Please Support Former PR Couture Writer Lauren Scruggs

It’s not every day you wake up to a People.com story and actually know the person being written about. On the first Saturday in December, Lauren lost her left hand and suffered severe facial injuries after she accidentally walked into a spinning airplane propeller. According to the major media outlets that have picked up the story, she is able to smile and eat a bit. Doctors remain concerned she might still lose her left eye, but are pleased with the healing of her facial nerves.

Lauren wrote for PR Couture for years, handling our Getting In series. She wrote her last article for us just last month in order to focus full time on her new online magazine, Lolo. To get an idea of how awesome this girl is, upon seeing her face for the first time, responded “it’s not that bad.”

Our thoughts are with Lauren and her family as she recovers. There is a fund set up to help with medical bills, and I know Lauren would appreciate you keeping her in your thoughts and sharing your support on her fundraising page.

marie antoinette

San Francisco Fashion Film Festival Founders Share Favorite Fashion Films of all time

The San Francisco Fashion Film Festival, aka the FashFilmFest, will take place in the Spring of 2012 at the Roxie Theatre and feature a day of screenings (unexpected titles as well as time-honored classics) and panels. To raise funds, co-founders and style bloggers Adelle McElveen (Fashionista Lab), Kimara Mitchell (J’Adore Couture)and Annie Wilson (Poetic & Chic), have launched a Kickstarter campaign through January, 2012, offering multiple tiers of exclusive rewards for Kickstarter donors (go go go!). The festival will  accept independent film submissions through February 3 and brand sponsorships are available.

As a fellow fashion film enthusiast (is there any way to say that without sounding snooty?), I asked the ladies to please share their favorite fashion films of 2011. They one-upped me, each sharing a favorite recent film as well as their favorite fashion films of all time.

Adelle McElveen

Favorite recent fashion film: Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. It came out in 2006 but I didn’t watch it until 2011. I love that she made period costume relevant. For me, when looking at photos of people from another era it’s so easy to disassociate them from the humanity they had in their time, and to observe instead of empathize or relate. And with Marie Antoinette specifically, history has villainized her, but Sophia Coppola showed me things I could relate to; for example, I could connect with the scenes when Marie Antoinette is playing around with new hair styles and trying on shoes with her friends. And even though she squandered France’s money during a time of war, I bet there were women who still wanted to emulate her style.

Favorite fashion film of all time: Clueless, for two reasons. One: that closet. Amazeballs. Two: it was an early influence on my personal style evolution. I was 11 or 12 when Clueless came out, and afterwards I started wearing endless plaid (fashion plaid, not lumberjack plaid), knee-high socks, mary jane’s, and mini-backpacks. It was the first time that I got inspired and started to make a look my own.

Kimara Mitchell

Favorite recent fashion film: A Single Man, from first-time director but long-time designer Tom Ford.  It’s clear that Ford can easily translate this vision for clothes onto the screen. not only does the film have fabulous costumes (done by Ford and Arianne Phillips), it also has amazing art direction and cinematography. It’s a perfect snapshot into sixties American style. From George Falconer’s drawer of perfectly starched white shirts to Kenny (Nicholas Hoult) in a fuzzy mohair sweater and Charley’s (Julianne Moore) mod eyeliner, big baubles and LBD, it’s a visual feast for the eyes.

Favorite fashion film of all time: To Catch a Thief: Growing up in Philadelphia, I was well aware of Grace Kelly and her rise to become a Hollywood royalty then a princess. I used to watch her movies with my grandmother, and To Catch a Thief was our favorite. How can you resist Kelly, dressed by Edith Head, who looked impeccable day (white sunglasses with an elegant black malliot) and night (the robin’s egg blue gown without a speck of jewelry or adornment). And Cary Grant was no slouch (in his own clothes!).

Annie Wilson

Favorite recent fashion film:2011 – Midnight in Paris – I loved Marion Cotillard’s flapper gowns and found that all of the “Paris past” sequences were styled beautifully.


Favorite fashion film of all time:Of course, this title may change tomorow, but for today I’ll pick The Age of Innocence. Made in 1993 about Edith Wharton’s New York City in the 1870s, this film is so incredibly detailed and colorful. The clothing and accessories all communicate so much about each character, what they want, and how they maneuver in society. It’s a beautiful film with no element of the era overlooked.

What are your favorite fashion films?

apr

Join PR Couture at the Hasana Inc Launch Party on December 14

The Apreció Foundation is a Chicago non-profit that funs mentoring, academic assistance, and scholarship programs for high-potential, low-income women in Chicago Public High Schools.

On December 14, Apreció will celebrate the launch of Hasana Inc., a commerce-driven initiative to raise money for the Apareció Foundation’s scholarship and mentor program. 100% of profits, after cost, directly benefits the Foundation. There will be two events – a mobile app launch party at W Hotel in Chicago (the Hasana app will allow shoppers to tag and share finds through social media), and launch party in New York City at the Merchant’s Square Building in TriBeca  for the eCommerce site. Participating jewelry, accessories, fashion and shoe designers will be showcasing their wares, and each location will feature special guest bloggers and DJs with live UStream Coverage.

Inspired by the mission of Apreció to provide opportunities for young women to become leaders, to think critically, and to increase their skills and confidence so they are able to make positive, high impact changes in their lives, PR Couture has signed on as a media/blog sponsor. Intern Kalinda Panzholer will be on hand in TriBeca live-tweeting from the event – so look for her initials [KP] on the Twitter account that evening. Other sponsors include Guest of a Guest in Chicago and Gotham Magazine.

We’d love to see you on Wednesday and please help get the word out about these two great events!