-200-9710.  He is offering 15% off your first visit for cut and color services.

Ladies' Home Journal

In October 2011, Ladies' Home Journal had a wonderfully insightful article on communicating what you want and, more importantly, what you want to avoid when communicating with your hair stylist. Here are some pointers that are worth remembering:

1.  If you don't want high maintenance hair, say so.

2.  Note any feature you would like to highlight or downplay.

3.  Take a gradual approach to change.

4.  Ease into bangs; specify length and whether side or straight .

5.  Brings photos to clarify; a picture is worth 1,000 words!

6.  When you ask for a trim, specify exactly; a trim typically is one to one and one half inches.

7.  Never say "whatever you think is best."

LHJ also offered these tips for what not to expect from your hair stylist:

1.  Instant dramatic lightening - When people wish to make a dramatic change in color, from super dark hair to blonde or red, it cannot typically occur in one sitting.  If you do so, it could possibly damage the hair.   For major lightening, allow for a number of appointments.

2.  Exact photo matching - If you have an old photo of yourself and wish to replicate the color, remember that our skin tone changes with age.  Also, a change in style can change the appearance of the color on you now.

5.  Total long lasting coverage - The texture of most grays make them tough to color and tough to keep colored.  To date, nobody has come up with the perfect formula to keep gray away for as long as we would like.

6.  Never simply request a texturizing cut:  What it could amount to is a razor cut which can often be too feathery; when asking for a cut to add volume, specify root volume; otherwise you could end up with a mushroom look!

Prevention Magazine

Finally, Jennifer Goldstein, Beauty Editor of Prevention Magazine stresses the importance of frequent trims, and offers some helpful hints, such as that if you request a "dusting," which is less than 1/4 inch, you may pay less than you would for a regular haircut.  Also, frequent shampooing is very drying to hair.  It is wise to wash hair less frequently and instead massage a dry shampoo into sectioned hair, which also provides volume.  

I personally love Alterna products; in fact, they make a dry anti-aging shampoo.  Another award-winning product for your consideration for restructuring hair is Redken Time Reset Corrective Defense. I just received a sample of Alterna Ten Shampoo, which is sulfate-free and rebalances all hair types; I found it to be moisturizing and volumizing.  Appropriately, I will give it a perfect 10! 

A Beautiful Book

The Beauty Book is an absolutely breathtaking collection of exquisite photographs of beyond-beautiful celebrities, all bound into a collectable coffee table tome. It contains over 300 pages of photos of over 120 models, musicians, actors and actresses, including Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Hugh Jackman, Amy Adams, Nicole Richie, and of course the above-pictured cover girl, Scarlett Johansson. The celebs are gorgeous- and they are beautifully styled, right down to their makeup and manicures- and the photography is first-class.

But that's not the reason to buy The Beauty Book. The reason to buy The Beauty Book is that all profits from the sale of the book benefit brain cancer research.

The book is the work of photographer Darren Tieste and his partner on the project, Sarah "Pantera" Uphoff. After Tieste lost his close friend, 35-year-old Natalie Sattler Esposito, to brain cancer in September 2008, he says, "I used all my Hollywood connections to give brain cancer a voice and The Beauty Book was born." He soon partnered with Uphoff, who lost her mother to the disease, and who was able to rally her own Hollywood connections to contribute to the cause.

Brain cancer is a devastating disease that afflicts more than 35,000 Americans a year, according to the National Cancer Institute, including many young adults in the prime of their lives, and even many children.  Every year, too many beautiful people are lost to this horrible illness.

So it is inspiring to see the vast array of famous beautiful people who came together to be photographed for this book. And it is a good feeling to do something- anything- to help raise funds and awareness for this awful disease, even if it's something as simple as buying a book.

Bow Tie Blouses: A Timeless Trend

Lately we've been blogging about our favorite trends- such as color blocking, Peter Pan collars, pleated skirts and printed denim. Another standout style is the bow blouse, which was huge for fall and which is still a fresh and modern look for spring.

Before we discuss bow blouse options and styling tips, first let's address a common misconception about this trend, which is that this is a trend that is not appropriate for every age group. We beg to differ! Often we hear older women say that they can't wear a bow blouse, lest they appear too old-fashioned or frumpy. We also hear younger women say they are concerned that a bow blouse won't look young and fresh enough. We believe that with appropriate styling, a bow blouse is a great choice for any woman, from a teenager to a grandmother.

The easiest way to make a bow blouse look fresh? Just add jeans and you have an instantly modern look.  In this photo from US Weekly, Pippa Middleton models the look:

While jeans are the easiest, fool-proof way to style a bow blouse, check out how totally modern and fun a bow blouse looks on TV personality/socialite Olivia Palermo, who wore her white blouse with shorts at a fashion show this fall:

There are so many fabulous tie-neck tops to chose from in stores and online now.

Equipment is known for making some of the best shirts on the market, and this tie-neck style is especially fabulous, with its sheer style and subtle polka-dot pattern. It's $218 at Nordstrom now.

We love the pattern and the fringe on the bow on this Waverly Blouse from Tory Burch; it's on sale now for $212 on Tory Burch's website. In addition to this printed style, there are also solid-colored versions which are priced at a few dollars less, and which are really luxe, classic and gorgeous- choose from pink, ivory or a great shade called Arabian Spice. Check out the full selection here.

A fraction of the price but also super cute, this Tinley Road bow blouse is on sale online on Piperlime for an astounding $19.99- and Piperlime offers free shipping with no minimum purchase! The top is available in two colors- the grey/black combo featured below and a super-sharp-looking white/black combination as well.

After you make your shopping selection- or dig into your wardrobe (or your mother's closet!) for a bow blouse from the past, here are a few more ideas for how to style your shirt, from one of our favorite fashion resources, InStyle magazine. This article from the January 2012 issue shows you four ways to tie your bow tie to complete your look. (Also note the photo of Jessica Biel looking sharp in a bow blouse and blue jeans!)

Bow blouses have a great, long history in fashion and we think a bow blouse will tie up and complete any outfit.

Food, Fitness & Fashion

We are always looking for ways to eat well, improve our nutrition, build strength and bolster our immune systems through optimal diet. And all the better if eating well helps to improve our skin, hair, nails and overall appearance.

That's why we were so excited to be introduced to Jenia Yashaya. Jenia has a unique background which combines nutrition, fitness, and what else? Fashion!

An FIT grad who worked in high-end NYC retail stores for many years, Jenia also has her B.S. degree in Nutrition Therapy & Exercise Physiology. She is also an AFAA-certified Personal Trainer and Aerobic Instructor, and received her holistic nutrition training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where she was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories.

Did we mention that Jenia (pictured above) is also the mother of two young children? Oh, and she also recently launched her own business, which is fabulously named: Holistic Body Couture: Naturally Tailored from the Inside Out.  Her mission? "To educate, inform, and change the way people think and live in more healthy, natural active way to suit their lifestyle."

How does Jenia have the energy to do all this? By eating right, of course! We love that as a fashionista, fitness trainer, and holistic nutritionist, Jenia understands all the elements that go into good health and looking your best.

So we asked Jenia, "What is the one single best thing a woman of any age can eat to improve her overall appearance and well being?"

Jenia's answer was simple: Swap caffeine for water and green juice. Jenia swears that if we skip our morning coffee and dust off our juicer instead, whipping up some green juice (Jenia loves kale), we'll see an improvement in our skin, hair, energy, clarity, and we may even lose weight.

Jenia also gave us a list of power foods to create super-smoothies. To begin, put almond milk, bananas, and frozen strawberries into a blender. This alone sounds yummy and healthful but Jenia recommends adding some of the following for a beauty-health-energy boost:

• Hemp powder for complete protein
• Maca powder for libido, energy, to help prevent PMS, to stave off anxiety and for reproductive health
• Cacao- the ingredient that chocolate is made from- for antioxidants, vitamins and fiber

To learn more about Jenia visit her website, holisticbodycouture.com (she has more great recipes on her site as well).

Jenia offers a free 45-minute consultation during which she will discuss your personal health history, diet, and nutrition goals and she is also currently offering a 10 percent discount on her nutrition consultation service. She has a six-month program during which she meets with her clients bi-weekly to provide ongoing personalized nutrition support and advice. She can meet in person, on the phone, or even via Skype, so while Jenia is NY-based, you can connect with her anywhere.

Email Jenia at Jenia@HolisticBodyCouture.com and let her know you saw her on Like Mother, Like Daughter.