My first shwag: Arm leggings from QVC

I was so excited to come across a letter addressed to the "fashion editor" the other day I didn't even mind the return address said Honolulu Puka Shell Exchange. In case you didn't know, puka shell=barf.

But to my surprise (and relief), the envelope didn't contain any puka shells. Rather, there was a shwag* pair of mesh leopard print sleeves. And I when I say sleeve, don't go assuming there's a shirt attached. They're two mesh tubes with elastic at the top, so as to create the illusion you're wearing a leopard print shirt under something, without the hassle of actually wearing the shirt.

And ya know what? I like 'em. I wish they weren't leopard print and I wish they didn't look like an accessory from a child's dime store leopard costume but I like 'em.

Where can you get a pair, you ask? QVC. The decorative sleeves will launch Thanksgiving day at 2 p.m. as a part of a two hour feature about Lee Sands. The price will be "under $20" for a set of four. Tattoo-patterned sleeves are also available. Sands is most famous for his puka shell accessories from the 70's, when puka shell did not = barf, hence the Honolulu Puka Shell Exchange return address. If for some reason you have an affinity for puka shells, Sands still sells his beachy jewelry here

*something a company or person sends a media professional, in hopes said professional will write about shwag product. In this case it worked.

Vote for the most stylish blogger

It's a travesty I dismissed the first reminder email from Bluefly to participate in this fantastic little contest last week, which, I'm pretty sure was owed to my impulse to rapidly delete any and every email that isn't from a. office personnel, b. a boy I like or c. my serial email girly friends. Well, OK, and d. an email about a great sale.

But when I opened the second email today after spotting the words "stylish blogger" in the subject line, I'm so glad I did.

Every Tuesday a group of lovely lady bloggers are given an item to create a look with. They have themselves photographed wearing said look and the stylistas of America have at it. I mean, what do self-proclaimed style mavens do better than cast judgement upon outfits of others? What a wonderful concept!

My only question: Where's Susie Bubble? Did she get left out due to her utterly bazarre personal style? Or is it simply that she isn't American? Does Bluefly even deliver overseas?

Anywho, the committee who selected these fashion scribes obviously overlooked me because I hadn't yet posted the picture of myself in my party hat (below) taken last night at my ghetto chic 24th birthday dinner party. Oh well, maybe next year. Note the fashion forward, awkwardly-yet-intentionally exposed bra strap. (Kidding) But seriously, the sweater dress is BCBG OK?

From Haute in the Heartland

In the meantime you can vote for the girls who were recognized here.
This week (the contest's second) the challenge was to create an outfit using the Prada ash suede ankle boot.

IBJ Style Extra: Refind Originals photos

In my last column, which will hit newsstands tomorrow in the IBJ (read it, you'll like it) I discuss Anita Hopper's handbag business, which she runs from her adorable home in Irvington. If you've read that already you may want to just skip the sappy part that will ensue and just look at the photos that wouldn't fit on that darn paper page. For those of you who haven't read the column or if you just really like it when I wax poetic about people who remind me of my mom, read on.

Anita, of Refind Originals, makes bags out of leather jackets she finds at thrift stores, or out of leather jackets people send her for use as a custom bag. I cannot resist affordable custom goods, so I had Anita make me a purse. Of course I first asked my mom and close friends if they had anything leather and ugly they could donate to my cause, but I should've known better than to think any of those stylish people would buy and then keep something ugly.

So I coaxed a friend into helping me hunt for something at Goodwill. You know who you are, you trooper. By the way, how does your mom like that Florida mug?

In all my greedy excitement over getting a custom handbag, I didn't consider how personal Anita's job can get. Women send jackets worn by their deceased husbands, people write her heartfelt thank you notes when they receive their bag.

And it makes sense that Anita should get much love out of this business, because she puts so much in. She and I sat in her living room and bonded over handmade accessories, which is why I love my job so, so much.

Here are the before and after shots of the bag that now ably carries my treasured Kate Spade sunnies and well, my life. If you need one too, go here

Midwest Fashion Week Schedule: Very late

OK, so it starts tomorrow.
Who plans ahead these days anyhow?

The full schedule is below so you all can pencil in your dossiers, but first, a note about MWFW:

As a turbo rookie in the world of reporting I pre-judged this pioneer of an event. What I realize now is it too was a rookie when I first came in contact with it. But in the last two years both the event and myself have grown in our careers and honed our skills.

Yes, last year's VIP fashion show included lights coming on at inopportune times and music that did not match the models' choreography. But I'm gonna go ahead and say this year will be better than last year, just like last year was better than the year before that.

New this year is a collaboration with Fashion Group International and the Art Institute's fashion program. The Thursday event at the Scottish Rite Cathedral (mentioned below) is a fine example of this partnership. I'll be judging the student fashion show and will be decked out in my new (well, new to me) plaid Marc Jacobs dress. Say hi if you see me!

So, the schedule, as promised:

Midwest Fashion Week Schedule

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Meet and Greet at the Conrad Hotel
Location: Conrad Indianapolis
Time: 5:00pm-7:00pm
Admission: open to media, fashion insiders, & business owners Registration is required

Thursday, October 15, 2009
Scottish Rite Cathedral
650 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis, IN 46204
Time: 6:00PM-11:00PM
Friday, October 16, 2009
Admission: $25.00 general public

Midwest Fashion Week Trunk Show
Time: 10am-6pm
Location: Indianapolis Art’s Garden
110 W. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46204
Time: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Great way to shop!
* Trunk show featuring Local & surrounding designers and Major retail store
Admission: Free to general Public

Runway Show Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm

Saturday, October 17, 2009
Spectrum of Fashion
Scottish Rite Cathedral 650 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis, IN 46204

VIP reception Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm

VIP Reception includes
• Bentley red carpet entrance
• Cocktails/Hors D’oeuvres
• Meet and Greet Designers and models
• Front row sitting at fashion show
• Rising Star award
Spectrum of Fashion runway show Time 8:00PM – 10:00PM

Admission: $25.00 for regular sitting at runway show, $75.00 for VIP
Host: Stacy Paetz

Get a special rate on your hotel reservation when you book through Conrad. Just say Midwest Fashion Week event!

Featuring Designers: Catou, Kayoss Designs, J and J child, Catherine Fritsch, G. Ingles, Laura Kathleen, Antonio Fermin, B Trousseau couture, Emily Clark, Jennifer Wehlacz, Judy Mintze, Nancy Lee, Sylvia Gray, Replica, Leo the Fith, Aesthetic, Sharp

Indieana Handicraft Exchange=awesome

My Saturdays usually contain little activity aside from sleep, that is, until 5 p.m. when I roll out of bed and make myself presentable for cocktail schlepping at Nicky Blaine's. This past Saturday though, was oddly stylish, far divorced from my usual weekend uniform of slippers and whatever I slept in. My vastly talented, furniture designing friend Ben Langebartels and I ventured to the Indieana Handicraft Exchange, a maiden voyage for us both.

For those of you who haven't been, it's a craft fair without the dumb, country stuff. There are no sewing boxes adorned with hot glue gun-affixed buttons. There are no vests made from Butterick patterns, "artfully" personalized with puffy painted winter scenes. There are only young, cool people sitting behind their booths of equally cool stuff, waiting for someone to come along and gasp.

Albeit Ben and I stood out like sore thumbs among the ranks of Indy's proudest punky crowd. Other than my tiny nose stud and sole tattoo that no one can see I don't really fly my freak flag for the general public. And Ben's buzz cut paired with a Salvation Army-found mechanic's shirt was no match for the male fashion standard. We'll do better next year, oh yes, we will.

So on to the good stuff, what i bought. And relax, there are only two items.

• wooden drop earrings by Studio AMF. I admired Allison Ford long before I met her on Saturday and way before she chased after me when I left my debit card at her booth. (silly me) But now I admire her even more She uses her grandfather's woodworking tools, and technique, to create smooth-as-butter jewelry in simple-yet-imaginative shapes. I knew straight away I'd be purchasing the elongated tear drop earrings with their dainty silver (real silver, not glitter) specks.

  From Haute in the Heartland

  True artisan craftsmanship for $36? Yes, please.
• organza flowers bib necklace by Backwoods Belle. It sort of reminds me of the drool-worthy pieces by Marlaina Stone, of Fair Royal Oak, Mich. but without the unattainable prices. Marlaina, if you're reading this, your stuff is totally worth a million bucks, which is why I own none of it. The necklace below, however, was $40. That's still outside the scope of my newly enforced budget, but my parents never read this so it'll be our secret. Wink!
  

  From Haute in the Heartland

  
  

New York mag thinks Detroit is cool, woot! woot!

New York magazine's "The Cut" blog (aka my bible) did a post yesterday about the Detroit fashion scene.

To prove the blog's genius, I quote:

Also: People in Michigan still need to wear clothes and are still going to buy them, and they don't uniformly think elastic-waisted pants are the way to go. For stylish individuals outside of cosmopolitan cities, there should be life beyond GO International.

Hallelujah.

I'm sure all of you know (due to my incessant bragging about Marsha's Inc.--so proud of you mom!) that this is the scene I was born into. But, alas, I didn't really participate in it aside from watching over mom's shoulder as she sewed, drafted, etc. and appearing in the occasional Haberman Fabrics fashion show.

Of course, I knew that Project Runway's Joe Faris, of oven mitt dress fame, is from Metro D and I knew that Kid Rock started the Made in Detroit line and that I, very briefly, worked alongside Tracy Reese at Habermans. Sigh, my brushes with celebrity.

And so I come to my point. Detroit hosts not one, but two fashion industry events each year; Detroit Fashion Week and Fashion in Detroit. And these events are mentioned in "The Cut." OK people, as much as I love my home tizzy, I'm sure Indy has just as much moxie.

Um, Amy Odell? We have a fashion week, too! And, gosh darn it, it gets better every year!

While I will be in Detroit next week celebrating my folks' 25th wedding anniversary at the refurbed Book Cadillac, I will unfortunately have to miss Fashion in Detroit. Anyone who's available Oct. 1-2, however, should definitely attend (a deal at $75 per ticket) and tell me everything.

Anna Wintour meets one of our most coveted Hoosiers

This interview was the first time I've actually heard Anna Wintour speak and you know? I really want to hate her. But after hearing her delicate British accent that matched her little pansy print dress so perfectly, I simply can't. She told David Letterman she wants to put him in a headlock for goodness sakes!

Yes, she seemed to deny "Devil Wears Prada" had any factual relation to herself, which I don't believe at all, and I would've liked to hear her go off on all the editorial underlings that have publicly called her things like "ice queen" and "dominatrix" but alas, she seems to be quite a lady. She's a poised, stunning, yet edgy, lady. And that, my friends, is how she came to have the coolest job on the planet.

"The September Issue," the documentary about putting together Vogue's thickest and most important issue, comes out later this month and yours truly will be attending the screening next week. (breathes into paper bag) So stay tuned for my comments, which are mercilessly embargoed until Sept. 25.