• Rent the Runway is opening its first ever pop up shop and hopes to be a new hit destination both online and in store for those looking to get beautified for a special event. (via PR Newswire)

• The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund has a new webisodes series featuring a contest to win their design scholarship. This isn’t your average fashion competition series and it even gives you the inside scoop on what goes on in the usually closed judging sessions. (via California Apparel News)

• Refinery 29 launches their Next Big Style Blogger Contest, with the grand prize being a trip to New York, $1,000, and a role a a guest blogger on their site. (via Fashionably Marketing)

• Cupcakes and Cashmere blogger has teamed up with Estee Lauder as a social media and online guest editor to help put them on the digital map. (via Beauty High)

• Attention prepsters, get excited because Sperry Topsider and women’s clothing brand Milly have joined forces! Check out their video which does an overview of the collection and partnership. (via Racked)

• Style Bistro is hosting a Pinterest contest for New York Fashion Week where you could win a bevy of beauty products picked out by the Style Bistro Editors. (via Style Bistro)

• Mashable has created a giant real-life Facebook wall filled with photos of users, check out the pics to see if you or someone you know is featured. (via Mashable)

Favorite Fashion Videos of the Week

Fashion 2.0 Award Winners DKNY at the 2011 Awards

The Fashion 2.0 Awards, launched in 2010 by Yuli Ziv’s fashion & beauty blogger network Style Coalition, is a peer and fan-nominated event that recognizes and honors the most innovative fashion brands in the online community. The 2012 award show boasts several firsts – including first-time host Robert Verdi, who’s blogger media parties are legendary, keynote by fashion designer and digital pioneer Norma Kamali – who most recently presented her Spring/Summer 2012 collection at Lincoln Center in 3D, and the first Fashion 2.0 Visionary Award, to be presented to Gilt Group founders Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson.

Find out which fashion designer’s social media strategy Yuli loves and why, as well as her thoughts on the biggest trends between fashion bloggers, brands and digital strategy (hint: it’s integrated).

The Fashion 2.0 Awards ceremony kicks off Fashion Week on February 8 and will be live-streamed.  Limited tickets are available for purchase. The Twitter hash tag is #fashion20. For more information about Yuli or her book Blogging Your Way to the Front Row, please visit YuliZiv.com.

Any recent Hollywood event can be the catalyst for a PR frenzy– if a celebrity is wearing it, rest assured that anything framed as similar has clear pitch potential, and, if positioned correctly, will sell remarkably well. Now that award season is upon us, take heed of the following tips to be sure you are pitching appropriately.

Don’t waste an editor’s time (by sending something that looks nothing like the celebrity look)

There’s an art to pitching celebrity-inspired looks – you don’t want to be grasping at straws (i.e. choosing any remotely similar necklace, dress, or clutch) and filling up an editor’s inbox with long-shots. Pitch pieces that do in fact look strikingly similar or at least share a common motif. Also, make sure that you only connect pieces to those  “buzz-worthy” celebs that align with your brand.

Do make it easy for an editor to say yes (by doing your homework)

Fashion editors sift through hundreds of pieces of jewelry a week, on top of an inbox full of product images. Reduce their stress and grab their attention by sending emails that clearly show the similarity of a celebrity’s look to the designer’s pieces. Provide detailed product description, pricing and direct links to the items. Have hi-res, low-res, editorial and products shot against a white background at the ready. Never send enormous files via email without an editor’s ok.

Do consider pricing carefully (everyone loves a red carpet “look for less”)

While it may sound obvious, make sure your designer prices items significantly lower than the celebrity worn original. Otherwise, why would an editor consider your product over the exact celeb-endorsed product? If need be, consider a short-term price reduction in order to make full use of the award season trend – after all, the right PR story could drive significant sales to cover the margin.

Our client Roberta Chiarella matched Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie, Julie Bowen, Stacy Keibler and Charlize Theron with a spectacularly similar jewelry look. This led to a collaboration with US Weekly on a Today Show segment, print feature and giveaway. Now that’s some PR-worthy bling!

Image credit: Credit: Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com; Jason Merritt/Getty Images; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Jason Merritt/Getty Images