H&M in Harlem. Renewed and Redo with Sylvia's to Refuel.

By Michelle Zimmerman, NY Correspondent

After their initial opening in Harlem, this renovated and renewed H&M is refreshed with a new store front, a chic staircase, and an airy, second floor balcony.

The new interior design had a nice, open feeling and a good energy flow throughout, although the writer noticed the lingerie dept was pretty tiny in comparison with the four or five H&M's in SoHo and on 34th and 5th ave, etc.

The Eighties are back with the Back To School Deals.

The cool thing there was they have "Fashion Finds under $15" and they have great signage throughout the store highlighting these great deals, most of the items are basics but this is good for the bargainista trying to build a wardrobe, or someone that wants to load up on staples or update their staples with adding on a splash of energetic, retro Eighties' New Wave graphics.

The writer discovered the $10 mens denim jeans, waiting around to catch any man trying them on, curious to see how they fit for $10 but no luck.

But, the store itself lends to a jewelry mood, the expanded windows, the glass staircase, the spacious second floor balcony, dressed up with a Toledosque mural, providing fashion credibility, makes for a light-hearted presentation to cheer people up, a respite from the hectic streets outside.

Cultural institution of Southern Comfort Food, Sylvia's, catered the appetizers.

After the writer poked around, she met the owner, Ken Woods. His mother is the famous Sylvia, the woman behind the name.

This Southern Comfort Food restaurant is a neighborhood fixture for forty-eight years.

Wandering around the corner after the event, she realizes the restaurant occupies almost the whole block, with the original restaurant, and their newer locale, Sylvia's Also.

Walking in, there was a group of people doing karaoke and some old cats hanging out at the bar.

Ken walked over to see if she found the place, and mentioned to her that they have a pretty awesome Comedy Night on Wednesdays...

Then, she saw a review from Craines magazine on the wall at the restaurant, it said they did $5 million a year in sales, I think that's why they have that free annual community breakfast. Nice, huh?

Go to www.sylviarestaurant.com, find it, then fuel up there before hitting H&M or refuel after shopping and checking out Harlem.

This where the Old Harlem meets the New Harlem, together, hand-in-hand, Harlem moves fashionably moves forward without losing its footing.

Cynthia Rowley Boutique on Wheels, Hamptons coming to So Cal

The Cynthia Rowley Truck

This scribe will admit...these Manhattan designers are onto something when it comes to a new way of retailing and reinventing a third fashion week and reviving a tired and neglected market.

Why have worn-out, vacation-starving fashion editors scrambling to a third fashion week when they're actually dreaming of craftans, tunics, bikinis and a sweet cocktail on the beach with the sand and surf.

Believe this writer, designers feel the same way. They're practical people. They, too, wish to wear resortwear specifically for the beach when the only time they have for the sand and surf is around late Spring flipping into early Summer. They can't fathom living out the traditional resortwear season the day after Christmas then ending it on New Years Day. Who, now a days, live like that?

So, not only are they turning Resort Season on its head by making it a week of beach-t0-bar/sand-to-street, these designers are bringing the shop to you.

Doing a riff on the popular food truck concept, they gutted out the kitchen and put a boutique on wheels, coming to you, at your convenience.

This shop on wheels has been around New York for a few years but didn't take off until now.

After Anna Wintour and her legion nod with approval right before Memorial Day, one of them, the Cynthia Rowley Truck is now taking the concept on the road. Folks in Miami, Atlanta, Houston and Dallas already experienced the shop on wheels.

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the Cynthia Rowley Truck is sharing the love with OC (Orange County) at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, California. This location has a special ring for Ms. Rowley, she's a New York/Hamptons/Montuak Surfer Girl who recently designed a collection for Roxy and can be found only in a few select places such as Paris' Collette.

The truck will be parked at the Fashion Island valet (http://www.shopfashionisland.com/) between Macy’s and the Apple store, Friday, August 6 – Sunday, August 8. Shop hours are Friday and Saturday 11am - 7pm; Sunday 12pm - 6pm. The Sweets Truck (http://www.thesweetstruck.com/) will join the Shop on Wheels on Friday, August 6, 1 pm - 4 pm.

Inside the shop on wheels truck.

Shop on Wheels is a shipping truck converted into a sleek Cynthia Rowley store, with hardwood floors, a fitting room, printed-fabric wall coverings and Lucite fixtures. It carries the entire range of items in the Cynthia Rowley collection, including women’s clothing, shoes, bags, eyewear, jewelry, legwear, gifts and more.

When not stationed at Fashion Island, the Shop on Wheels will cruise California, from south to north, stopping at boutiques, private homes on appointment and surprise locations. Prior stops on the truck’s cross-country tour include Miami, Atlanta, Houston and Dallas.

Shoppers can follow the mobile store on Twitter and the Cynthia Rowley blog, or call or email to schedule a Cynthia Rowley party in their own driveway. The Shop on Wheels is a new way to think about retail, and for Cynthia Rowley to offer her customers the ultimate in service—the store literally comes to them.

Can't make it out to the truck? Have a party and need something extra special than goody bags?Call or email the Shop on Wheels, and a Cynthia Rowley stylist will do a private fitting at your home or office or an event.

You can follow the van on Twitter - http://twitter.com/CRowleyonwheels or the Blog – http://.cynthiarowley.com/content/.

To request the van for your event or party, you can reach them at Phone – 917-428-4430 and
Email – mobilefashionunit@cynthiarowley.com.

If you want to sniff it out before you commit, pay it a visit this weekend at Fashion Island, Newport Beach, Cali, from 11am to 7pm on Friday and Saturday then 12pm to 6pm.

Spread the So Cali Love.

Which "Royale Soliel de Fashion" is now in hiding in the underground's protective darkness, shielding from the authories after building a reputation for abdandoning manufacturers then switching them as he reaps the rewards in millions?

He built an image and a lifestyle of a modern-day Versaille-and people loved it.

Now, his courtiers are either being escourted by the government or hustling back to the Mother Country.

His sly operations left a lot of people in tears, considering this is also their love ones.

Others weren't surprised by this one. They assume he'll take a breather and recoup.

Folks assume his closings are another sign of the economy but admirers still pump money into the image, more popular than ever.

Give or take a few years, this royale will pop up again in a different form in another country.

However, it is doubtfully this particular sauve will set foot in this country again.

Erge Outlet Shop, Accessible Antropologie at Mini Antropologie Prices

Frank Quijada, Erge's Founder & Designer

After working for big time causal cool tee-shirt companies, from shipping to production to everything there is underneath the sun, Frank Quijada sensed it was time to cater to the causal, hip woman who wants or needs something extra special at the same cool causal prices. His gut feeling was an urge but some other company has that name. By simply changing the first letter but retaining the same craving for something fashion-forward but cute-with an edge, Mr. Quijada titled his own creation, Erge.

After proving itself well on the celebritiy-style central at Lisa Kline on Robertson Boulevard and both Fred Segal Melrose and Santa Monica, Mr. Quijada felt it was time to give his clothes their own home in a neighborhood where the fashion-focused but cost-conscious girls live, the Erge Outlet Boutique in Sunset Junction, on 1404 Micheltorena St. in Los Angeles' trend-conceiving Silverlake/Sunset Junction.

Mr. Quijada's business partner, David Charles Keeton, describes this outpost, "a mini-Athropologie at mini-Athropologie prices."

The Erge Boutique

He aims to make women feel good about themselves in a fashion forward way as his clothes evolve with them.

Mr. Quijada have gotten to the point where he can, now, research his own fabrics and develop different blends for unique finishes and the best quality in fit and comfort.

By locating the pulse, he figures what the next trend is and where it is heading.

The current crop to fashion tops.

Made in America, made in Los Angeles, his team is moving forward into wovens, mixing them in with the knits.

Mr. Quijada admits he started with what he knew best-cute tees in stretch jersey knits but now is moving onto wovens as his company evolves and matures with his customers seeking more elegant clothes.

The unassuming but insight designer, "We haven’t completely abandon our upscale casual roots but this is an addition to. This is what Erge is all about-growing."

Erge also offers a sister line of kidswear for the tweens and young teens, seven to fourteen years-olds.

As a trends "anthropologist," Mr. Quijada likes traveling to different markets around the country and study what the contemporary woman, across the board, wants. "Hitting all the right spots, that’s what we’re trying to do."

For a man who immigrated from El Salvador, fifteen years ago, then immensed himself into education, he always has the "Erge" to learn and grow.

Get Set with Sosume & Delicate Raymond for Summer then Fall

By Michelle Zimmerman, NY Correspondent

Sosume White One Shoulder Dress

Now, that you’re donw retooling your diet and exercise routine, it’s time to finally reap the rewards.

Slip into Sosume’s soft and light one shoulder white dress for the arriving White Parties at Inventory NYC on 237 Lafayette Street.

Sosume's Gray One Shoulder Dress

You don’t have to save that gorgeous dress for special occasions. The same dress comes in gray that you can wear alone for this summer or done hip with skinny denim or leggings and boots for early fall.

Paulina Petkoski and Rachel Kozub, Sosume's Designers

The design half of Sosume, Paulina Petkoski and Rachel Kozub, are environmentally-aware as they are style-conscious.

Sosume’s Spring/Summer collection 09/10 predominately makes use of micro-modal, a natural fibre from the European Beech tree sourced from Milan, not only because it is one of the softest, sheerest fabrics available, but also because the fabric production is sustainable. The process of the modal procedure has won an European Union environmental award because it only uses a tenth of the amount of water used in cotton production, and yields ten times the quantity of fabric.

Similarly, their Fall/Winter 2010 collection includes unique blends of natural fibres mixed with cashmere and silk sourced from one of Tokyo’s award-winning sustainable mills, and 100% organic wool from mill in Uruguay that is certified by the Organic Trade Association.

This come from their desire for the most organic yet the most luxurious fabrics they can find, a mere two years ago.

They enfused the drapey fabric with cutting-edge tailoring and construction with Rachel's training in pattern development and assistant styling for Olga Kapustina, Albright Fashion Library, burdastyle.com, and various New York fashion shows and Paulina's background in interning with Pamella Rolland and Fashion Snoops for an avant-garde but wearable line that can be adopted by a Los Angeleno hipster or SoHo/Brooklyn Bohemian. This trans-travel mindset probably came from the fact that Sosume is an Australian foursome who work, live, and travel back and forth between Brooklyn and Sydney.

Not bad for two designers who are still completing their education at Fashion Institute of Design as we speak.

Delicate Raymond's Monogram Line

If you want to spice up Sosume's new basics with some precious but accessible, Delicate Raymond Jewelry Sample Sale by Michelle Zimmerman is happening tomorrow. Just in time for the Last of Summer festivities.

Named after her grandfather, Raymond, one of Delicate Raymond's most popular line is the Vintage Monogram Line, hand engraved necklaces and bracelets that are customized with your choice of loved ones names or initials.

Need to be Fit to be Summer Fabulous

Top, Bethenny Frankel in Alo. Middle, Oscar Mimosa Activewear. Bottom, stylist Dani Stahl snacking on Pop Chips.


In the second segment of Summer Health and Fitness, here are some top tips from nutritionist to the supermodels prepping for Miami Fashion Week, swimsuit central, stylish activewear created for the fitness-conscious fashionista, and a guilt-free snack that you can tuck into your tote.
Before you can look smashing at the White Parties, much less the beach, or if you dare, a white bikini on a yacht, your figure and confidence have to be in tip top shape.
An accomplished yoga fan, Bethenny Frankel of “Bethenny Getting Married?” and “The Real Housewives of New York,” melted the baby fat away in no time in Alo Sport’s $38 V-Neck Sports Bra and $59 yoga pants. They either at alosport.com or Nordstrom closest to you.
Oscar Mimosa, an activewear line by Australian, Sarah Harte, infuses dance-inspired and avant-garde construction to the basic activewear in unitards and off-shoulder camisoles with criss-cross straps in high tech, lightweight fibers that evaporates sweat and shields against UV rays while snapping back into shape. They’re Italian fabric specifically manufactured for the rigors of swimming and hard-core yoga. They are a hit among pilate fans and yogis.
You can’t drive on an empty tank. Worse yet, you’ll kill your metabolism into a slow simmer if there is no fuel to burn.
With contribution from “The Daily,” Front Row, Paul Lehr, founder and CEO of Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa with low-fat, high-flavor, and well-rounded “Bikini Cuisine” by Chef Susan Irby, put together, will make you, as “The Daily” says it, “Bikini Babe for Life.”
This is how Mr. Lehr advice for those models baring it on the catwalk during Miami Fashion Week, itsy-bitsy swimwear central…
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PRITIKIN:1. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 2. Learn how to read labels, and never believe the front of a package. The bottle of olive oil spray claims, “Zero Fat, Zero Calories.” But if the serving size is under ½ a gram, the manufacturer can round down, so the serving size is reduced and the calorie and fat content becomes “zero.” 3. Don’t drink your calories. You will fill up much more quickly by eating apples than having a glass of apple juice. A Coke won’t curb your appetite, and you’re likely to eat a cookie afterwards to fill you up. 4. What do you want? A diet full of fiber and nutrients. Your grandmother used to say, 'Eat oatmeal, it’ll stick to you'—and she was right. Egg white omelets are another great option. It may not make you feel quite as full as oatmeal, but you can add mushrooms and other vegetables and make yourself a feast. 5. A better choice some of the time is much better than none of the time. You will have a milkshake or a cheeseburger on occasion, but as long as you’re making better choices some of the time—ideally more of the time—then you will be better off. Do me the service of starting with a giant salad filled with vegetables and a light dressing, followed by a bowl of vegetable chili.You will feel so full that even if you do have the pate-wrapped bacon, you will have far less.6. Salt is a serial killer that has escaped prosecution for years. Finally, everyone else is realizing that the guidelines should be, like we say, 1,500 milligrams or less per day. Hypertension and diabetes happen to many, many people. 7. Olive oil is another food that isn’t as healthy as it seems. On a salad, it’s as bad as Ben & Jerry’s. Yes, it’s healthier than butter, but in terms of your waistline, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Olive oil is not helping you lose weight. 9. Get the real information and make better choices. Which has the most sodium: cornflakes, a loaf of bread, or a bag of chips? Many people would pick the chips, but in reality, the cornflakes have the highest sodium content, followed by the bread, and then the chips. 9. While people may lose weight on these crazy fad diets, they certainly won’t be healthier. The goal isn’t to be thinner in your casket. 10. Eating more doesn’t necessarily mean you will gain weight. Pritikin guests often say they are eating more than ever before—and losing weight. It’s all about calorie density. If you’re filling up on foods that aren’t packed with calories, then you will be satisfied and not ravenously hungry. We find a lifestyle that will keep you feeling full, because a very hungry person will lose will power and indulge immediately.
You’ll reward yourself more than slipping into that sexy white number, you can keep on partying by constantly fueling on crunchy but not fried Pop Chips. Every fashion industry professional, whether they be models, editors, or even he-man male photographers rely on Pop Chips to keep their adrenaline and insulin up and ready and steady to carry them from event to another. Besides, they’re fun to munch!
Now, you’re ready to face the Season in your fabulous self.

The Bikini Chef, Quick, Light, Easy Meals for Summer

By Laura Medina

Chef Susan Irby

It’s Bikini Season. It’s a season of dread for those too busy to diet and exercise ahead of time months ago, plus, you’re running around in the sweat and the humidity and squeezing into that swimsuit, much less a bikini or a swimming trunks and briefs, only packs on more stress. Oh, what a girl or boy to do?

Chef Susan Irby, aka “The Bikini Chef,” knows you can still enjoy summer without starvation and still have fun with flavor, none of the fat. Her cookbook, "Substitute Yourself Skinny," proves this.

Left, Susan in real life. Right, Chef Susan Irby in special cut-out chef jacket.

She wants to bring back the carefree summers she enjoyed growing up at her family’s lake house in Alabama, swimming and water skiing all day then cooking and grilling on the lake side, all in their bikinis and swimsuits.

Years later, as an accomplished cookbook author and teacher, her students can’t get over how slender and fit Chef Irby is. Once she told them she only eats her traditionally rich Southern fare for the holidays when you ought to eat them and eats healthy and light within reasonable portions, on top of an active lifestyle, her students requested more healthy versions of her satisfying but light versions of her Southern favorites, such as the Slidin' Home BBQ Pork Sliders.

This is how "Substitute Yourself Skinny" Cookbook by Chef Susan Irby, "The Bikini Chef," came about.

During one of her demostrations/book signings, her sliders were so rich in flavor and tender, they sure fooled this writer but they're half the calories of normal pork sliders.

Left, Chef Irby autographing her cookbook. Right, the chef in action.

For Chef Irby, it is all about hitting all four senses (flavor, texture, smell, visual) in order to feel fulfilled, satisfied, and joyful-without guilt while being healthy and relieved without being deprived or going insane with hungry.

The key to being healthy and fed is through texture and flavor substitutions and enhancements. She also wants to dispel the notion that nonfat mayonnaise and yogurt are tasteless. When used with fresh herbs and spices, such as lemon zest and black pepper, these make great all-natural fat substitutes. So, does replacing egg yolks with egg whites or using won ton wrappers in place for puff pastry for that crunch. If you want even more crunch in your mouth, she suggests baking, instead of frying. For her Chicken Pot Pie recipe, you still have that authentic crisp of the puff pastry as the lid only and the creamy filling, in an individual-sized pot, without the extra pastry or calories. No food wasted.

Fibers stand in for starchy carbohydrates, responsible for fat and diabetes. The chef noted that fibers help break down proteins and carbohydrates.

She wrote this book for the average American on the go, like herself, Chef Irby wrote this cookbook with ingredients that the everyday person can find and afford at the neighborhood supermarket. Both her and "French Women Don't Get Fat" author, Mireille Guiliano, agreed on using fresh herbs and produce and portion control but Chef Susan stocks her cookbook with American favorites, new and old then uses nonfat ingredients and spices that anyone in surburbia can find at their local super store, all within budget. Think of "Substitute Yourself Skinny" as the American version of "French Women Don't Get Fat."

Knowing this is the dog days of summer, Chef Susan was kind enough to provide two recipes. The minimal cooking one is already in her "Substitute Yourself Skinny," cookbook, the "Lots o' Flavor Chicken Salad on Papaya Boat," and for dessert, this super duper exclusive scoop she forgot to include in the book, her Amaretto Chocolate Chip Cookies, just for this publication.

Lots o' Flavor Chicken Salad on Papaya Boat

Nonstick cooking spray

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into 2-inch cubes

1/4 cup water, or as needed

1/2 cup nonfat vanilla or plain yogurt

1/2 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh finely grated lemon zest

1/2 cup green seedless grapes, halved

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 papayas, halved and seeded

Spray a medium skillet with nonstick spray and heat on medium. Add the chicken and 2 tablespoons water. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, adding water as needed to prevent burning. Cook the chicken until done, about 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In medium mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, honey, salt, pepper, and lemon zest, and whisk until well combined. Toss with the grapes, celery, and chicken until well coated. Spoon equally into the papaya halves.

This dish examplifies the sweet and savory from the black pepper and honey and the decadent textures of creamy and crunchy from the yogurt, grapes, and celery. The halved papaya itself is four ounces coupled with four ounces of the salad. Together, they are eight ounces of a well-balanced meal, making healthy fun.

Now, here is the super duper exclusive dessert just for us "The Arriviste" readers-only here!
Amaretto Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
2 cups (12-ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecan halves (optional)

Preheat oven to 375*. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt, stir together. Separately, in a large mixing bowl or mixer, beat butter, molasses, brown sugar, vanilla, and amaretto. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans (if using). Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cookies will be flat and should be crunchy yet chewy. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes approximately 24 to 30 cookies.

According to Chef Irby, there are no "evil" or "good" foods. There are foods you prefer to eat daily and there are foods you reserve for the holidays. Both her and Ms. Guiliano agree food is meant to be enjoyed and savoured, all within in reasonable amounts and quality.

Like her lake house summers, her "Bikini Cuisine" is good, clean fun.

To achieve a healthy lifestyle, you have to change your mindset, you can have a little bit of everything; healthy cooking and eating aren't boring, and don't be too hard on yourself.

Sometimes, a mistake is an invention of something new. She accidentially forgot to toss in eggs for her old chocolate chip cookie recipe. Relaxing with wine, she tossed in some amaretto instead and this is how her egg less but chewy and crispy Amaretto Chocolate Chip Cookies were baked up. Great for all our food sensitive readers who don't want to feel left out.

If you can't get enough of Chef Irby's fit and fulfilling meals and want or need something to whip up for the holidays, her next book, "Boost Your Metabolism" Cookbook is set to be released in September, just in time for Fall recipes and fancy but fit meals like the rich but not fat stuffed filet mignon-yummy.

The Bikini Chef now provides recipes for the cocktail dress season. You can be "bikini fit" year around.