Paint the Town Red: Turn Up the Holiday Heat
Save the lumpy reindeer sweaters for next year and pack up the black: make the rounds at holiday parties this week in bright red. Kate Bosworth took the plunge in an eye-catching ensemble by French designer Vanessa Bruno and heels by Jonathan Kelsey. Try Temperly’s bright red Ghana crepe dress ($525 Net-A-Porter.com) with white and silver beads, Halston Heritage’s one-shoulder maxi ($791, Asos.com), or See By Chloe’s chunky sweater dress ($189, TheOutNet.com). Kanye West will be proud.
Collect on the Cheap: Buy Affordable Art Online
You don’t have to be a high-roller to collect this season—there’s plenty of affordable art to buy online. Exhibition A, a members-only website founded by designer Cynthia Rowley, offers weekly exclusive open-edition prints by well-known artists. Beginning December 13, work from artists such as Terrence Koh and David LaChapelle will be on sale for two to four weeks. This week, the site released Richard Phillips’ work Der Bodensee (Available in three sizes; $75, $250, $450, Exhibition A. Art + Culture Editions offers a series of limited edition prints and original artwork by artists such as Nick Cave, whose signature Soundsuits begin at $200, to David Levinthal, whose affordable photographs of toys make for great gifts for Dad. (The site will release prints by painter Alexis Rockman in January.) To get something on the walls right away, check out 20X200, which sells work from 220 artists, such as William Wegman and Paula Scher. And, to make gift-giving extra easy, 20x200 offers pre-framed limited edition prints for $125.
Good Giving: Gifts That Give Back
If you’ve been naughty this year, there’s one way to patch things up quickly: give a gift that gives back. For entertaining, try Mai Handicraft’s recycled magazine coasters, the proceeds of which help single mothers and children in Ho Chi Min City. Musicians such as Keith Richards and Joan Jett have donated their old guitar strings to WearYourMusic.org, which makes them into thin bracelets. Proceeds of sales go to charities of the musician’s choice. ($50 and up, WearYourMusic.org) Falling Whistles, on the other hand, sells whistle necklaces that serve as a reminder of the horrors taking place in war-torn Congo. ($34; fallingwhistles.com) But for EarthSpark, a company that donates lanterns to women in Haiti, “Change starts with your underwear.” The Winter Light Collection is part of the “Lighting Hope for Haiti” program, which aims to end “energy poverty” by working with local businesses. ($20, Wear Pact)
Tie One On: Put a Bow On It
Forget being there with bells on—this season, accent your holiday attire with bows. Try Brian Atwood’s red and black Donna pumps ($720, Net-A-Porter.com), Giuseppe Zanotti’s suede platforms ($497.50, Net-A-Porter.com) with crystal bows, or, for shorter fare, Tabitha Simmons’ Cecilia kitten heels (€ 629,00, MyTheresa.com) Outside of the shoe department, check out Lanvin’s red-ribboned Doll keychain ($185, Net-A-Porter.com). Who said ribbons were only for presents?
