Socialite, fashion designer Esther Nash is a graduate of FIT, and has attended and received several scholarships to the top schools of design in New York. My head was spinning when she listed her credentials. I found it even more intriguing when she told me that she used to model, was a gymnast, and was also a ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet for 5 years. She has appeared in several television shows, movies, and commercials including Law & Order and Lift. And her designs have been featured on Sex in the City.

Candice Held is an LA-based designer who creates one-of-a-kind pieces from recycled scarves. She puts pieces together from hand-woven, hand-laundered scarves. She defines the Candice woman as fun, feminine, vibrant, and liking to have a good time. Her spring/summer collection is about the first bloom of spring when the flowers come out; and the heat of summer, which inspired her “hot air balloon” print.

Tatty Devine was created in 1999. It is a unique and quirky accessory line. Rosie Wolfenden and Harriet Vine are the brains behind the successful jewelry designs. The company is based in Great Britain, and the two designers have no formal training as jewelers. Harriet and Rose met at Chelsea School of Art back in 1996. They had planned to become artists, but Harriet found some leather samples on the way home from the pub one night. She proceeded to make some leather cuffs. She and Rosie sold them at Portabello and Spitalfields markets—and Tatty Devine was born.

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Handbag designer Merrell McGuinness received her inspiration in fashion from both women’s creative backgrounds and love of all things beautiful. Once she started designing her handbags, word spread quickly by word of mouth, and orders flooded in. Merrell, while holding down a full-time job, and maintaining a growing business, realized the need for a functional bag that still expressed a personal style.

In the early hours of Saturday, May 19, several hundred women snaked around Veterans Memorial Complex Auditorium, Los Angeles, for the annual event known as “Shoe Frenzy.” Featuring over 5,500 pairs of donated designer shoes, boots, sandals, and slippers, the venue is converted into a virtual shoe warehouse lasting a few hours and ending by noon.

by Pamela Heath

I live in Rancho Cucamonga, California, a city revolving around commerce, raised trucks, and some of the best hot wings around ( Buffalo Wild Wings, people). About 20 minutes from Pomona, where I grew up and lived for the majority of my life, and just over an hour east of the heart of Los Angeles, lies Rancho, one of the more uppity cities of the Inland Empire, you might say.

(Written by Elana Pruitt)

Newcomer Rails offers refined relaxation to anyone looking for cool and comfy additions to their leisure-wear wardrobe and dress-up-dress-down pieces. Designer Jeff Abrams launched Rails during summer 2006, proving that he most definitely knows a thing or two about form, fit, and feel.

Written by Elana Pruitt

This season, Tart is aimed at creating a “chic and confident” look, according to its design leader. With an undeniable statement of ultra cool, 70s-inspired sexiness, Wood’s collection featured deeply shaded solids, ranging in the likes of navy, purple, orange, chocolate, and with, of course, a springtime accent of white. Jumpers, leggings, below-the-bosom belts, and mini-dresses (a “Lolita feel”) are soooo Southern California on-the-go appropriate.

As I lay on the table in the stark white room, the skillful technician placed one eyelash at a time on my lids. I closed my eyes and imagined just how lovely I would be in the tropical islands that I would be visiting on my trip to the Caribbean. Some people thought that what I was doing was indulgent, but I saw it as self-preservation. After all, I wouldn’t have the time to apply false eyelashes after a long day’s excursion in Key West, Cozumel, or the Caymen Islands. I had to look glamorous. Why? Because I was on a cruise!

(Written By Kaylene Peoples)

I’m not sure exactly what turned me on to a day of outdoor modeling. Maybe I was tired of hiding behind the computer. Maybe it was to prove my sister right—that I really am the “cool auntie” my niece would grow to love. Maybe it was to explore a new art concentration. Or maybe, as an avid “America’s Next Top Model” viewer, I just wanted to see what all the hype was about… was it really that difficult?

One word: YES.

(Written by Elana Pruitt)