A fresh take on the patriotic pin
They say, in modern politics, that style is everything.
So when the people at Men's Vogue magazine got tired of seeing the old-fashioned American flag pin on every politician's lapel, they hired a designer to come up with a classy, modern but still patriotic twist on that pin.
The result? A pin with the letters USA stylishly interwoven.
"A flag is a corporate logo. A monogram is much more private," said the designer, Michael Bierut.
The pins are available for $10 at mensvogue.com/go/pin. Proceeds benefit Puppies Behind Bars, whose work includes aiding Iraq war veterans.
Designer water
Warning: The item below may be offensive to middle-class sensibilities.
Despite these penny-pinching times, Evian Natural Spring Water is "going glam" with two new limited-edition designer water bottles by French designer Jean Paul Gaultier.
It follows up on last year's popular bottles by designer Christian Lacroix.
Single 750 ml glass bottles (approximately 25 ounces) of either Gaultier's Evian Prêt-à-Porter or the Evian Haute Couture are $13.95 each, or $118 for a case of 12. (I can't believe I just wrote that - $118 for 12 bottles of water.) Available at www.shopevian.com.
Locally
• After 81/2 years on Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Glen Ellyn, designer/business owner Jennifer Massarelli has moved her Enchantments boutique around the corner, to 534 Crescent Blvd. The new store opened this week, and allows Massarelli to focus on her successful, high-end clothing line, JBlonde. The line is already being sold in Dillards, Nordstrom and at 48 boutiques nationwide.
• If you find one of the 1,000 magnifying glasses hidden in the Bloomingdale's on Michigan Avenue Nov. 13-15, you can take it to the benefit cosmetics counter and redeem a prize. The scavenger hunt is helping to launch their new fragrance, b-Spot. Prizes include a bottle of b-spot, and $400 worth of gift cards from benefit and Bloomingdale's.
Aspiring designers wanted
If you're ready to launch a fashion career, you can apply for a spot in the Chicago Fashion Incubator at Macy's on State Street. The unique program provides aspiring designers the resources they need to be successful, including access to experts in the fashion business and work space at Macy's starting in March.
Twelve finalists will be selected, but just six designers will be chosen.
Applications are available online at chicagofashionresource.com and stitchesfashionprogram.com, and must be submitted to fashioninvite@gmail.com.
Deadline to enter is Nov. 14.