The first ever Serpico boutique will be opening tomorrow. Adjacent to their design studio which is in-store behind a silk curtain, they will be featuring experimental and one-of-a-kind pieces along with the current SERPICO collection. I’ve been to the space already and I love how parking is easy where they are located at 1514 N. Ashland Avenue in Wicker Park.

Earlier this spring, I collaborated with Rachel from r.hanel photography and Krista Gobeli of facecandy.net to shoot a fashion calendar for 2008 featuring The Serpico FW08 Collection (click here to watch our behind the scenes video.).

The thing I like about Serpico is the uniqueness and quality of each piece. Melissa the creator/designer/business woman behind it all really puts thought into each design. Her pieces are flattering.

They can also create custom pieces so if you know what you want but can’t find it out there, try the Serpico Collection’s “made-to order” option.

Ever find yourself tongue tied with how to pronounce a designer label such as Cartier or Bvlgari? Look no further because I’ve got the ultimate designer pronunciation how-to for your bookmarking pleasure thanks to the chic spy! I added some designers and made a few corrections but in case I missed any, feel free to comment below and I will make corrections.

Below is an alphabetical how-to pronounce guide, on today’s hottest designers. Don’t see the pronunciation for a designer here? submit it in the comment box below and we will update it into the list! Enjoy!

Abaeté: Ah-bye-ah-tay
Alejandro Ingelmo: Ah-lee-handro Een-gel-mo
Andrew Gn: Andrew Jen (rhymes with “ten”)
Andy Thê-Anh: An-dee Tay-Ann
Anya Hindmarch: Ahn-ya Heind-march
Arthur Mendonça: Ar-thur Men-doe-sa
Badgley Mischka: Bag-lee Mish-ka
Balmain: Bal-mah
Bettye Muller: Beh-tee Meu-ler
Bottega Veneta: Bo-tega Ven-e-ta
Bulgari: Ball-gah-ree
Burberry Prorsum: Bur-bur-ree Pror-some
Carolina Herrera: Caro-leena Hair-era
Cartier: \kär-ˈtyā, ˈkär-tē-ˌā\
Cesare Paciotti: Che-sah-ray Pah-cho-tee
Chaiken: Chay-ken
Christian Lacroix: La-Kwa
Christian Louboutin: Loo-boo-tin
Dries Van Noten: Drees Van Know-ten
Emilio Pucci: Eh-mi-li-oh Poo-ch-ee
Ermenegildo Zegna: Er-men-a-geel-do Zen-ya
Etienne Aigner: Eh-tee-yen On-yay
Furla: Fer-luh
Gareth Pugh: Gareth Pew
Gianfranco Ferre: Gee-an-fran-co Fr-aire
Giles Deacon: Jy-els Dee-kin
Givenchy: Jee-von-shee
Giambattista Valli: Gee-ahm-battista Valley
Hedi Slimane: Eddy Sli-mahn
Hermès: Air-mez
Hervé Léger: Air-vay Lay-jay
Issey Miyake: Ee-seh Mi-yah-key
Jean Paul Gaultier: John Paul Gal-tee-aye
James Perse: James “purse”
Joeffer Caoc: Joe-fur Kay-ock
Junya Watanabe: Joon-ya Wah-tah-nah-bay
Lambertson Truex: Lam-bert-son Tru-ex
Lanvin: Lon-vin
Loewe: Low-ev-ay
Louis Vuitton: Loo-ee Voo-ee-ton
Madame Gres: Madame Gray
Marchesa: Mar-kay-sa
Mainbocher: Maynbo-shay
Moschino: Mo-ski-no
Monique Lhullier: Mo-neek Loo-lee-ay
Narciso Rodriguez: Nar-siss-so Ro-dree-gez
Nicolas Ghesquière: Ni-co-la Guess-ki-air
Olivier Theyskens: Oli-vier Tay-skins
Pierre Cardin: Pee-air Car-dain
Proenza Schouler: Pro-enza Skool-er
Ralph Lauren: Ralph Lauren (as in Lauren the girl’s name, not Sophia Loren)
Rei Kawakubo: Ray Kah-wah-koo-bo
Rodarte: Ro-dar-tay
6267: Six-two-six-seven (not Sixty-two-sixty-seven)
Sonia Rykiel: Sonia Ree-kee-eel
Sophia Kokosalaki: So-fee-a Ko-ko-sah-lah-kee
Tapeet by Vicini: Ti-peet by vi-ch-ee-knee
Thakoon: Ta-koon
Thierry Mugler: Tee-air-ree Moog-lay
Tibi: Tbi (not Tee-bee)
Tocca: Toe-ka
Versace: Ver-sah-chee
Vionnet: Vee-oh-nay
Yohji Yamamoto: Yo-jee Ya-ma-mo-to
Yves Saint Laurent: Eve San Lor-ron
Zac Posen: Poe-zen

Michelle Obama’s Narciso Rodriguez Spring 2009 dress received a lot of negative feedback from fans and fashion critics online while 10-year-old Malia Obama’s bubble hemmed dress (pictured left) set blips of sales for high-end children’s clothing label, Biscotti Inc.

Sasha on the other hand, was wearing a $72 piece by Gerson & Gerson Inc. under the Iris & Ivy children’s label that sells at retailers like Nordstrom and Dillard’s. Barbara Zeins, president of Gerson & Gerson, will be bringing the style back in a different fabrication to be sold in the spring under the style name, Sasha.

Lately, I think the fashion world has had a way with luring young girls into clothing choices that are too mature for their age and personally, I feel refreshed to see a young girl set a more conservative and traditional example with her wardrobe.

Click here to read the article on Malia’s dress in The Wall Street Journal Blogs.
Click here to read the article on Sasha’s dress in The Wall Street Journal Blogs

Q:

I love the vest that Britney is wearing in the Womanizer music video! I’m not a big fan of latex but I think it will be hot with a pair of jeans for a night out.

- Ally F.

A:

The vest that Britney is wearing in the womanizer video is Syren Latex Couture’s Britney vest designed by Jeffrey Gent. The piece is currently retailing for $199 on the site and since you’re not a huge fan of latex, I’m sure you can get the look for less from other stores who carry vests since they’re so in right now.

I grabbed a pair of Chloé Myrte knock-offs yesterday at Forever 21 for only $5.80.

The funny thing… is how Forever knocked Chloé and Chloé knocked Ted (pictured left on Nicole Richie).

Maybe Ted’s 1980 sunglasses are so last year (even though they’re from the 80’s) since Richie was seen sporting them all last summer but how can one complain when Chloé had designed such gorgeous pair?

While the vintage Ted version has a rounded frame with shiny gold accents, the Chloé “Myrte” version has a little modern touch to the design with blocky frames, matte finished gold accents, and a better lens (gradient) for driving.

Just when I start to get that feeling of same stuff different day, something as simple as an e-mail with a link to a cool video refreshes me by seeing something new like Ennio Marchetto. He puts on a one man show where the wardrobe is the main focus by wearing black spandex, black shoes on a black stage in front of a black background with costumes made out of paper and cardboard.

Really. And… It’s really cool!

All his costumes, wigs and props, illustrated by him bring each character to animated life. Most of the “wardrobe” has the ability to flip and fold from one character to another. Without any help on or off stage, he changes character by the seconds, often in front of the audience without having to go behind the black screen.

Check it out! My favorite change happens exactly 3:05 into the video:

New York-based Designer Nancy Kim is the woman behind this divine collection of shoes named it Devotte as a play on shoes being her most “coveted” wardrobe pieces. Perfect for the lifestyle of the cosmopolitan woman (where some would find it more efficient to not have to keep a stash of shoes at the office) her heels don’t go too high for comfort so one can wear them all day!

Here’s a snippet from refinery29 that breaks it down nicely:
According to Kim, good footwear also posed “the biggest challenge,” and anyone who’s walked ten blocks in a new pair of strappies would agree. What she’s come up with is a small but refreshing line of shoes, most of which carry off the signature Devotte heel, which is, according to our experts, just high enough. Kim confirms it was important to her to make comfortable designs her active customers could wear all day, from office to evening with a minimum of agony—all shoes come with a high-tech insole that has anti-shock and slow rebound properties, plus a lifetime guarantee.

I had a hard time picking my favorite pair so I had to make a top 3 (my 3 favorites below):

When I attended a yelp event the other night, artist “Blütt” (#1) worked a spur of the moment piece onto the front side of my (boring before his art graced the surface of it) handbag (#2) that I bought a few months ago to go with my favorite sneakers (#3).

I love it!

Photo shoot for Hello Drama [www.hellodrama.net] Styled by Christine Matsunaga @ tristinstyling featuring furs by Phaiz [www.phaizchicago.com] | Photographed by Shane Sato [www.shanesato.com] | Hair & Make-up by [credit coming soon] | Models: Kaila Yu and Kitt E. Katt. Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

So you’ve heard the song “Hello Drama” by Nylon Pink (as featured on “the Hills”) but have you seen the jewelry collection? As seen on stars like Macy Gray, Tommy Thayer from the legendary band KISS, and Torry from the Donnas, how could you resist getting a piece of your own!

The collection is young and fun. It will be launching this Memorial Weekend with an event at the Highlands in Los Angeles. Currently, Hello Drama consists of Nylon Pink’s Kaila Yu and Kitt E. Katt.

In an interview with Kaila on j-popworld.com they wrote, “Kaila was one of the shyest girls in her high school but was able to transform herself into a professional model and TV host. She has since become an internet celebrity, voted one of the top 100 sexiest women online by Stuff Magazine with over nine million visits to her MySpace page. She has made appearances in several movies such as The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Kaila also owns a line of jewelry called Hello Drama with fellow Nylon Pink band member and friend Kit E. Kat. The two are now throwing their unending energies into pursuing their music careers–(read more)”

NewSpeak TV Video:
Hello Drama – Nylon Pink / Kaila Yu
NewSpeak TV crashes tristinstyling’s photoshoot of Nylon Pink’s new jewelry line called. Hello Drama. We meet Eddie’s fantasy girls Kaila Yu and Kitt E. Katt

Today I picked up a few pieces from the Subversive collection at Target! The “limited and exclusive” collection is beautiful! If you are looking for some great stylish jewelry for a low price, go to Target before they run out!

Take a look for yourself below!