Plus-Size Fashion Moves Beyond the Muumuu

When Sal Perez, a stylist and costume designer, was dressing the actress Rebel Wilson for her role in the movie “Pitch Perfect 2,” he had to find clothes for 20 outfit changes. This was an even bigger challenge than it sounds. Ms. Wilson is a plus-size actress working in a less-than-zero world.Mr. Perez ended up finding some items online and designing others, which were made in his costume workshop.
“Trying to find plus-size clothes that are fashionable and well made is very difficult,” he said. “I am horrified by some of the clothes I find in the stores. I don’t know anyone who enjoys wearing polyester. I think the fashion industry has to realize the potential the plus-size market has.”Styles for plus sizes, which range from 14 to 24, have long been characterized by down-market, back-of-the-store racks of drab tent-dresses, garishly decorated blouses and polyester pants. The uniformly dark colors and generous silhouettes serve the sole purpose of covering up and deflecting attention from the body.But a new crop of online boutiques, retailers and designers is trying to make plus-size styles more fashion forward. Instead of elastic-waist pants and muumuu dresses, these companies offer clothes that reflect the runways (think jumpsuits), surpass the smock (leather pants) and even show a little skin (crop tops).

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The plus-size customer is “really letting her hair down for the first time,” said Marie Jean-Baptiste, the founder and designer of Rue107, which sells form-fitting mesh dresses ($110) and purple metallic jumpsuits ($59, on sale from $89) in sizes S to 3X.Customers have clamored for more and better options. Last spring Sarah Chiwaya, 30, a lawyer in Manhattan, attended a fashion event at Saks Fifth Avenue. Captivated by a perforated leather midi skirt from Tibi, she was ready to spend. But the skirt was available only in small sizes.“I would have bought it immediately if it were in my size, 16,” she said.Frustrated, Ms. Chiwaya turned to her blog, Curvily, and bemoaned the lack of options. She used a hashtag, #plussizeplease, that has been adopted by others across all sorts of social platforms like Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.“I wanted it to be a way to show retailers the money they’re losing,” she said.
The market, in fact, is robust. The average American woman wears a size 14, and women wearing size 14 and up account for 67 percent of the population, according to the industry analyst firm Plunkett Research Ltd. Last summer, the NPD Group reported that plus-size clothing sales grew more than 5 percent from May 2013 to April 2014, going from $16.7 billion to $17.5 billion.That is perhaps why youthful-leaning, mass-market retailers like Asos, H & M, Mango, Wet Seal, ModCloth and Forever 21 have begun selling either an expanded size range or a dedicated plus-size line.“We work in the exact same way as Asos core brand,” said Natasha Smith, a buyer for the new line, Asos Curve, in London.
“There’s nothing we wouldn’t try: hot pants, bodysuits.”Several new companies are making plus-size their sole focus. One is Eloquii, which aims to do for the plus market what Zara has done in the mainstream market: offer customers options that mimic runway trends but at prices that are lower than those in boutiques and department stores.Currently, Eloquii is showing items like a leopard-print baseball jacket ($138), a cashmere sweater with Breton stripes ($138) and faux leather culottes ($98).Eloquii was originally started in 2011 as a sister brand to the Limited, but was closed in 2013 when the Limited decided to shed its noncore brands. A group of former employees, including the creative director, Jodi Arnold, restarted the brand last year. (Its products are available on the label’s website as well as on Nordstrom). A former Gilt executive, John Auerbach, is a founding investor.“The team doesn’t have a plus background, which is a good thing,” said Mariah Chase, the company’s chief executive, using industry jargon to refer to the plus-size niche.“The starting point is trends, the runway,” Ms. Arnold added.For example, Eloquii’s Cady pant (made in an array of fabrics, from $88 in a graphic rose print to $78 in solid navy) is “a structured, fitted pant where our customer has just gotten stretch before,” Ms. Chase said. A faux-leather fitted midi skirt, $128, sold out in 72 hours, according to Ms. Arnold.
The company has recently raised $6 million from investors.In a skinny-celebrity-obsessed world, it has been difficult to overcome the dowdy image of plus size. What’s more, many women are uncomfortable identifying themselves as plus-size shoppers, which hampers word-of-mouth.But social media is helping to change that, said Aimee Cheshire, the president and a founder of HeyGorgeous, an online boutique that carries pieces from ABS By Allen Schwartz (wrap dress, $198), Lucky Brand denim (black straight-leg jeans, $89.50) and Ellen Tracy (angora coat, $169) in sizes 10 and up.“I’ll get emails asking, ‘How do I recommend it to my friend without offending her?’ ” Ms. Cheshire said. “I always say share it on Facebook.”She said she tries to encourage plus-size women to openly embrace their personal style rather than hide their shape. HeyGorgeous tells these women they “aren’t the ugly stepsister, they’re our main woman,” Ms. Cheshire said.“They’re not used to being wanted,” she said.
“There’s no aspiration, no Vogue for the plus sized.”Most plus-size clothes could be divided into three segments: “work wear, club wear and grandma clothes,” said Nicolette Mason, a plus-size fashion blogger. The problem has not been just a lack of options for consumers, but also retailers’ belief that plus-size women can’t support a high-fashion niche.“When you’re taught to look at your body as a work in progress, you’re not going to spend $1,000 on a coat to last forever because you’re not hoping for it to last forever,” Ms. Mason said.Gwynnie Bee, a clothing rental subscription service for sizes 10 to 32, is a more casual version of Rent the Runway (which began its own plus-size division in 2013). The site carries lines like BB Dakota and Three Dots. A $35-a-month commitment will get you one piece of clothing at a time; 10 pieces will cost $159 a month.
In the shadow of all the new focus on how to dress a larger woman, mainstays of the fashion industry that have helped propagate the connection between high fashion and small sizes are showing a greater willingness to embrace a curvier world. Calvin Klein used the model Myla Dalbesio, who is a size 10, in a lingerie campaign. In November,Vogue shot a lingerie spread using plus-size models.The 2015 Pirelli calendar, shot by Steven Meisel and styled by Carine Roitfeld, included the plus-size model Candice Huffine. Two edgy clothing lines, Chromat and Zana Bayne, sent plus-size models down the runway in their presentations last September.For now, any competition is welcome.“I would love to have more places to shop, for it to be a fun leisure activity with multiple sources,” said Kelly Goldston, the director of marketing at Eloquii. As more plus-size women get into the habit of expressing their personal style, business will be better for everyone involved, she said, adding, “New players would be good for us.”
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Job Lot Sponsors Prom Fashion Show to Benefit Sojourner House

Ocean State Job Lot, a leading closeout retailer headquartered in Rhode Island with 115 stores in New England, New Jersey, and New York, announces its sponsorship of the fourth annual Laura Ink Prom Expo Fashion Show. The event promotes positive self-imagery and raises money and awareness for victims of domestic violence.
This year’s circus-themed fashion show, called “The Greatest Show on Earth,” will be held on Saturday, January 3, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. at the Greenwich Odeum, located at 59 Main Street in East Greenwich. It features over 35 young Rhode Island women (ages 16-24) modeling prom wear from Sonya’s clothing boutique in Cranston, with all proceeds from ticket sales benefiting the Sojourner House in Providence. The Sojourner House is a nonprofit agency that offers advocacy and resources for domestic abuse victims.

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The women will be modeling the latest in prom styles and all of the featured dresses will be available for purchase at Sonya’s, located at 766 Oaklawn Avenue in Cranston. Students from the Toni & Guy Academy in Cranston are donating their talents in doing hair and make-up for the models. Also walking the runway again will be Jessica Marfeo, 2013’s Miss Rhode Island, who participated in last year’s fashion show.
East Greenwich resident Laura Sarlitto, owner of Laura Ink Photography, produces the annual events. Since its inception in 2011, she has designated the proceeds to a different charitable cause each time. “I am very grateful to have Ocean State Job Lot’s support for the 2015 Fashion Show. The event brings together many different women of all ages and organizations, all to support a worthy cause,” says Ms. Sarlitto. “One hundred percent of the proceeds will be given to the Sojourner House to fund their programs, which include providing shelter, advocacy, referrals and other resources, along with violence prevention education programs.”
Ms. Sarlitto said the models are chosen from a casting call and then participate in a month-long training. She takes the women on photo shoots, helps them practice runway walks, and engages them in creative discussions. The end result is increased confidence. “Something blossoms in these young women in the process and it’s the most rewarding thing to be able to work with them from beginning to end,” she says.
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Women Have a Role to Play In Ending Rape

Before circumstances and Providence brought me to a small, Christian liberal arts college in a sleepy northern Virginia town, I spent three years studying at the University of Illinois followed by a two-year stint in the Army. Needless to say, I spent much of my early twenties participating in American party culture, and I'm lucky I made it through those years relatively unscathed.
Looking back, I made a lot of foolish decisions. I put myself in a lot of compromising situations that could have easily taken a dark turn. What I have to say in the following paragraphs, then, does not come from a place of ignorance or unsympathetic idealism. It comes from a woman who's played the game, learned many lessons, and come to realize exactly what's at stake for America's young people if something major doesn't change. It comes from a mother who knows in her heart that it's her daughter, even more than her son, who has a role to play in the change that needs to happen.

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Rape is terrible. It is something that no person should ever have to experience. The way the issue is being politicized and sensationalized by feminists and their sympathizers in the media, however, is not helping matters. It is eclipsing the true nature of the problem and preventing authentic dialog from occurring. The hysterical and sometimes supremely irresponsible media coverage of this issue has created the impression that America has a rape epidemic on its hands, and hordes of feminist activists have mobilized to combat it. On college campuses across America, students are protesting what they see as institutional indifference to an extremely serious problem. A group of students at the University of Virginia participated in a "SlutWalk" protest to draw attention to the problem of rape. Protest organizer Maria Dehart explained the origins of the provocative name. "[Slut Walk]," she said, "is trying to fight against this victim-blaming, slut-shaming culture we have that sexualizes women, yet shames them for being sexual. So we were trying to take the word slut, and the movement tries to turn it around and take the shame out of it."
With virtually any other public health crisis, Progressives are more than eager to examine the causal factors at play. Think of how they addressed the AIDS epidemic, or how they discuss the problem of obesity. "Why is this happening? What behaviors increase the risks of this happening? What can people to do avoid it?" Not so with the public health crisis that is rape. On this issue Progressives stop short of critical analysis and resort to the infantile tactic of indiscriminate male bashing. Anyone who dares ask these basic questions and ventures to connect the dots between behavior and consequences when it comes to rape is pilloried as a foot soldier in the so-called War on Women.
Professor Harvey Mansfield incurred the wrath of feminists when he suggested that feminism itself shares much of the blame for campus "rape culture" and that a return to standards of feminine modesty and gentlemanly honor holds the key to combating it. From his letter:
"In return for women's holding to a higher standard of sexual behavior, feminine modesty gave them protection while they considered whether they wanted to consent. It gave them time: Not so fast! Not the first date! I'm not ready for that! It gave them the pleasure of being courted along with the advantage of looking before you leap. To win over a woman, men had to strive to express their finer feelings, if they had any. Women could judge their character and choose accordingly. In sum, women had the right of choice, if I may borrow that slogan. All this and more was social construction, to be sure, but on the basis of the bent toward modesty that was held to be in the nature of women. That inclination, it was thought, cooperated with the aggressive drive in the nature of men that could be beneficially constructed into the male duty to take the initiative. There was no guarantee of perfection in this arrangement, but at least each sex would have a legitimate expectation of possible success in seeking marital happiness. They could live together, have children, and take care of them.
Without feminine modesty, however, women must imitate men, and in matters of sex, the most predatory men, as we have seen. The consequence is the hook-up culture now prevalent on college campuses, and off-campus too (even more, it is said). The purpose of hooking up is to replace the human complexity of courtship with "good sex," a kind of animal simplicity, eliminating all the preliminaries to sex as well as the aftermath. "Good sex," by the way, is in good part a social construction of the alliance between feminists and male predators that we see today. It narrows and distorts the human potentiality for something nobler and more satisfying than the bare minimum."
Feminists reject Mansfield's analysis wholesale. They scoff at the misogynistic notion that women have a responsibility to protect themselves from unwanted sexual advances by conducting themselves in a ladylike manner. On the contrary, they insist that women should be able to act however they please. They should let their libidos run free and wild. They should be able to participate in the popular hookup culture. They should be able to dress provocatively, and party and drink and flirt without any thought for the compromising situations this behavior might lead to, the dangers they might find in dark dorm rooms and frat houses, their reason and their inhibitions weakened by alcohol. And men should stand ready to respond to the whims of the feminine libido... but they must also be responsible for navigating the gray and foggy world of "consent." The "SlutWalk"ers don't explain exactly how this would look or should work, other than to suggest that we program our boys to be able to determine "conscious consent" without error, and that if in any way a woman is unhappy with the way an encounter plays out, it's 100%, without question always the man's fault.
This all speaks to the feminist's refusal to acknowledge reality, reality about their own nature as women and that of their male counterparts. And as Mansfield suggests, this refusal bears significant responsibility for increasing rates of sexual violence on college campuses. Feminist and cultural commentator Camille Paglia recently discussed the terrible danger of feminine obliviousness to their innate vulnerability and their cavalier attitude about the sexual power they wield. In the wake of UVA student Hannah Graham's disappearance, Paglia wrote:
"Too many young middleclass women, raised far from the urban streets, seem to expect adult life to be an extension of their comfortable, overprotected homes. But the world remains a wilderness. The price of women's modern freedoms is personal responsibility for vigilance and self-defense.
Current educational codes, tracking liberal-Left, are perpetuating illusions about sex and gender. The basic Leftist premise, descending from Marxism, is that all problems in human life stem from an unjust society and that corrections and fine-tunings of that social mechanism will eventually bring utopia. Progressives have unquestioned faith in the perfectibility of mankind.
The horrors and atrocities of history have been edited out of primary and secondary education except where they can be blamed on racism, sexism, and imperialism – toxins embedded in oppressive outside structures that must be smashed and remade. But the real problem resides in human nature, which religion as well as great art sees as eternally torn by a war between the forces of darkness and light...
The gender ideology dominating academe denies that sex differences are rooted in biology and sees them instead as malleable fictions that can be revised at will. The assumption is that complaints and protests, enforced by sympathetic campus bureaucrats and government regulators, can and will fundamentally alter all men. . . .
Misled by the naive optimism and "You go, girl!" boosterism of their upbringing, young women do not see the animal eyes glowing at them in the dark. They assume that bared flesh and sexy clothes are just a fashion statement containing no messages that might be misread and twisted by a psychotic. They do not understand the fragility of civilization and the constant nearness of savage nature."
Paglia, in discussing the pathology of sex crime, articulates precisely the problem with prevailing feminist attitudes about sex. In rejecting the notion that women have a responsibility of personal vigilance and self-defense, they are exposing themselves to grave dangers. For some, like Hannah Graham, the price paid is their very lives. For others, it is the trauma of rape or the embarrassment of an early morning "walk of shame."
If indeed American college campuses are experiencing an epidemic of rape, then women must be willing to consider how their attitudes and behavior might be contributing to the problem. This would likely mean a radical transformation of college party culture, including a female-led rejection of the hookup culture that has and continues to damage so many young lives. Would such a change eradicate all instances of rape? Certainly not, but in the case of the alcohol-soaked, consensually murky encounters plaguing America's institutions of higher learning; it would go along way towards solving the problem.
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KATE BOSWORTH'S SHOE COLLAB IS INFLUENCED BY 'BLUE CRUSH,' ARTIST ED RUSCHA

Style star Kate Bosworth has stepped into the world of footwear with the Kate Bosworth x Matisse Collection, slated to debut April 1. Her spot-on aesthetic sensibility makes her a standout in today's celebrity world — her Twitter feed is more often peppered with findings from the worlds of science, art, technology and sport versus relentless, ahem, selfies. Her point of view translates effortlessly into a collection of uber-chic, eminently wearable shoes for women who want an easy, smart moment without having to think about it. The former champion equestrian's line will be manufactured in Brazil and priced from $295 to $500.
We chatted with Bosworth about her love for shoes, how they can transform a character and what inspires her when designing (20th century pop art and Blue Crush are two key influences).

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Pret-a-Reporter: What can we expect to see in your shoe line?
Kate Bosworth: I’ve always been attracted to fashion that is transitional, meaning, designs that carry a woman from season to season, from day to night. That was a significant part of this collection. I wanted to think about footwear that is directional and also comfortable — very much in line with the Matisse customer. You can wear the “Charlotte" star boots with jeans for a more casual, classic ensemble or pair them with a skirt or dress for a more trendy look. Footwear should be able to transcend just one look; it should be functional in the sense that a woman can wear the shoe many different ways. That’s the type of footwear I have in my own wardrobe, and that I feel confident investing in.
What inspires you when you are designing your shoe line?
I find inspiration in so many things — art, film, to what is relevant in fashion right now or what I would like to see come back around, my own life experiences. One of my favorite artists is Ed Ruscha. His "Hot Shot" piece became my main inspiration for the “Hoyt" Boot. When I was very little, I was obsessed with collecting unique rocks and stones and this was the inspiration behind the "Wonderland" slide. The "Chadwick" and "Dawn" styles were a nod to my Blue Crush days.
Favorite pair of shoes you wore on the red carpet?
I’d say the most impressive, perfect pairing was for the Met Gala Superheroes theme in 2008. I attended the evening with Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel, and wore a beautiful beaded, multicolored vintage Chanel dress. The challenge was to find shoes that matched the dress but did not compete. The Pierre Hardy shoes I wore gave the illusion from the front that I was not wearing shoes as they had a transparent strap, but they had the perfect pairing of colors on the side.
Favorite everyday shoes?
Honestly, the KB x Matisse "Charlotte" fawn suede color with silver stars. These boots literally go with everything, from jeans and a tee to a short dress to a long skirt and sweater. I'm super proud of these shoes — they are so wearable!
When you get ready to play a character, how important are the shoes to you when you step into wardrobe?
My character's shoes are often the most informative physical detail. For example, when I shot The Warrior’s Way, my character was a girl growing up amongst men in a fantastical “carny" lifestyle — I only found the character when I put on a pair of oversized men’s shoes and actually clomped around.
What is your favorite part of designing shoes?
That I can covet them — and then get to wear them!
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Apps can bring an 'Uber' world of beauty to your doorstep

Getting an entourage of beauty professionals to show up at your door is no longer a privilege reserved just for celebrities and the ultra-wealthy. Thanks to a growing number of on-demand beauty apps, summoning hairstylists, makeup artists, masseuses and even personal trainers to a home, office or hotel is not just possible, it's often easier than swiping your smartphone screen to call an Uber car.
In fact, these services are being referred to by some users as "Ubers of beauty," due to the convenience, accessibility to a high-end experience and ability to execute all payment transactions online.
"Beauty has always been about instant gratification," says David Pirrotta, owner of David Pirrotta Brand Management, a Los Angeles-based firm that markets beauty lines including Rodin, Ilia and Sachajuan.
Lauren Remington Platt started an on-demand beauty app called Vensette three years ago after realizing there was no convenient way to transition her look from her day job in finance to the cocktail parties and charity functions she attended in the evening.

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"I wanted to create something that my friends and I would want to use and also considered how women want to interact with beauty in the Digital Age," says Platt.
Vensette, based in New York, now has artists available for hire in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami.
Vensette artists are trained to re-create styles displayed on the company's website.
"The key is consistency," says Platt, who was impressed by the uniformity of Starbucks when creating her company.
In addition to on-demand beauty apps that dispatch artists for at-home services, several apps aim to make the booking process for beauty appointments more convenient.
cCommentsGot something to say? Start the conversation and be the first to comment.ADD A COMMENT0Think "Open Table for beauty," as some are referring to apps like Beautified and Beauty Booked, which allow users to make last-minute appointments at salons and fitness studios in various cities.
Beautified, which is available in New York and plans to launch in L.A. in 2015, partners with salons, spas and exercise studios such as Frederic Fekkai, Bliss and Barry's Boot Camp.
"Women are time-strapped, and we provide them with a tool to help their day be more efficient," says Beautified co-founder Annie Evans, adding that, for women who are traveling to a new city, an app like Beautified eliminates the often time-consuming process of searching for a salon or spa, then hoping for an open appointment.
On-demand beauty apps also offer artists for weddings, bridal parties and fashion industry events.
Fashion publicist Shana Honeyman discovered an app called GlamSquad when the makeup artist she hired to work on a client's look book bowed out with food poisoning 45 minutes before a photo shoot.
Honeyman was hooked.
"I love a salon experience," she says, "but when on a tight timeline, having someone come directly to you feels decadent and time-efficient. It's the best of both worlds."
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A list of beauty-on-demand services
Here is the low-down on some of the new beauty-on-demand services.
Founded: 2011 by Lauren Remington Platt, with services available in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami.
Signature feature: Consistency. Vensette artists are trained to create several key looks as reference points for clients to choose from.
Services include: Hair and makeup.
How it works: The client books a service on the Vensette app or website, and an artist arrives at your home or office within 45 minutes.
Pricing: Hair, $100; makeup, $150; hair and makeup, $200. V by Vensette, a more customizable service available for photo shoots and high-profile events, is $300.
Founded: 2013 by Julia Carmona and Lauren Katzberg, with services available in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.
Signature feature: Options. Customers can browse artist's bios, photos, pricing and reviews, and choose which artist and look is the best fit.
How it works: Book an appointment through the Stylisted app or website by choosing the service needed, date and time.
Pricing: Varies from artist to artist and is indicated from high to low in each beauty professional's profile, much like a restaurant guide.
Founded: July 2014 by Jocelyn Loo and Maile Pacheco, with services available in Los Angeles, Orange County, Las Vegas, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston.
Signature feature: Glamour. As indicated by the beauty company's name, glamour is at the center of its service, with glam hair and makeup looks available, including fake eyelashes and group bridal packages.
How it works: Book via BeGlammed's app or website, choose the city, date and time. Individual hair or makeup appointments take no longer than an hour; hair and makeup appointments take 90 minutes.
Pricing: Services start at $95 and vary by city.
Founded: 2013 by former corporate attorney Anna Santeramo, with services available in Los Angeles.
Signature feature: At the end of each service, users rate their beauty professional. Users can also request the same beauty professional again should they favor someone for a certain service.
How it works: Book a beauty professional via the StyleBee app, choosing from a variety of services, such as blowouts and even face painting. Appointments must be booked a minimum of two hours in advance and ideally a day ahead.
Pricing: Blowouts, $50; makeup, including lashes, $85; men's cuts, $50; face painting, $50; 60-minute massage, $120; 90-minute massage, $150.
Founded: 2013 by Annie Evans, Hannah Bronfman and Peter Hananel, with services available in New York and plans to launch in L.A. in 2015.
Signature feature: A tightly curated selection of salons, spas and fitness studios, from brow waxing to barre classes, picked by the company's editors. Useful when traveling or trying to find a new service.
How it works: Download the app and select the service or class desired. Available appointments, dates and times will show up for you to choose from.
Pricing: Varies on type of service, specific salon, spa or class selected.
Founded: January 2014 by Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, co-founder of Gilt Groupe, Victoria Eisner, Jason Perri and David Goldweitz, with services available in New York and L.A.
Signature feature: A dream team of executives plus creative director and veteran hairstylist Giovanni Vaccaro and director of makeup artistry Kelli Bartlett. GlamSquad artists are trained in the brand's proprietary technique for consistent results.
How it works: Beauty services are booked through the GlamSquad app or website. A customer chooses from a menu of hair and makeup looks, and an artist is dispatched to the customer's preferred location.
Pricing: Blowout, $50; braid, $75; updo $85 and up; makeup $75.
Founded: May 2011, with services available in numerous cities, including New York, L.A., Las Vegas, Chicago and Miami.
Signature feature: The app and website are mobile and online marketplaces for booking beauty and wellness services. Makeup artists, hairstylists, personal trainers and massage therapists can use the site as a professional platform for their businesses. Users have access to about 260,000 beauty professionals in 15,000 cities and towns listed on StyleSeat.
How it works: Enter the service desired, location and date into the app or on the website, and a list of beauty professionals appears with each person's photo, rating, pricing and bio. Users can book an artist directly after reviewing the details.
Founded: March 2014 by Joseph Terzi and Morris Sutton, with services available in L.A. and Manhattan.
Signature feature: Variety. In addition to beauty services such as blowouts, spray tans and manicures, Priv also offers professionals who specialize in reflexology, gymnastics and self-defense. Priv also allows users to ping their preferred beauty professional directly to book an appointment.
How it works: Book appointments through the free Priv app by selecting service and date and time needed. A list of beauty professionals shows up on screen with a photo, rating, prices and availability.
Pricing: Ranges from a child's haircut for $45 to customized group fitness training for $160.
Founded: 2012 by former L'Oreal brand marketing executives Hillary Hutcheson and Ritika Gill, with services available in L.A., New York, Miami, San Francisco, Dallas and Houston.
Signature feature: BeautyBooked has partnered with Allure magazine, utilizing the beauty-dedicated magazine's popular "Directory" reviews on its website and app. Clients can use the reviews to discover and select new spas and salons.
How it works: Log on to the website or app and select the service desired, city and area, date and time. Available appointments will appear along with a corresponding Allure-fueled review. A reward system gives users BB points that can be used to receive beauty products and perks on services.
Pricing: Varies among different salons and spas.
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Fashion Philanthropists Train A New Generation Of Entrepreneurs

From the age of 15, Naimah Spann and Rondelynn Bell shared a love of fashion. Both were teenage mothers on tight budgets who started designing and creating their own clothes to save money. Soon, though, students and teachers at their high school in Hartford, Conn., began asking for their own signature outfits, and the girls had started a thriving, if informal, business.
After high school, both attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York before returning to Hartford, where admittedly the design scene left something to be desired. They started working for a social services program, teaching fashion design, but found something lacking. “We realized,” says Spann, “that the students were being taught how to make things but not how to sell them.” For Spann and Bell, the ability to market, sell, maintain inventory and understand financials was just as important as designing and creating clothing.

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It became clear that if they were going to create a new generation of fashionentrepreneurs they would need to do the teaching. In 2007 NIRO Design Center opened in downtown Hartford, offering programs in design and merchandising to kids ages 8 to 17. A small showroom in the center allowed young trendsetters to learn about retail, but within a couple years Spann and Bell realized that for a truly hands-on experience, they needed an actual shop.
And so, NIRO Boutique was born. “The store is the classroom,” says Spann. It’s where her students develop not just their fashion chops but core skills such as networking and personal finance, as well as inventory, credit card processing, window dressing and advertising. “Even if they don’t start a fashion line one day,” says Spann, “they’ll have the skills to start any kind of business they want.”
When kids see how they can apply what they’ve learned, their level of motivation and engagement soars. As part of a sales event, for example, students bought jewelry-making supplies to craft accessories, sold the pieces, and then were required to use a portion of their earnings to buy more supplies, to sell more jewelry. Spann says students made a profit and started wondering what they could sell next. Really, they say, these exercises are about building confidence.
The kids aren’t the only ones benefiting from NIRO’s mission. Spann and Bell focus a large share of their inventory on local designers, and bring the designers themselves (some of whom are NIRO alum) to teach in the program and connect with the next generation of talent. They’ve also taken NIRO on the road, teaching a modified version of their program in five school districts in the region, as well as in a correctional facility. In an effort to reach even more burgeoning entrepreneurs, the two are developing a workbook series based on the NIRO program.
“We’re growing,” says Bell, “but faster than we can handle.” Their core staff, four including themselves, struggles to keep up with the growing demand for their services. Their goal is to raise enough capital to hire more staff so they can bring NIRO onto the national stage, whether through their workshops or books. “Our dream,” says Spann, “is to one day be able to say ‘NIRO has created over 5,000 small business owners nationally or internationally.’”
And, of course, to dress us all in the process.
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We're One Big Step Closer To A More Sustainable Fashion Industry, Thanks To This New Initiative

Efforts to create a more sustainable fashion industry have long been the norm for some people. Designers like Stella McCartney and advocates like Amber Vallettahave rallied and emphasized the importance of creating sustainable goods for many years. But when it comes to the fashion industry at large, there is still a long way to go in terms of consumer education. That's why we're so excited about Fashion Positive, a new initiative powered by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute that's seeking to make sustainable clothing accessible for the masses.
First, a bit of background. Currently, people interested in purchasing sustainable wardrobes might be priced out. Because of the lack of resources, fashionable, sustainable clothing is currently produced at a premium rate. But beyond the financial aspect, it appears that consumers do not know the true meaning of the term.

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Jason Keehn, CEO of Accompany, an e-commerce site aimed at selling ethical fashion, spelled it out to The Huffington Post at the initiative's launch party in New York City. "Sustainability comes from an ethical point of view of not harming -- it's about becoming conscious of the choices we make all the way through the supply chain," he said. "That is not the same as a brand feeling that it needs to get out there and help underprivileged people."
So how can Fashion Positive help? Well, the first-of-its-kind initiative is focused on creating the tools needed by the designer to make sustainable clothing purchases available for everybody. That means connecting those designers to experts who can help ensure products are, in fact, sustainable at every step of the process. It also provides funding to designers and brands who aim to change the industry with quality practices and new, revolutionary products. Finally, through collaborators, Fashion Positive hopes to develop a library of high quality, sustainable materials so that designers actually have the resources available to them when they want to design a new product.
As Wendy Schmidt, philanthropist and president of The Schmidt Family Foundationputs it, the timing is inevitable. "Eighty percent of the garments made end up in landfills. We need to figure out how to use materials more wisely, how to create social fairness and how to think about the life cycle of everything we make. It's revolutionary because it acknowledges that energy is expensive and resources are limited," she told The Huffington Post.
As Fashion Positive grows, the folks behind the initiative hope that it will become economically viable -- something that not just the wealthy can afford to take part in. As Schmidt puts it, "When it gets to be viable, that's when people will jump on. That, of course, will take some time, but this is a wonderful first step."
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